AP Equivalent Scholarship Analysis

Last updated November 22, 2008


College readiness is the best reason why students should take AP Courses and Exams. But there are also financial incentives in the form of equivalent scholarships. A simple analysis to quantify this benefit follows.

Students who do well on the National AP Exams can obtain credit at over 90% of colleges in the United States. These granted credits can help students graduate early or at least on time (a 4 year degree in 4 years). These credits also permit students to enroll in other courses of interest that they otherwise would not be able to fit in their schedule. Or they would need to enroll in an extra quarter or semester. To assign a dollar value to these earned credits a simple marginal cost benefit technique will be used. The college costs per credit will be calculated from data supplied by several colleges: the University of Washington, Western Washington University, Edmonds Community College, and Johns Hopkins University. The AP equivalent scholarship amount is then calculated as the product of the cost per credit and the awarded AP credit.

Students (and their parents) do have a cost to pay for the chance to obtain these equivalent scholarships. They must pay the $82 for each exam. Low income students in Washington only pay $5 per exam. And, most importantly, students must toil away throughout the duration of the AP course to learn and to be well prepared for the culminating AP exam.

The University of Washington

 

2008/2009 Base School Year

Per Year

Full Time Credits / Year

cost/credit

Tuition

$6,802

45

$151

Room and Board

$8,640

45

$192

Books

$1,035

45

$23

Personal

$2,265

45

$50

Transportation

$396

45

$9

Total

$19,138

45

$425
 
 
 
 
 

AP Course

Exam Grade

Credits Awarded

Costs / Credit

Equivalent Scholarship

AP Art History

4

5

$425

$2,125

AP Art History

5

10

$425

$4,250

AP Biology

4 or 5

10

$425

$4,250

AP Calculus AB

3 or 4

5

$425

$2,125

AP Calculus AB

5

10

$425

$4,250

AP Calculus BC

2 (subgrade 3,4, or 5)

5

$425

$2,125

AP Calculus BC

3

5

$425

$2,125

AP Calculus BC

4 or 5

10

$425

$4,250

AP Chemistry

4

10

$425

$4,250

AP Chemistry

5

16

$425

$6,800

AP Computer Science A

4 or 5

4

$425

$1,700

AP Computer Science AB

3,4, or 5

4

$425

$1,700

AP Economics: Macro

4 or 5

5

$425

$2,125

AP Economics: Micro

4 or 5

5

$425

$2,125

AP English (Literature or Language)

4 or 5

5

$425

$2,125

AP English (Literature and Language)

4 or 5

10

$425

$4,250

AP Environmental Science

3,4, or 5

5

$425

$2,125

AP European History

4 or 5

5

$425

$2,125

AP French Language

3

5

$425

$2,125

AP French Language

4

10

$425

$4,250

AP French Language

5

15

$425

$6,375

AP French Literature

3

5

$425

$2,125

AP French Literature

4

10

$425

$4,250

AP French Literature

5

15

$425

$6,375

AP German

3

5

$425

$2,125

AP German

4

10

$425

$4,250

AP German

5

15

$425

$6,375

AP Government & Politics: U.S.

4 or 5

5

$425

$2,125

AP Government & Politics: Comparative

4 or 5

5

$425

$2,125

AP Human Geography

3,4, or 5

5

$425

$2,125

AP Latin Literature

3

5

$425

$2,125

AP Latin Literature

4 or 5

10

$425

$4,250

AP Latin Vergil

3

5

$425

$2,125

AP Latin Vergil

4 or 5

10

$425

$4,250

AP Latin Literature and Latin: Vergil

3

5

$425

$2,125

AP Latin Literature and Latin: Vergil

4 or 5

15

$425

$6,375

AP Physics B

4 or 5

15

$425

$6,375

AP Physics C: Mechanics

4 or 5

5

$425

$2,125

AP Physics C: Elect & Magnetism

4 or 5

5

$425

$2,125

AP Psychology

4 or 5

5

$425

$2,125

AP Spanish: Language

3

5

$425

$2,125

AP Spanish: Language

4

10

$425

$4,250

AP Spanish: Language

5

15

$425

$6,375

AP Spanish: Literature

3

5

$425

$2,125

AP Spanish: Literature

4

10

$425

$4,250

AP Spanish: Literature

5

15

$425

$6,375

AP Statistics

3,4, or 5

5

$425

$2,125

AP U.S. History

4 or 5

5

$425

$2,125

AP World History

4 or 5

5

$425

$2,125


http://admit.washington.edu/Paying/Freshman/Budget
 

Western Washington University

 

2008/2009 Base School Year

Per Year

Full Time Credits / Year

cost/credit

Tuition

$5,535

45

$123

Room and Board

$7,446

45

$165

Books

$969

45

$22

Personal

$1,950

45

$43

Transportation

$1,023

45

$23

Total

$16,923

45

$376
 
 
 

AP Course

Exam Grade

Credits Awarded

Costs / Credit

Equivalent Scholarship

AP Art History

3, 4, or 5

4

$376

$1,504

AP Biology

3, 4, or 5

8

$376

$3,008

AP Calculus AB

3, 4, or 5

5

$376

$1,880

AP Calculus BC

3, 4, or 5

5

$376

$1,880

AP Chemistry

3, 4, or 5

10

$376

$3,760

AP Computer Science A

3, 4, or 5

4

$376

$1,504

AP Computer Science AB

3, 4, or 5

4

$376

$1,504

AP Economics: Macro

3, 4, or 5

4

$376

$1,504

AP Economics: Micro

3, 4, or 5

4

$376

$1,504

AP English (Literature or Language)

