AP Physics 1 credit at Virginia colleges

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

Quick answer

31 of 45 Virginia colleges (69%) award credit for AP Physics 1 at a score of 3. 12 require a 4 and 2 require a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at Liberty University (4 credit hours). 45 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
Liberty University
Lynchburg
34PHYS 201 General Physics IPolicy
George Mason University
Fairfax
34PHYS 103Policy
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond
34PHYS 201Policy
James Madison University
Harrisonburg
34ISCI 101 & ISCI 104 or PHYS 140 & PHYS 140LPolicy
Old Dominion University
Norfolk
34PHYS 101NPolicy
Radford University
Radford
34PHYS 111Policy
Brightpoint Community College
Chester
34PHY 201Policy
Norfolk State University
Norfolk
33PHY 152Policy
Germanna Community College
Locust Grove
34PHY 201Policy
Virginia State University
Petersburg
34PHYS 105Policy
Regent University
Virginia Beach
34Nat Sci ElectivePolicy
Virginia Peninsula Community College
Hampton
34PHY 201Policy
Virginia Western Community College
Roanoke
34PHY 201Policy
University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg
34PHYS-101Policy
Laurel Ridge Community College
Middletown
34PHY 201Policy
Piedmont Virginia Community College
Charlottesville
34PHY 201Policy
Longwood University
Farmville
34PHYS 120Policy
Marymount University
Arlington
34PHYS 901, PHYS 901LPolicy
University of Lynchburg
Lynchburg
34PHYS 141Policy
Virginia Military Institute
Lexington
33PY-120 & PY-115Policy
Patrick & Henry Community College
Martinsville
34PHY 201Policy
Bridgewater College
Bridgewater
34PHYS 125Policy
Rappahannock Community College
Glenns
34PHY 201Policy
Mountain Empire Community College
Big Stone Gap
34PHY 201Policy
University of Virginia's College at Wise
Wise
35PHY 1010/1011Policy
Averett University
Danville
34Policy
Ferrum College
Ferrum
34PHY 201Policy
Paul D Camp Community College
Franklin
34PHY 201Policy
Randolph College
Lynchburg
34PHYS 1105/1105LPolicy
Sweet Briar College
Sweet Briar
38PHYS 1XXPolicy
Patrick Henry College
Purcellville
33Policy
University of Virginia-Main Campus
Charlottesville
43PHYS 1000TPolicy
Christopher Newport University
Newport News
44PHYS 151/151LPolicy
University of Richmond
University of Richmond
41PHYS 901Policy
Shenandoah University
Winchester
44PHYS 111Policy
Roanoke College
Salem
41PHYS IPolicy
Randolph-Macon College
Ashland
44PHYS 151Policy
Virginia Wesleyan University
Virginia Beach
44PHYS ElectivePolicy
Mary Baldwin University
Staunton
43PHYS 100Policy
Emory & Henry University
Emory
44PHYS electivePolicy
Southern Virginia University
Buena Vista
43PHY 117Policy
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney
43Physics ElectivePolicy
Eastern Mennonite University
Harrisonburg
43PHYS 151 College Physics IPolicy
William & Mary
Williamsburg
58PHYS 107/L & 108/LPolicy
Washington and Lee University
Lexington
53PHYS 1-SC-N (3-credit SC non-major elective) if no Physics C-level credit earnedPolicy

AP Physics 1 credit in other states

How we ranked this

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

45 colleges in Virginia publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Physics 1. 31 of them (69%) award credit at a score of 3, 12 require a 4, and 2 require 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 Virginia?+

3. Liberty University in Lynchburg awards credit at a score of 3, worth 4 credit hours, counting as PHYS 201 General Physics I. 31 Virginia colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.

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

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 Virginia AP credit policies?+

45 of the 45 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.