AP Research credit at Pennsylvania colleges
Every Pennsylvania college with a published AP Research credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
Quick answer
34 of 46 Pennsylvania colleges (74%) award credit for AP Research at a score of 3. 11 require a 4 and 1 requires a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at West Chester University of Pennsylvania (3 credit hours). 45 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester | 3 | 3 | TRN 199 (elective credit) | Policy |
 Montgomery County Community College Blue Bell | 3 | 3 | ENG 999 | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | GNRL 1xx | Policy | |
 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock | 3 | 3 | TRNS 1TR (Generic elective) | Policy |
 Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville | 3 | 3 | — | Policy |
 Duquesne University Pittsburgh | 3 | 3 | GEN 100 | Policy |
 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg | 3 | 3 | GENT 001 | Policy |
PSUP | 3 | 3 | GENED 197 | Policy |
| 3 | — | Review of Syllabus Required | Policy | |
| 3 | 3 | GENED 197 | Policy | |
 Widener University Chester | 3 | 3 | FREE 100 LEVEL ELECTIVE | Policy |
 Point Park University Pittsburgh | 3 | 3 | ENGL 101 | Policy |
 Messiah University Mechanicsburg | 3 | 3 | ELET 100 | Policy |
 Holy Family University Philadelphia | 3 | 3 | Tier 2 Elective | Policy |
 DeSales University Center Valley | 3 | 3 | Free Elective | Policy |
 Eastern University Saint Davids | 3 | 3 | INST 130 | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | GENED 197 | Policy | |
 Elizabethtown College Elizabethtown | 3 | 4 | Elective | Policy |
 Delaware Valley University Doylestown | 3 | 3 | ISK Writing Equivalent Elective (3cr) | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | GENED 197 | Policy | |
 Waynesburg University Waynesburg | 3 | 3 | General Elective | Policy |
PSUP | 3 | 3 | GENED 197 | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | GENED 197 | Policy | |
| 3 | 3 | GENED 197 | Policy | |
PSUP Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill Schuylkill Haven | 3 | 3 | GENED 197 | Policy |
PSUP | 3 | 3 | GENED 197 | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | GENED 197 | Policy | |
| 3 | 3 | GENED 197 | Policy | |
PSUP Pennsylvania State University-Penn State New Kensington New Kensington | 3 | 3 | GENED 197 | Policy |
PSUP Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Fayette- Eberly Lemont Furnace | 3 | 3 | GENED 197 | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | GENED 197 | Policy | |
| 3 | 3 | GENED 197 | Policy | |
| 3 | 3 | GENED 197 | Policy | |
| 3 | 3 | GENED 197 | Policy | |
 Bucknell University Lewisburg | 4 | 1 | 100 level University Elective One credit, awarded only with qualifying scores on BOTH Capstone Research and Seminar exams. | Policy |
 Gettysburg College Gettysburg | 4 | 1 | General elective credit | Policy |
 Dickinson College Carlisle | 4 | — | GNCR 000 | Policy |
 Susquehanna University Selinsgrove | 4 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster | 4 | 1 | General Elective | Policy |
 Lebanon Valley College Annville | 4 | 3 | Elective | Policy |
 Saint Francis University Loretto | 4 | — | — | Policy |
 Albright College Reading | 4 | — | SPI 183 | Policy |
 Allegheny College Meadville | 4 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Juniata College Huntingdon | 4 | 3 | ND-1XXTR | Policy |
 Mount Aloysius College Cresson | 4 | 3 | — | — |
 Ursinus College Collegeville | 5 | — | — | Policy |
AP Research credit in other states
How we ranked this
One row per Pennsylvania college: the lowest score that earns actual credit under the policy that applies to all students, and the largest credit award published at that score. Placement-only policies — permission to skip a course without earning credit hours — are excluded. Credit hours and course equivalents are reproduced exactly as the college published them; “—” means no value was published and we do not estimate one. A page is published for a state only when at least 8 colleges back it.
Frequently asked questions
Which Pennsylvania colleges give credit for AP Research?+
46 colleges in Pennsylvania publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Research. 34 of them (74%) award credit at a score of 3, 11 require a 4, and 1 requires a 5. The full list, with credit hours and the course each exam replaces, is in the table on this page.
What is the lowest AP Research score that earns credit in Pennsylvania?+
3. West Chester University of Pennsylvania in West Chester awards credit at a score of 3, worth 3 credit hours, counting as TRN 199 (elective credit). 34 Pennsylvania colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.
Does in-state residency change AP credit in Pennsylvania?+
No. AP credit policy is set per institution and applies to admitted students regardless of residency — residency affects tuition rate, not credit awards. What does vary is the school within a university: engineering and nursing colleges commonly set higher bars than arts and sciences. The rules shown here are the ones that apply to all students at each college.
How do I verify these Pennsylvania AP credit policies?+
45 of the 46 colleges on this page link to their own published AP credit page in the Source column; our snapshot was taken July 30, 2026. The college's page is authoritative and can change between admission cycles, so confirm there before building a graduation plan around the credit.
Keep exploring
Data sources: Each college's own published AP / advanced-standing credit page (captured July 30, 2026) · IPEDS institution directory (names, control, location). Figures are the most recent values published in each federal dataset; cells with no published value are shown as “—” and never estimated. Education does not sell rankings or accept placement fees.