Power of One AP Course

Expand the Impact of Advanced Placement

Taking just a single AP course can have a positive impact on your students’ future.

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The Power of One AP Course

Improve Student Outcomes

Research shows that taking even one AP course can improve students’ first-year college GPA and chances of graduating in four years.  

Relevant for More Students

With offerings that explore topics and teach skills relevant beyond the classroom, there’s an AP course for every student. Help more students take the first step on their AP journey by offering the courses below, which are designed to invite a wider range of students into AP: 

  • English 10: AP Seminar  

  • AP Precalculus 

  • AP Computer Science Principles 

  • AP African American Studies 

The Benefits of AP for All Students

Build Skills and Confidence

Taking AP courses and exams helps students build the skills and confidence needed for high school, college, and career success.

Improve College Outcomes

Students who take AP are more likely to attend college and graduate on time than students who don’t take AP—regardless of their exam score.

Cost Savings

In 2023, U.S. students earned over 3 million qualifying AP Exam scores. That’s a potential savings of over $3.4 billion in tuition and fees for students and families.

Why Offer AP Precalculus?

Created for any student ready for high school precalculus, this course prepares students to succeed in math they’ll encounter in college and can be offered in place of your current precalculus or trigonometry course. Offering AP Precalculus can help more of your students get ready for the math and science courses required for most majors—before they graduate from high school. 

Explore AP Precalculus

AP Precalculus will open the door for many students to advanced course studies in mathematics and will bring a college-level course to students who may not have access to other AP math classes. It will level the playing field for underrepresented students, and all students who have completed an Algebra 2 course (or equivalent class) will be able to succeed in this course.

Brendan Murphy, John Bapst Memorial High School, Development Committee Member

Why Offer English 10: AP Seminar?

AP Seminar is an interdisciplinary course that helps students develop critical thinking, collaboration, and academic research skills on topics of the student’s choosing. Many schools offer AP Seminar as an English course, with the most rapid adoption in grade 10. The collaborative projects and performance tasks in English 10: AP Seminar boost engagement. A more diverse group of students take and are successful in AP Seminar than any other AP course.

Explore English 10: AP Seminar

At first, I had a lot of apprehension about taking AP Seminar my sophomore year but this course meets you where you are and builds upon what you already know. I learned how to identify appropriate research, craft a compelling synthesis paper, and present in front of others. I don’t think I would’ve done as well in my junior, senior, and college classes without it.

Jayden, AP alum

Why Offer AP African American Studies?

AP African American Studies is an interdisciplinary course that helps students develop critical source analysis skills, especially historical, literary, visual, and data analysis skills. It is an ideal way for students to try AP for the first time while examining topics of their interest. It’s designed for every student to gain a strong foundation in facts and evidence about African American history and culture.

Explore AP African American Studies

My experience in AP African American Studies has inspired me to minor in African American studies in college and has been very beneficial. This course has opened my eyes to the world around me and has had me look deeper into things that I would turn a blind eye to. This class should be something everyone gets to experience.

A’Marie, AP alum

Why Offer AP Computer Science Principles?

AP Computer Science Principles introduces students to foundational concepts of computer science and challenges them to explore how computing and technology can impact the world. Students learn to design and evaluate solutions and to apply computer science to solve problems through the development of algorithms and programs.

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Taking AP Computer Science Principles was my very first exposure into anything related to coding and computer science. I loved that it was hands on and I was able to create something and practice my problem-solving skills. It was a challenging course, but it was also the most rewarding one I've ever had.

Kate, AP alum

Build Your AP Program

Start, grow, or enhance your AP program by exploring options like: 

  • AP courses with projects
  • Early access to AP
  • Career connections to AP
  • Popular AP courses
  • STEM learning
  • AP course pairings 
Start Building

Widening Access to Pre-AP

Prepare Students for Success in AP with Pre-AP

Pre-AP courses help students build the foundational skills and content knowledge they’ll need to thrive in AP, with course options across multiple subject areas. All courses are aimed at expanding AP access and preparing students for college and career success.

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A No-Cost Option to Sample Pre-AP

College Board aims to ensure all students are ready with the knowledge and skills they’ll need to take their first AP course. To support this goal, we’re making all Pre-AP courses available for free to any school that enrolls 12th-grade students in AP Precalculus or 10th-grade students in AP African American Studies, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Seminar, or English 10: AP Seminar. 

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Interested in bringing AP courses to your school or district? Request more information. 

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