Class of 2019 Overview
Over the past 10 years, the number of U.S. public high school graduates who took an AP Exam during high school has increased 57%. And the number of U.S. public high school graduates who scored a 3 or higher on at least one AP Exam has increased 60%.
AP Participation
- 1,245,527 (38.9%) U.S. public high school graduates in the class of 2019 took at least one AP Exam, up from 793,300 (26.1%) in the class of 2009.
AP Performance
- 764,702 (23.9%) of those graduates scored a 3 or higher on an AP Exam, up from 477,883 (15.7%) in the class of 2009.
AP Demographics
Recently the Education Trust published Inequities in Advanced Coursework, a report that found “Black and Latino students across the country experience inequitable access to advanced coursework opportunities.”
Educators make progress every year in their efforts to give all students access to the AP Program. But some groups—including black/African American and American Indian/Alaska Native students—are still not given equal opportunity to participate.
The report emphasizes that when education leaders—at state, district, and school levels—put clear goals in place to expand access to advanced coursework, outcomes do change.
The AP Program’s official Equity and Access Policy strongly encourages schools to recruit and enroll AP students who reflect the overall demographics of the school. Every effort should be made to ensure the percentage of students scoring 3 or higher on an AP Exam matches the proportion of that demographic group within the school.
|
Group |
Class of 2009 |
Class of 2019 |
% increase (10-year) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nation |
477,883 |
764,702 |
60.0% |
|
Underrepresented* |
87,606 |
224,921 |
156.7% |
|
American Indian/Alaska Native |
2,068 |
1,626 |
-21.4% |
|
Black/African American |
17,661 |
33,208 |
88.0% |
|
Hispanic/Latino |
67,877 |
189,244 |
178.8% |
|
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander |
843 |
||
|
Asian |
56,406 |
95,141 |
68.7% |
|
White |
305,920 |
402,451 |
31.6% |
|
Two or More Races |
33,381 |
||
|
Other |
14,829 |
||
|
No Response |
13,122 |
8,808 |
-32.9% |
*Includes American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander groups.
The College Board collection and reporting of race and ethnicity were updated in 2016 to align with U.S. Department of Education guidelines for the collection and reporting of race and ethnicity data. Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander and Two or More Races are possible race/ethnicity classifications beginning with the class of 2016. Due to the change in the race/ethnicity question, some caution should be exercised in year-over-year comparisons to data before and after the class of 2016. For more information, visit collegeboard.org/raceethnicity.
Highlights from State AP Data
Across the nation, a wide range of states continue to expand access to AP courses. Here are some highlights.
Figure 1: 2019 Performance
Percentage of All U.S. Public High School Students in the Class of 2019 Who Scored a 3 or Higher on an AP Exam, by State.
What do the data show?
23.9% of U.S. public high school graduates scored a 3 or higher on an AP Exam during high school.
33.8% of public high school graduates in Massachusetts scored a 3 or higher on an AP Exam, leading the nation.
States with a tie in the rankings are listed alphabetically.
The data on this page represent U.S. public school students only. Class of 2019 enrollment data are sourced from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) projections of high school graduates released in December 2016.
Figure 2a: Performance Changes
This table shows the 1-year, 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year change in the percentage of graduates scoring a 3 or higher on an AP Exam during high school, by state, ranked by the 10-year percentage-point change.
What do the data show?
Massachusetts had a 13.0-point increase over 10 years in the percentage of public high school graduates scoring a 3 or higher on an AP Exam, the highest in the nation.
District of Columbia had the largest 3-year and 5-year increases in the percentage of public high school graduates scoring a 3 or higher on an AP Exam.
Illinois had the largest 1-year increase in the percentage of public high school graduates scoring a 3 or higher on an AP Exam.
There’s been an 8.2-point increase since 2009 in the percentage of U.S. public high school graduates scoring a 3 or higher on an AP Exam.
