AP United States Government and Politics credit: what score you need
The minimum qualifying score, credit hours and course equivalent at 1,897 colleges that publish an AP United States Government and Politics policy.
1,497 of 1,897 colleges (79%) award credit for AP United States Government and Politics at a score of 3. 373 require a 4 and 27 require a 5. The most commonly awarded amount is 3 credit hours. Each row below links to the college’s own published policy page. Data captured July 30, 2026.
Placement is not credit
A further 12 colleges publish an AP United States Government and Politics policy that grants placement only — you may skip the introductory course, but you earn no credit hours toward the degree and the cost of those hours does not go away. Those colleges are deliberately excluded from the counts above.
Colleges that award credit for AP United States Government and Politics
Showing 120 of 1,897 colleges, lowest qualifying score first. Narrow by state below for the full list in your state.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, New Hampshire | 3 | 3 | POL-210 | Policy |
| Grand Canyon University Phoenix, Arizona | 3 | 2 | — | Policy |
| Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, Texas | 3 | 3 | POLS 206 | Policy |
| University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida | 3 | — | POS 2041 | Policy |
| Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, Indiana | 3 | 3 | POLS 101 | Policy |
| Liberty University Lynchburg, Virginia | 3 | 3 | GOVT 220 American Government | Policy |
| University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, Maryland | 3 | 3 | GVPT 170 | Policy |
| Lone Star College System The Woodlands, Texas | 3 | 3 | GOVT 2305 | Policy |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, Ohio | 3 | 3 | Political Science 1100 | Policy |
| The University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas | 3 | 3 | GOV 310L | Policy |
| Brigham Young University-Idaho Rexburg, Idaho | 3 | 3 | POLSC 110 | Policy |
| Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan | 3 | 0 | Waive PLS 100 | Policy |
| Tarrant County College District Fort Worth, Texas | 3 | 3 | GOVT 2305 | Policy |
| Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, Indiana | 3 | — | POL 1XXXX | Policy |
| Florida International University Miami, Florida | 3 | 3 | POS 2041 | Policy |
| Houston Community College Houston, Texas | 3 | 3 | GOVT 2305 - Federal Government | Policy |
| University of Houston Houston, Texas | 3 | 3 | GOVT 2305 | Policy |
| California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, California | 3 | 3 | NO CA ST/LOCAL (3) | Policy |
| Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, Indiana | 3 | 3 | POLS 100 | Policy |
| University of South Florida Tampa, Florida | 3 | 3 | POS 2041 | Policy |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, Wisconsin | 3 | 3 | POLI SCI X20 | Policy |
| Valencia College Orlando, Florida | 3 | 3 | POS 2041 | Policy |
| Miami Dade College Miami, Florida | 3 | 3 | POS 2041 | Policy |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, Illinois | 3 | 3 | Political Science 1-- | Policy |
| Texas State University San Marcos, Texas | 3 | 3 | POSI 2320 | Policy |
| California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, California | 3 | — | — | Policy |
| University of Florida Gainesville, Florida | 3 | 3 | POS 2041 | Policy |
| University of California-San Diego La Jolla, California | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
| University of North Texas Denton, Texas | 3 | 3 | PSCI 2305 | Policy |
| San Diego State University San Diego, California | 3 | 3 | POL S 299 | Policy |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, Michigan | 3 | 4 | POLSCI 111 | Policy |
| University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, California | 3 | 3 | — | Policy |
| University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, California | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
| Texas Tech University Lubbock, Texas | 3 | 3 | POLS 1301 | Policy |
| California State University-Northridge Northridge, California | 3 | 6 | Consult Political Science Chair | Policy |
| The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, Alabama | 3 | 3 | PSC 101 | Policy |
| Florida State University Tallahassee, Florida | 3 | 3 | POS 1041 | Policy |
| University of California-Davis Davis, California | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, Washington | 3 | 5 | POLS 202 | Policy |
| University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, Colorado | 3 | 3 | 3 lower-division Arts & Science credits that count toward the A&S Gen. Ed. Social Science requirement and the CMCI Core People and Society requirement | Policy |
