Penn State doesn’t use AP scores for admissions decisions, but it does award college credit for many AP exams if you earn high enough scores—typically 4 or 5, with a few subjects accepting a 3.

AP scores Penn State will accept for credit

Penn State’s official policy is subject-specific, but the general pattern is:

  • Most AP exams: require a score of 4 or 5 to earn credit.
  • Some AP exams: accept a 3 for limited or elective-style credit, but many core subjects still require 4–5.
  • Scores of 2 or below: do not earn credit.

Examples from student discussions and Penn State’s guidance:

  • AP Psychology: a 4 was not enough ; Penn State requires a 5 for credit in that subject.
  • AP U.S. History (APUSH): a 3 does not earn credit ; higher scores are needed.
  • Many STEM and business-related APs (e.g., Calculus, Economics, Macroeconomics) typically need 4 or 5 to map to specific Penn State courses like ECON 104, etc.

The exact course equivalency (e.g., “AP Calculus AB = MATH 140”) and required score are listed in Penn State’s “Credit from Advanced Placement (AP) Exams” chart, which you can search by subject on their site.

Do AP scores affect admissions at Penn State?

No. AP scores are not considered in the admissions evaluation.

  • You can apply and be admitted without submitting AP scores.
  • AP scores matter after you’re admitted, for:
    • Earning college credit
    • Potentially placing into higher-level courses
    • Possibly testing out of some requirements, depending on your major

So you don’t need strong AP scores to get in, but strong scores can reduce your course load once you’re there.

Should you submit a 3 on an AP test?

It depends on the subject and your goals:

  • If the AP chart shows that a 3 earns any credit you care about (even general elective credit), it can be worth submitting.
  • If a 3 earns no credit for that exam (as with APUSH and several others), sending it won’t change your admissions chances and won’t give you credit.
  • College Board usually sends all your AP scores when you request a report; you generally can’t pick and choose individual exam scores to send.

Practical rule of thumb:

  • Submit AP scores that meet or exceed Penn State’s listed requirement for that exam.
  • Don’t worry about low scores hurting your admission—they don’t factor into the decision.

How to check your exact AP situation

To know exactly what Penn State will take for your specific AP exams:

  1. Go to Penn State’s AP Credit page (under Undergraduate Admissions / Academic Credit).
  1. Search or scroll to your AP subject (e.g., “Biology,” “Calculus AB,” “English Language”).
  2. Look at:
    • “Score Needed” column (e.g., 4 or 5)
    • “Penn State Equivalent” (which course you’ll get credit for)
    • Number of credits awarded

If you tell me which AP exams and scores you have (or are planning to take), I can walk through what they’re likely to count for at Penn State based on the typical patterns above. TL;DR: Penn State doesn’t use AP scores for admissions. For credit, most APs need a 4 or 5 , a few accept a 3 , and 2s never count. Check Penn State’s official AP credit chart by subject to see exactly what each of your scores will earn.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.