| State | 1-year | 3-year | 5-year | 10-year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Massachusetts |
0.9 |
2.9 |
5.9 |
13.0 |
|
District of Columbia |
0.1 |
5.9 |
7.8 |
12.3 |
|
Florida |
0.6 |
2.8 |
5.6 |
12.2 |
|
Illinois |
1.1 |
3.4 |
6.3 |
12.1 |
|
Rhode Island |
0.2 |
3.9 |
6.1 |
11.6 |
|
New Jersey |
0.6 |
3.1 |
5.3 |
11.2 |
|
Nevada |
1.0 |
3.3 |
7.7 |
10.6 |
|
California |
0.7 |
3.6 |
6.8 |
10.4 |
|
Connecticut |
0.3 |
2.4 |
3.6 |
10.3 |
|
Indiana |
-0.1 |
1.9 |
3.2 |
9.8 |
|
Hawaii |
0.7 |
2.4 |
5.3 |
9.5 |
|
Wisconsin |
0.1 |
1.4 |
3.2 |
9.3 |
|
Colorado |
0.9 |
2.3 |
4.3 |
9.2 |
|
Michigan |
0.2 |
1.5 |
2.7 |
8.3 |
|
New York |
0.3 |
1.8 |
3.7 |
8.2 |
| United States |
0.4 |
2.0 |
3.8 |
8.2 |
|
Minnesota |
0.1 |
0.8 |
2.0 |
7.9 |
|
Kentucky |
-0.4 |
0.5 |
1.8 |
7.8 |
|
Pennsylvania |
0.4 |
1.6 |
3.5 |
7.6 |
|
Washington |
0.5 |
1.5 |
3.6 |
7.6 |
|
Arizona |
0.6 |
2.2 |
3.9 |
7.5 |
|
Texas |
0.6 |
2.2 |
4.0 |
7.4 |
|
Alabama |
0.3 |
1.6 |
3.4 |
7.3 |
|
Oregon |
0.9 |
1.9 |
4.2 |
7.2 |
|
Ohio |
0.5 |
1.4 |
2.3 |
7.1 |
|
Maryland |
-0.1 |
1.2 |
1.2 |
6.9 |
|
South Carolina |
0.4 |
1.6 |
3.0 |
6.9 |
|
Georgia |
0.0 |
0.9 |
3.0 |
6.7 |
|
Arkansas |
-0.1 |
1.1 |
2.2 |
6.6 |
|
North Dakota |
0.6 |
3.0 |
3.8 |
6.4 |
|
Louisiana |
0.3 |
1.6 |
3.4 |
5.9 |
|
Tennessee |
0.9 |
2.0 |
3.6 |
5.9 |
|
Delaware |
-0.2 |
0.7 |
2.0 |
5.6 |
|
Missouri |
0.4 |
1.2 |
2.6 |
5.6 |
|
Vermont |
0.0 |
1.3 |
0.1 |
5.5 |
|
Virginia |
0.3 |
0.5 |
1.1 |
5.5 |
|
New Hampshire |
0.0 |
0.6 |
2.5 |
5.4 |
|
Utah |
0.0 |
1.2 |
1.3 |
5.4 |
|
Maine |
0.5 |
0.2 |
0.5 |
5.3 |
|
Wyoming |
-0.4 |
0.8 |
2.4 |
4.7 |
|
Iowa |
-0.5 |
0.2 |
1.3 |
4.6 |
|
Nebraska |
0.4 |
1.4 |
2.3 |
4.6 |
|
North Carolina |
-0.1 |
0.8 |
3.2 |
4.5 |
|
West Virginia |
0.9 |
1.0 |
2.2 |
4.2 |
|
New Mexico |
-0.2 |
1.1 |
2.1 |
4.1 |
|
Mississippi |
0.7 |
1.5 |
2.6 |
3.2 |
|
Montana |
1.0 |
1.0 |
0.5 |
3.2 |
|
Alaska |
-1.1 |
-1.7 |
1.3 |
2.6 |
|
Idaho |
-0.7 |
0.8 |
1.0 |
2.6 |
|
South Dakota |
-0.4 |
0.0 |
-0.4 |
2.4 |
|
Oklahoma |
-0.2 |
0.1 |
0.6 |
2.3 |
|
Kansas |
-0.1 |
-0.2 |
0.1 |
1.5 |
Figures 2a and 2b track the progress states have made over 1, 3, 5, and 10 years toward ensuring their students have the opportunity and preparation to succeed in AP.
The data on this page represent U.S. public school students only. Enrollment data for all cohorts presented in the tables are sourced from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) projections of high school graduates released in December 2016.
Figure 2b: Performance Trends
This table shows the percentage of the classes of 2009, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2019 scoring a 3 or higher on an AP Exam during high school, by state, ranked by the 10-year percentage-point change appearing in figure 2a.