| The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, Texas | 3 | 3 | POLS 2311 | Policy |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, Minnesota | 3 | 4 | Political Science 1001 | Policy |
| University of Maryland-College Park College Park, Maryland | 3 | 3 | History/Social Science (DSHS) | Policy |
| The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, Texas | 3 | 3 | POL 1013 | Policy |
| Oregon State University Corvallis, Oregon | 3 | 4 | PS 201 | Policy |
| University of California-Irvine Irvine, California | 3 | 4 | Elective credit only | Policy |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, Louisiana | 3 | 3 | POLI 2051 | Policy |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, Ohio | 3 | 3 | POL 1010 | Policy |
| University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, South Carolina | 3 | 3 | POLI 201 | Policy |
| California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, California | 3 | 6 | — | Policy |
| College of Southern Nevada Las Vegas, Nevada | 3 | — | — | Policy |
| University of Arkansas Fayetteville, Arkansas | 3 | 3 | PLSC 20003 | Policy |
| Georgia State University Atlanta, Georgia | 3 | 3 | POLS 1101 | Policy |
| George Mason University Fairfax, Virginia | 3 | 3 | GOVT 103 | Policy |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, Texas | 3 | 3 | POLS 2305 | Policy |
| San Jose State University San Jose, California | 3 | 3 | Elective | Policy |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, North Carolina | 3 | 3 | 200-level elective | Policy |
| University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah | 3 | 3 | POLS 1100 | Policy |
| Austin Community College District Austin, Texas | 3 | — | GOVT 2305 | Policy |
| Collin County Community College District McKinney, Texas | 3 | 3 | GOVT 2305 | Policy |
| Mt San Antonio College Walnut, California | 3 | 3 | — | Policy |
| Full Sail University Winter Park, Florida | 3 | 3 | PSC 1305 | Policy |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, Colorado | 3 | 3 | POLS 1++ | Policy |
| East Los Angeles College Monterey Park, California | 3 | 3 | — | Policy |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, California | 3 | 3 | PLS 2010 | Policy |
| University of Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada | 3 | 3 | General Education U.S. Constitution | Policy |
| Broward College Fort Lauderdale, Florida | 3 | 3 | POS 2041 | Policy |
| Ashford University San Diego, California | 3 | 3 | POL 201 AMERICAN NATIONAL GOVERNMENT; OR CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY COMPETENCY | Policy |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, North Carolina | 3 | 3 | POLS 1575 | Policy |
| Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida | 3 | 3 | POS 2041 | Policy |
| University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, California | 3 | 4 | Political Science 12 | Policy |
| University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky | 3 | 3 | PS 101 | Policy |
| University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, Missouri | 3 | 3 | Pol Sci 1100 | Policy |
| San Jacinto Community College Pasadena, Texas | 3 | 3 | GOVT 2305 | Policy |
| El Paso Community College El Paso, Texas | 3 | — | GOVT 2305 | Policy |
| Clemson University Clemson, South Carolina | 3 | 3 | POSC 1010 | Policy |
| University of California-Riverside Riverside, California | 3 | 4 | POSC 010 | Policy |
| Santa Ana College Santa Ana, California | 3 | 3 | POLT101 | Policy |
| Long Beach City College Long Beach, California | 3 | 3 | POLSC 1P (3)-To receive credit for POLSC 1P, student must take POLSC 48 | — |
| University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, Illinois | 3 | 3 | POLS 101 | Policy |
| Washington State University Pullman, Washington | 3 | 3 | Political Science 101 | Policy |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, California | 3 | 9 | Elective Units | Policy |
| University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, Oklahoma | 3 | 3 | P SC 1113 | Policy |
| California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, California | 3 | 3 | — | Policy |
| The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, Texas | 3 | 3 | GOVT 2305 | Policy |
| Santa Monica College Santa Monica, California | 3 | 3 | Pol Sc 1 | Policy |
| California State University-Fresno Fresno, California | 3 | 3 | PLSI Elective | Policy |
| Georgia Southern University Statesboro, Georgia | 3 | 3 | POLS 1101 | Policy |
| Oklahoma State University-Main Campus Stillwater, Oklahoma | 3 | 3 | POLS 1113 | Policy |
| Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia | 3 | 3 | POLI 103 | Policy |
| Pasadena City College Pasadena, California | 3 | 3 | POLS C1000 | Policy |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, North Carolina | 3 | 3 | POLI Elective | Policy |
