AP United States Government and Politics credit at Tennessee colleges
Every Tennessee college with a published AP United States Government and Politics credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
Quick answer
27 of 39 Tennessee colleges (69%) award credit for AP United States Government and Politics at a score of 3. 12 require a 4 and 0 require a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at Middle Tennessee State University (3 credit hours). 39 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro | 3 | 3 | PS 1005 | Policy |
 University of Memphis Memphis | 3 | 3 | POLS 1030 | Policy |
 The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Chattanooga | 3 | 3 | PSPS 1010 | Policy |
 East Tennessee State University Johnson City | 3 | 3 | PSCI 1120 | Policy |
 Tennessee Technological University Cookeville | 3 | 3 | POLS 1030 | Policy |
 Austin Peay State University Clarksville | 3 | 3 | POLS 2010 | Policy |
 Pellissippi State Community College Knoxville | 3 | 3 | POLS 1030 | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | POLS 1030 | Policy | |
CSCC Chattanooga State Community College Chattanooga | 3 | 3 | POLS 1030 | Policy |
| 3 | — | POSC 210 | Policy | |
MSCC Motlow State Community College Tullahoma | 3 | 3 | POLS1030 | Policy |
 Walters State Community College Morristown | 3 | 3 | POLS 1030 | Policy |
 Columbia State Community College Columbia | 3 | 3 | POLS 1030 | Policy |
 Roane State Community College Harriman | 3 | 3 | POLS 1030 | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | POLS 1030 | Policy | |
 Cumberland University Lebanon | 3 | 3 | POLSC 223 | Policy |
CSCC Cleveland State Community College Cleveland | 3 | 3 | POLS 1030 | Policy |
 Dyersburg State Community College Dyersburg | 3 | 3 | POLS 1030 American Government | Policy |
 Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville | 3 | 3 | POL-2020 American Political Institutions | Policy |
 Union University Jackson | 3 | 3 | PSC 211 | Policy |
 Carson-Newman University Jefferson City | 3 | 3 | PSC 102 | Policy |
 Freed-Hardeman University Henderson | 3 | 3 | POL231 | Policy |
 Tusculum University Greeneville | 3 | 3 | POLS 110 | Policy |
| 3 | 3 | POL 102 | Policy | |
 Bryan College-Dayton Dayton | 3 | 3 | PSGS 226 | Policy |
MU Milligan University Milligan | 3 | 3 | POLS 120 (3 credits) | Policy |
 Johnson University Knoxville | 3 | 3 | HIST 2100 American History I or HIST 2200 American History II or “H” competency course A minimum score of 4 is required to apply to a student's professional major. | Policy |
| 4 | 3 | POLS 101 | Policy | |
 Belmont University Nashville | 4 | 3 | PSC 1210 | Policy |
 Vanderbilt University Nashville | 4 | 3 | PSCI 1100 | Policy |
 Lipscomb University Nashville | 4 | 3 | PO 1023 | Policy |
 Lee University Cleveland | 4 | 3 | PLSC-250 | Policy |
 Rhodes College Memphis | 4 | 4 | Politics and Law 099 | Policy |
 The University of the South Sewanee | 4 | 4 | POLS 101 | Policy |
 Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate | 4 | — | POLS 100 | Policy |
 Maryville College Maryville | 4 | 3 | PLS122 | Policy |
 King University Bristol | 4 | 4 | PSCI 2010 | Policy |
| 4 | 3 | POLS 112 | Policy | |
 Fisk University Nashville | 4 | 3 | PSCI 122 | Policy |
AP United States Government and Politics credit in other states
How we ranked this
One row per Tennessee 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 Tennessee colleges give credit for AP United States Government and Politics?+
39 colleges in Tennessee publish a credit-bearing policy for AP United States Government and Politics. 27 of them (69%) award credit at a score of 3, 12 require a 4, and 0 require 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 United States Government and Politics score that earns credit in Tennessee?+
3. Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro awards credit at a score of 3, worth 3 credit hours, counting as PS 1005. 27 Tennessee colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.
Does in-state residency change AP credit in Tennessee?+
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 Tennessee AP credit policies?+
39 of the 39 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.