AP Physics 1 credit at Minnesota colleges

Every Minnesota college with a published AP Physics 1 credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.

Quick answer

36 of 42 Minnesota colleges (86%) award credit for AP Physics 1 at a score of 3. 5 require a 4 and 1 requires a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (4 credit hours). 42 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.

Colleges that award credit for AP Physics 1, with the minimum qualifying score, credit hours awarded and the equivalent course.
CollegeMin scoreCreditsCounts asSource
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis
34Physics 1101Policy
Minnesota State University-Mankato
Mankato
33PHYS 101Policy
Normandale Community College
Bloomington
34PHYS 1110Policy
University of St Thomas
Saint Paul
34PHYS 101Policy
Century College
White Bear Lake
34PHYS 1041Policy
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud
34PHYS231Policy
Winona State University
Winona
34PHYS 201Policy
Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul
35Policy
Minneapolis Community and Technical College
Minneapolis
35PHYS 1131Policy
North Hennepin Community College
Brooklyn Park
35PHYS1201Policy
Rochester Community and Technical College
Rochester
35PHYS 1117Policy
Bemidji State University
Bemidji
34Policy
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Moorhead
3PHYS 160Policy
Minnesota State Community and Technical College
Fergus Falls
34PHYS 1401Policy
St Cloud Technical and Community College
Saint Cloud
34PHYS2300Policy
Concordia University-Saint Paul
Saint Paul
34PHS112Policy
Lake Superior College
Duluth
35Policy
St Catherine University
Saint Paul
34PHYS 1080Policy
Dakota County Technical College
Rosemount
34PHYS 1100Policy
Southwest Minnesota State University
Marshall
33PHYS 120Policy
Carleton College
Northfield
33Policy
Riverland Community College
Austin
34PHYS 1501Policy
The College of Saint Scholastica
Duluth
34Elective credit only.Policy
Concordia College at Moorhead
Moorhead
34PHYS ElectivePolicy
Hamline University
Saint Paul
34General creditPolicy
University of Minnesota-Crookston
Crookston
34PHYS 1101Policy
University of Northwestern-St Paul
Saint Paul
34PHY1101/PHY1101LPolicy
Saint Johns University
Collegeville
34PHYS 105Policy
Alexandria Technical & Community College
Alexandria
33Policy
College of Saint Benedict
Saint Joseph
34PHYS 105Policy
Northland Community and Technical College
Thief River Falls
34PHYS 1111Policy
Minnesota State College Southeast
Winona
34PHYS1215Policy
University of Minnesota-Morris
Morris
35Policy
North Central University
Minneapolis
33SCI Science ElectivePolicy
Crown College
Saint Bonifacius
34SCI 247 Physics I or Lab Science ElectivePolicy
University of Minnesota-Rochester
Rochester
34Policy
St Olaf College
Northfield
41Policy
Macalester College
Saint Paul
44PHYS 126Policy
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter
4PHY-120/121 (NTSCI)Policy
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Winona
44P180/P181Policy
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Minneapolis
43Liberal Arts ElectivePolicy
Augsburg University
Minneapolis
54PHY 107Policy

AP Physics 1 credit in other states

How we ranked this

One row per Minnesota 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 Minnesota colleges give credit for AP Physics 1?+

42 colleges in Minnesota publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Physics 1. 36 of them (86%) award credit at a score of 3, 5 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 Physics 1 score that earns credit in Minnesota?+

3. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in Minneapolis awards credit at a score of 3, worth 4 credit hours, counting as Physics 1101. 36 Minnesota colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.

Does in-state residency change AP credit in Minnesota?+

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 Minnesota AP credit policies?+

42 of the 42 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.