Created by the College Board, Advanced Placement (AP) is a program that offers college-level courses and exams students can take in high school. Most, but not all, states have a statewide AP credit policy for their public colleges and universities. Most four-year colleges and universities in the U.S.—and many institutions in more than 100 other countries—grant credit or advanced placement (or both) for qualifying AP Exam scores. According to the College Board, options for earning college credit or advanced placement (or both), depend on the policy of the college:

• Credit: Some colleges use AP scores to offer college credit. Students can graduate from college early and save money on tuition by earning credit for qualifying AP scores. A certain number of credits (usually 120 for a bachelor’s degree) are commonly needed, depending on the college major.
• Advanced placement: At some colleges, students can skip certain introductory courses and gain placement in more advanced courses with qualifying AP scores.