Virginia students rank 10th in the nation for AP exam scores

Nearly three out of every 10 members of the Class of 2020 in Virginia passed at least one AP exam

(Francois Mori, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Despite the challenges Virginia’s high school students faced this year, they have completed a major academic achievement for the second year in a row.

Virginia ranked 10th in the nation in Advanced Placement (AP) test performance for 2020, according to data released by the College Board on Wednesday.

Recommended Videos



Virginia ranked 10th in percentage of Class of 2020 to score a 3 or higher on at least one AP Exam (Virginia Department of Education)

The Class of 2020 in Virginia had 28.6% of its members score a 3 or higher on at least one AP Exam, which was above the national average of 24.4%.

When looking at different student populations, Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane noticed inconsistencies in the numbers.

“As high schools recover from the coronavirus pandemic, equity — including expanding access to AP courses and identifying and encouraging more students with the potential to succeed — must be a priority,” Lane said.

The student groups and the percentage of Virginia 2020 graduates who earned passing AP scores are as follows:

  • Asian students: 52%
  • White students: 28.1%
  • Hispanic students: 24.3%
  • American Indian students: 12.7%
  • Black students: 9.1%

Virginia’s Class of 2020 passed 98,556 AP exams, according to the report.

At most universities, a score of three or more on an AP exam can be used for college credit.

The report stated that this could save families across Virginia $136,612,476 based on the average rate of $462 per college credit hour.


About the Author:

Jazmine Otey joined the 10 News team in February 2021.