3

4

$376

$1,504

AP English (Literature and Language)

4 or 5

8

$376

$3,008

AP European History

3, 4, or 5

4

$376

$1,504

AP French Language

3

5

$376

$1,880

AP French Language

4 or 5

10

$376

$3,760

AP French Literature

3

5

$376

$1,880

AP French Literature

4 or 5

10

$376

$3,760

AP German

3

5

$376

$1,880

AP German

4 or 5

10

$376

$3,760

AP Government & Politics: US

3, 4, or 5

5

$376

$1,880

AP Government & Politics: Comparative

3, 4, or 5

5

$376

$1,880

AP Latin Literature

3

5

$376

$1,880

AP Latin Literature

4 or 5

10

$376

$3,760

AP Latin Vergil

3

5

$376

$1,880

AP Latin Vergil

4 or 5

10

$376

$3,760

AP Music Theory

3, 4, or 5

3

$376

$1,128

AP Physics B

3, 4, or 5

5

$376

$1,880

AP Physics C: Mechanics

3, 4, or 5

5

$376

$1,880

AP Physics C: Elect & Magnetism

3, 4, or 5

5

$376

$1,880

AP Psychology

3, 4, or 5

5

$376

$1,880

AP Spanish: Language

3

5

$376

$1,880

AP Spanish: Language

4 or 5

10

$376

$3,760

AP Spanish: Literature

3

5

$376

$1,880

AP Spanish: Literature

4 or 5

10

$376

$3,760

AP Statistics

3, 4, or 5

3

$376

$1,128

AP Studio Art: Drawing

3, 4, or 5

4

$376

$1,504

AP Studio Art: 2D

3, 4, or 5

4

$376

$1,504

AP Studio Art: 3D

3, 4, or 5

4

$376

$1,504

AP U.S. History

3, 4, or 5

8

$376

$3,008

AP World History

3, 4, or 5

4

$376

$1,504
 

http://www.finaid.wwu.edu/client_services/pages/wwu_budgets/2008-2009_budgets.php#standard_costs
 

Edmonds Community College

 

2008/2009 Base School Year

Per Year

Full Time Credits / Year

cost/credit

Tuition

$2,730

45

$61

Books

$1035

45

$23

Total

$3,765

45

$84
 
 
 

AP Course

Exam Grade

Credits Awarded

Costs / Credit

Equivalent Scholarship

AP Art History

4

5

$84

$420

AP Art History

5

10

$84

$840

AP Calculus AB

3 or 4

5

$84

$420

AP Calculus AB

5

10

$84

$840

AP Calculus BC

3

5

$84

$420

AP Calculus BC

4 or 5

10

$84

$840
AP Chemistry
 4 or 5
 18
 $84 $1,512

AP English (Literature or Language)

3, 4, or 5

5

$84

$420

AP European History

4 or 5

5

$84

$420

AP French Language

3

5

$84

$420

AP French Language

4

10

$84

$840

AP French Language

5

15

$84

$1,260

AP German

3

5

$84

$420

AP German

4

10

$84

$840

AP German

5

15

$84

$1,260

AP Government & Politics: U.S.

4 or 5

5

$84

$420

AP Government & Politics: Comparative

4 or 5

5

$84

$420
AP Physics B
 4 or 5 10
 $84 $840
AP Physics C: Mechanics
 4 or 5 5
 $84 $420

AP Psychology

4 or 5

5

$84

$420

AP Spanish: Language

3

5

$84

$420

AP Spanish: Language

4

10

$84

$840

AP Spanish: Language

5

15

$84

$1,260

AP Statistics

3,4, or 5

5

$84

$420

AP U.S. History

4 or 5

5

$84

$420
 

 http://policies.edcc.edu/_other/advanced_Placement.php

 
 

Johns Hopkins University


 

2008/2009 Base School Year

Per Year

Full Time Credits / Year

cost/credit

Tuition

$37,700

30

$1,257

Room & Board

$11,578

30

$386

Books & Supplies

$1,200

30

$40

Personal Expenses

$1,000

30

$33

Travel

$700

30

$23

Total

$52,178

30

$1,739
 
 

AP Course

Exam Grade

Credits Awarded

Costs / Credit

Equivalent Scholarship

AP Biology

4 or 5

8

$1,544

$13,912

AP Calculus AB

4 or 5

4

$1,544

$6,956

AP Calculus BC

3

4

$1,544

$6,956

AP Calculus BC

4 or 5

8

$1,544

$13,912

AP Chemistry

4 or 5

6

$1,544

$10,434

AP Computer Science AB

4 or 5

3

$1,544

$5,217

AP Economics: Macro

5

3

$1,544

$5,217

AP Economics: Micro

5

3

$1,544

$5,217

AP French Language

4 or 5

6

$1,544

$10,434

AP German

4 or 5

6

$1,544

$10,434

AP Physics C: Mechanics

4 or 5

4

$1,544

$6,956

AP Physics C: Elect & Magnetism

4 or 5

4

$1,544

$6,956

AP Spanish: Language

4 or 5

6

$1,544

$10,434

AP Statistics

4 or 5

4

$1,544

$6,956
 

http://apply.jhu.edu/facts/facts.html

AP Credit Policy Search Page (for any college)
http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/apcreditpolicy/index.jsp