| State | 2009 | 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Massachusetts |
20.8 |
27.9 |
30.9 |
32.9 |
33.8 |
|
District of Columbia |
7.4 |
11.9 |
13.8 |
19.6 |
19.7 |
|
Florida |
20.1 |
26.7 |
29.5 |
31.7 |
32.3 |
|
Illinois |
16.3 |
22.1 |
25.0 |
27.3 |
28.4 |
|
Rhode Island |
10.7 |
16.2 |
18.4 |
22.1 |
22.3 |
|
New Jersey |
18.4 |
24.3 |
26.5 |
29.0 |
29.6 |
|
Nevada |
15.2 |
18.1 |
22.5 |
24.8 |
25.8 |
|
California |
21.7 |
25.3 |
28.5 |
31.4 |
32.1 |
|
Connecticut |
22.2 |
28.9 |
30.1 |
32.2 |
32.5 |
|
Indiana |
10.2 |
16.8 |
18.1 |
20.1 |
20.0 |
|
Hawaii |
8.4 |
12.6 |
15.5 |
17.2 |
17.9 |
|
Wisconsin |
16.9 |
23.0 |
24.8 |
26.1 |
26.2 |
|
Colorado |
20.0 |
24.9 |
26.9 |
28.3 |
29.2 |
|
Michigan |
13.0 |
18.6 |
19.8 |
21.1 |
21.3 |
|
New York |
20.8 |
25.3 |
27.2 |
28.7 |
29.0 |
| United States |
15.7 |
20.1 |
21.9 |
23.5 |
23.9 |
|
Minnesota |
15.2 |
21.1 |
22.3 |
23.0 |
23.1 |
|
Kentucky |
10.3 |
16.3 |
17.6 |
18.5 |
18.1 |
|
Pennsylvania |
12.2 |
16.3 |
18.2 |
19.4 |
19.8 |
|
Washington |
16.5 |
20.5 |
22.6 |
23.6 |
24.1 |
|
Arizona |
10.3 |
13.9 |
15.6 |
17.2 |
17.8 |
|
Texas |
15.1 |
18.5 |
20.3 |
21.9 |
22.5 |
|
Alabama |
7.1 |
11.0 |
12.8 |
14.1 |
14.4 |
|
Oregon |
12.2 |
15.2 |
17.5 |
18.5 |
19.4 |
|
Ohio |
11.2 |
16.0 |
16.9 |
17.8 |
18.3 |
|
Maryland |
24.6 |
30.3 |
30.3 |
31.6 |
31.5 |
|
South Carolina |
13.4 |
17.3 |
18.7 |
19.9 |
20.3 |
|
Georgia |
16.5 |
20.2 |
22.3 |
23.2 |
23.2 |
|
Arkansas |
11.4 |
15.8 |
16.9 |
18.1 |
18.0 |
|
North Dakota |
6.2 |
8.8 |
9.6 |
12.0 |
12.6 |
|
Louisiana |
3.5 |
6.0 |
7.8 |
9.1 |
9.4 |
|
Tennessee |
8.0 |
10.3 |
11.9 |
13.0 |
13.9 |
|
Delaware |
13.8 |
17.4 |
18.7 |
19.6 |
19.4 |
|
Missouri |
7.0 |
10.0 |
11.4 |
12.2 |
12.6 |
|
Vermont |
20.2 |
25.6 |
24.4 |
25.7 |
25.7 |
|
Virginia |
23.3 |
27.7 |
28.3 |
28.5 |
28.8 |
|
New Hampshire |
15.3 |
18.2 |
20.1 |
20.7 |
20.7 |
|
Utah |
20.1 |
24.2 |
24.3 |
25.5 |
25.5 |
|
Maine |
18.2 |
23.0 |
23.3 |
23.0 |
23.5 |
|
Wyoming |
7.8 |
10.1 |
11.7 |
12.9 |
12.5 |
|
Iowa |
8.6 |
11.9 |
13.0 |
13.7 |
13.2 |
|
Nebraska |
7.4 |
9.7 |
10.6 |
11.6 |
12.0 |
|
North Carolina |
16.9 |
18.2 |
20.6 |
21.5 |
21.4 |
|
West Virginia |
7.7 |
9.7 |
10.9 |
11.0 |
11.9 |
|
New Mexico |
9.3 |
11.3 |
12.3 |
13.6 |
13.4 |
|
Mississippi |
4.2 |
4.8 |
5.9 |
6.7 |
7.4 |
|
Montana |
10.6 |
13.3 |
12.8 |
12.8 |
13.8 |
|
Alaska |
12.2 |
13.5 |
16.5 |
15.9 |
14.8 |
|
Idaho |
10.3 |
11.9 |
12.1 |
13.6 |
12.9 |
|
South Dakota |
10.5 |
13.3 |
12.9 |
13.3 |
12.9 |
|
Oklahoma |
9.6 |
11.3 |
11.8 |
12.1 |
11.9 |
|
Kansas |
9.0 |
10.4 |
10.7 |
10.6 |
10.5 |
Figures 2a and 2b track the progress states have made over 1, 3, 5, and 10 years toward ensuring their students have the opportunity and preparation to succeed in AP.
The data on this page represent U.S. public school students only. Enrollment data for all cohorts presented in the tables are sourced from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) projections of high school graduates released in December 2016.