AP Chemistry credit at Tennessee colleges
Every Tennessee college with a published AP Chemistry credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
26 of 40 Tennessee colleges (65%) award credit for AP Chemistry at a score of 3. 13 require a 4 and 1 requires a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at Middle Tennessee State University (4 credit hours). 40 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro | 3 | 4 | CHEM 1110/ CHEM 1111 OR CHEM 1010/ CHEM 1011 | Policy |
| University of Memphis Memphis | 3 | 4 | Chem 1010/1011 | Policy |
| East Tennessee State University Johnson City | 3 | 4 | CHEM 1110/1111 | Policy |
| Austin Peay State University Clarksville | 3 | 4 | CHEM 1010/1011 or CHEM 1110/1111 | Policy |
| Belmont University Nashville | 3 | — | PHY 1010 | Policy |
| Tennessee State University Nashville | 3 | 3 | CHEM 1010 w/lab | Policy |
| Pellissippi State Community College Knoxville | 3 | 4 | CHEM 1110 | Policy |
| Volunteer State Community College Gallatin | 3 | 4 | CHEM 1110 | Policy |
| Chattanooga State Community College Chattanooga | 3 | 4 | CHEM 1110 | Policy |
| Motlow State Community College Tullahoma | 3 | 4 | CHEM1110 | Policy |
| Walters State Community College Morristown | 3 | 4 | CHEM 1110/1111 | Policy |
| Columbia State Community College Columbia | 3 | 4 | CHEM 1110 | Policy |
| Roane State Community College Harriman | 3 | 4 | CHEM 1110 | Policy |
| Lipscomb University Nashville | 3 | 4 | CM 1113, 1211 | Policy |
| Lee University Cleveland | 3 | 4 | CHYS-161 | Policy |
| Jackson State Community College Jackson | 3 | 4 | CHEM 1110 | Policy |
| Cleveland State Community College Cleveland | 3 | 4 | CHEM 1110 | Policy |
| Dyersburg State Community College Dyersburg | 3 | 4 | CHEM 1110 General Chemistry I | Policy |
| Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville | 3 | 8 | CHE-1040 General Chemistry I and CHE-1050 General Chemistry II | Policy |
| Union University Jackson | 3 | 4 | CHE 105 | Policy |
| Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate | 3 | — | CHEM 111 | Policy |
| Freed-Hardeman University Henderson | 3 | 4 | CHE121 | Policy |
| Tennessee Wesleyan University Athens | 3 | 4 | CHE 110 | Policy |
| Bryan College-Dayton Dayton | 3 | 8 | CHEM 131, 132 | Policy |
| Milligan University Milligan | 3 | 4 | Gen Ed Lab Science (CHEM 150, 4 credits) | Policy |
| Johnson University Knoxville | 3 | 4 | “L” competency course or CHEM 1114 General Chemistry (also CHEM 1124 General Chemistry II if score is a 5) A minimum score of 4 is required to apply to a student's professional major. | Policy |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville | 4 | 8 | CHEM 122-123 & CHEM 132-133 | Policy |
| The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Chattanooga | 4 | 4 | CHEM 1110/1110L | Policy |
| The University of Tennessee-Martin Martin | 4 | — | CHEM 121-122 | Policy |
| Southern Adventist University Collegedale | 4 | — | CHEM 119 | Policy |
| Cumberland University Lebanon | 4 | 4 | CHEM 111 | Policy |
| Rhodes College Memphis | 4 | 4 | Chemistry 105 | Policy |
| The University of the South Sewanee | 4 | 4 | — | Policy |
| Carson-Newman University Jefferson City | 4 | 6 | Chemistry 103 and 104 * Must serve as lab assistant for CHEM 103L & 104L | Policy |
| Maryville College Maryville | 4 | 4 | CHM111 | Policy |
| King University Bristol | 4 | 4 | CHEM 1110 | Policy |
| Christian Brothers University Memphis | 4 | 4 | CHEM 113, 113L | Policy |
| Fisk University Nashville | 4 | 4 | CHEM 103 & CHEM 103L | Policy |
| Tusculum University Greeneville | 4 | 4 | CHEM 101, CHEM 101L | Policy |
| Vanderbilt University Nashville | 5 | 8 | CHEM 1601, CHEM 1601L and CHEM 1602, CHEM 1602L | Policy |
AP Chemistry credit in other states
How we ranked this
One row per Tennessee college: the lowest score that earns actual credit under the policy that applies to all students, and the largest credit award published at that score. Placement-only policies — permission to skip a course without earning credit hours — are excluded. Credit hours and course equivalents are reproduced exactly as the college published them; “—” means no value was published and we do not estimate one. A page is published for a state only when at least 8 colleges back it.
Frequently asked questions
Which Tennessee colleges give credit for AP Chemistry?+
40 colleges in Tennessee publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Chemistry. 26 of them (65%) award credit at a score of 3, 13 require a 4, and 1 requires a 5. The full list, with credit hours and the course each exam replaces, is in the table on this page.
What is the lowest AP Chemistry score that earns credit in Tennessee?+
3. Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro awards credit at a score of 3, worth 4 credit hours, counting as CHEM 1110/ CHEM 1111 OR CHEM 1010/ CHEM 1011. 26 Tennessee colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.
Does in-state residency change AP credit in Tennessee?+
No. AP credit policy is set per institution and applies to admitted students regardless of residency — residency affects tuition rate, not credit awards. What does vary is the school within a university: engineering and nursing colleges commonly set higher bars than arts and sciences. The rules shown here are the ones that apply to all students at each college.
How do I verify these Tennessee AP credit policies?+
40 of the 40 colleges on this page link to their own published AP credit page in the Source column; our snapshot was taken July 30, 2026. The college's page is authoritative and can change between admission cycles, so confirm there before building a graduation plan around the credit.
Keep exploring
Data sources: Each college's own published AP / advanced-standing credit page (captured July 30, 2026) · IPEDS institution directory (names, control, location). Figures are the most recent values published in each federal dataset; cells with no published value are shown as “—” and never estimated. CertiHomes Education does not sell rankings or accept placement fees.