NC Public Schools Make State History
NC AP exam scores surpassed the nation for the second year in a row.
A decade of investment is paying off in record high AP participation rates and high scores.
RALEIGH, NC, UNITED STATES, November 18, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- During its monthly meeting in November, the North Carolina State Board of Education members found out that the state’s public schools made state history this year. Record gains in Advanced Placement (AP) access and achievement are evidence that years of state investment are paying off.Participation in AP courses, exam completion and number of qualifying scores of 3, 4, or 5 reached an all-time high in 2025.
A qualifying score on an AP exam provides college credit for the course at most colleges and universities, so these participation and qualifying score gains translate to substantial post-secondary cost savings for students and families.
NCDPI reported that in the 2024-25 school year, more than 97,000 students took at least one AP exam, a 7.3% increase from the previous year. Many students take more than one AP exam, and the number of total exams taken increased by 9.8% from last year.
North Carolina’s students also beat the national average for percentage of qualifying scores for the second year in a row. Of all the tests taken in North Carolina, 72.1% received a 3, 4, or 5 compared to 70.1% for the nation.
All racial and ethnic groups and genders contributed to the growth, highlighting the importance of North Carolina’s effort to expand opportunities and instructional quality. Growth was strongest among Black, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian students. For example, participation in AP courses increased 7.5% for Black students and the number of qualifying scores increased 33.5%.
Hispanic/Latino student participation and qualifying scores also increased dramatically, but American Indian students grew the most. Their participation went up 15.8 % and qualifying scores increased 49.7%
All regions of the state have reason to celebrate. Every region showed significant growth in the number of tests taken and the number of qualifying scores. The Western region led in growth in the number of exams taken with a 17.5% increase while the Northeast region had the largest increase in number of qualifying scores, growing 28% over 2024.
These gains didn’t happen by chance. The state has provided purposeful, dedicated funding for advance course participation since 2015. General Statute 115C-174.26 requires the state to “enhance accessibility and encourage students to enroll in and successfully complete more rigorous advanced courses to enable success in postsecondary education for all.” These courses include AP and International Baccalaureate (IB) and other advanced courses. The statute also establishes reporting procedures to document progress and encourages the state to exempt students from paying exam fees.
To help build instructional capacity, lawmakers required the State Board of Education to develop a partnership with an organization such as the College Board to form the North Carolina Advanced Placement Partnership. This partnership provides technical assistance and professional development, summer training and AP mentoring programs.
The historic achievements in 2025 represent excellent ROI.
Heather Koons
Public Schools First NC
info@publicschoolsfirstnc.org
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