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September 29, 2026
Rigorous Program Prepares Students for College and Careers
LANSING – Michigan continues to set records in the number of public school students taking rigorous Advanced Placement (AP) courses and the number performing well on AP exams, according to data released by the College Board and shared today 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. The College Board, the same not-for-profit organization that administers the SAT, oversees AP exams in a variety of subjects.
In 2026, 69,878 high school students in Michigan took one or more AP exam. That’s an increase of 6% from 65,898 who took at least one exam the year before, which also was a record at the time, and up by nearly 19,000 students from five years before.
This year 94,598 of the AP exams taken by Michigan public school students—or 75% of the 126,480 exams taken—earned scores of 3, 4 or 5 on a scale of 1-5, which means students who took the tests are qualified, well-qualified or extremely qualified. A score of 3 or above often qualifies students for college credit.
In 2026, 53,022 students scored 3, 4 or 5 on a scale of 1-5 on at least one AP exam. That number increased from 49,708 the year before, an increase of 6.7%.
“Michigan students, their families and local educators can be proud of continuing improvements in the number of students taking AP courses and testing well on AP exams,” said State Superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko. “Exposure to rigorous, college-level courses in high school prepares our students for their future.”
Even with the record improvements, there is room for further growth in access to AP among Michigan students. While the courses are available to all students either through their local schools or online via Michigan Virtual, only 52% of Michigan high school directly offer AP classes.
In addition to AP, Michigan has been working to increase student access to other rigorous learning opportunities—Career and Technical Education, dual enrollment in credit-bearing college classes during high school, Early Middle College and the International Baccalaureate program.
These opportunities contribute 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. In the 2025-26 school year, 144,027 Michigan 10th- and 11th-graders took the PSAT.
A $2.8 million investment from the Michigan Legislature and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the fiscal year 2027 state budget has reduced barriers to AP, International Baccalaureate and the College-Level Examination Program by covering or reducing fees for income-eligible students and families.
“We want to continue improving access to AP courses,” said State Board of Education President Dr. Pamela Pugh. “It’s important for there to be equitable access to AP. I am especially pleased that AP participation and success are on the rise for students of color.”
Since 2022, the College Board said AP participation by Black students in Michigan has more than doubled, from 2,778 to 5,653, a 103% increase. Hispanic participation is up 64%, from 3,457 to 5,686. That compares to overall participation growing 34%.
The College Board said 233 of 663 Michigan districts, or 35%, don’t have direct access to AP. The lack of access is concentrated in small and rural districts.
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