Boston - The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced today that a third of students who graduated from Massachusetts public high schools in 2024 scored a 3 or higher on an Advanced Placement (AP) exam, the state’s highest percentage ever and the highest in the nation for the second year in a row, according to results released by the College Board. A score of 3 out of 5 on an AP exam shows a student’s ability to complete work for an introductory college-level course in that subject area. Most colleges will award students credit for AP scores of 3 or higher when enrolling in college.

In addition, Massachusetts continues to see gains in the percentage of Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino students who take an AP exam while in high school.

“Congratulations to the Massachusetts students whose AP scores yet again were the highest in the nation - and the highest in state history. To see the AP success rate for the graduating class rise above where it was for the classes before COVID is a true testament to the work of Massachusetts students and educators and to the state’s investments that have made AP exams more affordable,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Massachusetts students can accomplish amazing things when they are encouraged to participate and given the support they need.”

“This is great news both for the members of the class of 2024 and for the students who follow them,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “These students, their teachers and their families have shown what’s possible, and now more students than ever before will have a jump start on what it takes to succeed in college.”

The state’s efforts to expand access to AP courses and exams have included subsidizing AP exam fees for low-income students, supporting teacher professional development and curriculum for STEM AP courses, and working with partners such as Mass Insight’s AP STEM & English Program. 

The exams cost almost $100 each without a fee subsidy. During the current school year, the state has committed to funding up to $1.25 million for 30,000-35,000 AP and International Baccalaureate exam fee subsidies as part of the Executive Office of Education’s efforts to reimagine high school. With the state’s contribution, low-income students - or their school - will only need to pay $22 per AP test.?Massachusetts has subsided 57,552 AP exams for low-income students over the past two years.?

“I hope all students will take these results as a sign that they should consider taking advanced coursework, whether it’s an AP course, an Early College Program or another offering,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “We know even more students are capable of succeeding in these classes and benefitting from them.” 

“Our vision is for all students to excel at grade level or beyond, and I’m thrilled to see students and educators bringing that to fruition through opportunities such as AP classes,” said Russell D. Johnston, Acting Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education. “I’m grateful that state support was able to make these exams more equitable by subsidizing much of the exam fee for low-income students.” 

Highlights from this year’s results include:

• 32.8 percent of Massachusetts public high school graduates scored a 3 or higher on at least one AP exam during high school, the highest percentage in the nation.
• Nationally, 22.6 percent of public high school graduates scored a 3 or higher. 
• Massachusetts has been at the top of this metric in several other years, most recently for students who graduated in 2023. 
• Between 2014 and 2024, the percentage of Massachusetts graduates scoring 3 or higher grew 5.5 percentage points, from 27.3 percent to 32.8 percent.
• 90.2 percent of Massachusetts public high schools offer at least one AP course.
• 46.3 percent of Massachusetts 2024 graduates took an exam during high school, and this represents a 7.8 percentage point increase from 38.5 percent in 2014. 
• 39.7 percent of Hispanic or Latino Massachusetts graduates from 2024 took an AP exam during high school (the eighth highest percentage in the country), and this represents a 14.5 percentage point increase from 25.2 in 2014. 
• 33.9 percent of Black or African American Massachusetts graduates from 2024 took an AP exam during high school (the third highest percentage in the country), and this represents an 8.7 percentage point increase from 25.2 in 2014. 

For more information and visuals on the AP program results nationwide click here