| The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, Texas | 3 | 3 | POLS 2310 | Policy |
| Palm Beach State College Lake Worth, Florida | 3 | 3 | POS1041 | Policy |
| Utah State University Logan, Utah | 3 | 3 | POLS 1100 (BAI) | Policy |
| University at Buffalo Buffalo, New York | 3 | 3 | APC999TR | Policy |
| San Francisco State University San Francisco, California | 3 | 3 | PLSI 200 | Policy |
| East Carolina University Greenville, North Carolina | 3 | 3 | POLS 1010 | Policy |
| University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas | 3 | 3 | POLS 110 | Policy |
| University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon | 3 | 4 | Political Science elective course | Policy |
| Appalachian State University Boone, North Carolina | 3 | 3 | PS 1100 | Policy |
| Kent State University at Kent Kent, Ohio | 3 | 3 | POL 10100 | Policy |
| Grand Valley State University Allendale, Michigan | 3 | 3 | PLS 102 | Policy |
| University of Mississippi University, Mississippi | 3 | 3 | Pol 101 | Policy |
| University of Delaware Newark, Delaware | 3 | 3 | POSC 166DE | Policy |
| Fresno City College Fresno, California | 3 | 3 | POLS C1000 | — |
| St Petersburg College St. Petersburg, Florida | 3 | 3 | POS X041core, civics | Policy |
| Cerritos College Norwalk, California | 3 | 3 | — | Policy |
| Wake Technical Community College Raleigh, North Carolina | 3 | 3 | POL 120 | Policy |
| Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, Ohio | 3 | 3 | POLS 1010 | Policy |
| Illinois State University Normal, Illinois | 3 | 3 | POL 106 | Policy |
| Portland Community College Portland, Oregon | 3 | 4 | PS 201 | Policy |
| Sam Houston State University Huntsville, Texas | 3 | 3 | POLS 2305 | Policy |
| Mississippi State University Mississippi State, Mississippi | 3 | 3 | PS 1113 | Policy |
| University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, California | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
| Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, Florida | 3 | 3 | POS 2041 | Policy |
| West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia | 3 | 3 | POLS 102 | Policy |
| Montclair State University Montclair, New Jersey | 3 | 3 | POLS101 | Policy |
| Old Dominion University Norfolk, Virginia | 3 | 3 | POLS 101S | Policy |
| Stony Brook University Stony Brook, New York | 3 | 3 | — | Policy |
AP United States Government and Politics credit by state
How we ranked this
One row per 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 are excluded and counted separately above. Where a college publishes only a major-specific rule, we do not promote it to a school-wide minimum. Credit hours and course equivalents are reproduced as the college published them; “—” means the college published no value for that field. Colleges are ordered by minimum score, then by enrolment, so the easiest routes to credit appear first — this is not a quality ranking.
Frequently asked questions
What AP United States Government and Politics score do you need for college credit?+
Of the 1,897 colleges with a published AP United States Government and Politics credit policy, 1,497 (79%) award credit at a score of 3, 373 require a 4, and 27 require a 5. There is no single national threshold — the requirement is set by each college, so check the table on this page for the schools on your list.
How many college credits is AP United States Government and Politics worth?+
The most commonly published award is 3 credit hours, but it varies by college and by the score earned — several colleges award more hours for a 4 or 5 than for a 3. The Credits column in the table shows each college's own published figure; a dash means the college publishes a policy but no credit-hour number, and we do not estimate one.
Do all colleges accept AP United States Government and Politics?+
No. This page covers the 1,897 colleges that publish a credit-bearing policy for AP United States Government and Politics, plus 12 more whose policy for this exam grants placement only — permission to skip a course without earning credit hours. Colleges absent from this list either publish no policy for this exam or grant nothing for it. Absence here is not proof a college rejects the exam; it means we have no published rule to cite.
Where can I verify a college's AP United States Government and Politics policy?+
Every row links to the college's own advanced-standing or AP credit page in the Source column. That page is authoritative and current; our copy is a snapshot taken July 30, 2026. Policies change between admission cycles, so verify at the source before counting on credit in a graduation plan.
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.