Michigan Students Set Records in Participation, Success in Advanced Placement Exams

LANSING – The state in 2025 once again reached historic highs in both the number of public school students taking rigorous Advanced Placement (AP) exams and the number performing well on the tests, according to data released by the College Board and shared by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE).

AP courses give students an opportunity to take college-level courses while they are still in high school.

“Whether it’s AP, Career and Technical Education, dual enrollment in credit-bearing college classes during high school, Early Middle College, or the International Baccalaureate program, Michigan students are benefiting from rigorous academic offerings,” said Interim State Superintendent Dr. Sue C. Carnell. “These programs prepare students for higher education or the work world while engaging them in learning in areas of interest, which in some cases prevents students from dropping out.”

In 2025, 65,906 Michigan students took one or more AP exams, a record and up 4.5% from the year before, when 63,053 students took at least one of the tests, and an increase of just under 15,000 from four years before.

This year 49,708 students scored 3, 4, or 5 on a scale of 1-5 on AP exams, which means they are qualified, well-qualified, or extremely qualified. That’s also a record high and an 11.2% increase from 44,711 in 2024. A score of 3 or above often qualifies students for college credit.

Students took 118,219 AP exams in 2025, an increase from 110,901 in 2024.

AP contributes to progress toward Goal 4 of Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan, to expand secondary learning opportunities for all students, and Goal 5, to increase the percentage of all students who graduate from high school.

Local school districts and MDE have worked to raise awareness among high school students and parents about the availability of and importance of AP classes. In recent years, MDE has been one of only two states to mail letters to parents of high school students who were identified by the College Board’s AP Potential Tool as likely to be successful in AP coursework based on their PSAT scores.

“It is encouraging to see that more Michigan students are taking rigorous AP courses and that more are performing well on the exams,” said State Board of Education President Dr. Pamela Pugh. “AP participation and success are also on the rise for students of color, which demonstrates that we are making progress when it comes to equity.”

The data show that several demographic groups of students participated more in AP and performed better on the exams.

In 2025, 4,892 Black students took at least one AP exam, up 13.9% from 4,294 the year before and more than double the number of 2,365 from 2021. The number of Black students to score 3, 4, or 5 increased 34.8%, from 1,714 in 2024 to 2,310 the following year.

This year, 5,233 Hispanic or Latino students took at least one AP exam, up from 5,072 last year, an increase of 3.2%. The number of Hispanic or Latino students who scored 3, 4, or 5 increased 12.5%, from 2,976 to 3,348.

There were 2,550 students of two or more races who took at least one AP exam in 2025, up 14.6% from the year before, when the number was 2,226. The number of students of two or more races who scored 3, 4, or 5 increased from 1,597 to 1,960, a 22.7% gain.

The College Board, the same not-for-profit organization that administers the SAT, oversees AP exams in a variety of subjects.

“Congratulations to Michigan students, families, and teachers for their hard work and dedication to achieving greater success in AP,” said Mr. Greg Walker, College Board’s senior vice president of State & District Partnerships.

Number of students taking one or more AP exam and number of AP exams taken

Performance: Number of AP students with scores 3, 4, or 5 and number of exams with scores of 3, 4, or 5