By 2018, nearly 7 out of 10 jobs in Washington state will require a college degree, yet less than half the adults in our state have a college degree or certificate.
That’s why Washington Student Achievement Council's roadmap sets a goal for 2023 for 70% of the adults in Washington to have completed a degree or certificate program.
To meet that goal—when state funding for college has been cut and families’ incomes have remained flat—is a challenge. One way to make sure you're ready for college and cut the cost of getting your college degree is to start earning college credit while you're still in high school.
Running Start, College in the High School, and Tech Prep all allow students to enroll and earn credit in college classes while they're still in high school. Three other programs at Washington state high schools--Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and Cambridge International (Cambridge)—enroll students in college-level classes. In these programs, students earn college equivalencies by successfully passing an end-of-course exam. For both IB and Cambridge, students may earn additional credits by taking a complete set of courses and earning an IB or CI diploma.
The Launch Year Act (2011) requires public schools to provide these types of programs and Washington state colleges and universities to award students credit for their work in these programs—preferably general education credits that will help them complete their degree more quickly.
What do high school students and their families want to know?
Students who prepare for and pass exams for AP, IB, and Cambridge want to know what the credit they’ve earned is worth when they get to college. Knowing how much college credit they’ll be given, how that credit will be awarded—as general education credits or electives—and whether it can help them get to graduation more quickly may affect where they decide to enroll.
Can you get credit for AP, IB and Cambridge at Washington’s public colleges and universities?
All of the state’s public colleges and universities give credit for AP courses. While all of the state’s four-year colleges and universities and most of the two-year colleges give credit for IB, eight of the state’s community and technical colleges do not yet post a policy for IB. Only two institutions currently accept Cambridge—University of Washington (UW) and Central Washington University (CWU). Both schools evaluate Cambridge credits individually for each student; they do not post details on their websites.
How much college credit can you get for AP and IB?
That’s why Washington Student Achievement Council's roadmap sets a goal for 2023 for 70% of the adults in Washington to have completed a degree or certificate program.
To meet that goal—when state funding for college has been cut and families’ incomes have remained flat—is a challenge. One way to make sure you're ready for college and cut the cost of getting your college degree is to start earning college credit while you're still in high school.
Running Start, College in the High School, and Tech Prep all allow students to enroll and earn credit in college classes while they're still in high school. Three other programs at Washington state high schools--Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and Cambridge International (Cambridge)—enroll students in college-level classes. In these programs, students earn college equivalencies by successfully passing an end-of-course exam. For both IB and Cambridge, students may earn additional credits by taking a complete set of courses and earning an IB or CI diploma.
The Launch Year Act (2011) requires public schools to provide these types of programs and Washington state colleges and universities to award students credit for their work in these programs—preferably general education credits that will help them complete their degree more quickly.
What do high school students and their families want to know?
Students who prepare for and pass exams for AP, IB, and Cambridge want to know what the credit they’ve earned is worth when they get to college. Knowing how much college credit they’ll be given, how that credit will be awarded—as general education credits or electives—and whether it can help them get to graduation more quickly may affect where they decide to enroll.
Can you get credit for AP, IB and Cambridge at Washington’s public colleges and universities?
All of the state’s public colleges and universities give credit for AP courses. While all of the state’s four-year colleges and universities and most of the two-year colleges give credit for IB, eight of the state’s community and technical colleges do not yet post a policy for IB. Only two institutions currently accept Cambridge—University of Washington (UW) and Central Washington University (CWU). Both schools evaluate Cambridge credits individually for each student; they do not post details on their websites.
How much college credit can you get for AP and IB?
Colleges and universities will usually award up to a year of credit for AP or IB exams. How much credit a student gets depends on his or her exam scores -- scores range from 1 to 5 for AP and 1 to 7 for IB -- and the exams each school accepts for credit.
While the two-year institutions accept credit for all AP course exams; the number of AP exams accepted for credit at the four-year schools ranges from 22 (of 34 exams offered) at UW to 29 at Washington State University (WSU). Students can earn up to one year of college credit for AP exams.
IB is a bit more complicated. For IB's multi-year courses -- math, English, chemistry, and foreign languages -- colleges and universities generally accept only Higher Level (HL) or second-year IB credit. Some schools will accept credit for one-year or Standard Level (SL) classes, like Psychology. Most of Washington state’s two-year colleges require a minimum score of 5; some accept a score of 4. Because of IB's multi-year classes, students will probably not take more than 7 IB exams. Since students take fewer credit-for-exam classes, and colleges accept fewer IB exams, it's less likely that a student will earn a year's worth of college credit through IB.
What kinds of credit do you get for AP and IB -- and how much credit do you get for each exam?
Colleges give credit for specific courses or elective credit for AP and IB exams. Credit for electives may not get you to work in your major or graduation any faster -- and, since you can only take a certain number of electives, you may want to save these spots for classes you really want to take in college. What students often need most are credits for required general education courses. All of Washington State's colleges and universities except Evergreen require a year or more of these credits in addition -- and often before -- you can take classes in your major.
The first chart below shows the types of credit the 4-year colleges and universities give for AP. The second chart shows the types of credit they give for IB.
While the two-year institutions accept credit for all AP course exams; the number of AP exams accepted for credit at the four-year schools ranges from 22 (of 34 exams offered) at UW to 29 at Washington State University (WSU). Students can earn up to one year of college credit for AP exams.
IB is a bit more complicated. For IB's multi-year courses -- math, English, chemistry, and foreign languages -- colleges and universities generally accept only Higher Level (HL) or second-year IB credit. Some schools will accept credit for one-year or Standard Level (SL) classes, like Psychology. Most of Washington state’s two-year colleges require a minimum score of 5; some accept a score of 4. Because of IB's multi-year classes, students will probably not take more than 7 IB exams. Since students take fewer credit-for-exam classes, and colleges accept fewer IB exams, it's less likely that a student will earn a year's worth of college credit through IB.
What kinds of credit do you get for AP and IB -- and how much credit do you get for each exam?
Colleges give credit for specific courses or elective credit for AP and IB exams. Credit for electives may not get you to work in your major or graduation any faster -- and, since you can only take a certain number of electives, you may want to save these spots for classes you really want to take in college. What students often need most are credits for required general education courses. All of Washington State's colleges and universities except Evergreen require a year or more of these credits in addition -- and often before -- you can take classes in your major.
The first chart below shows the types of credit the 4-year colleges and universities give for AP. The second chart shows the types of credit they give for IB.
When you look at these charts, you can really see how big the differences are. Depending on how high you score on your exams, UW gives you credit for course credit for every single AP or IB exam they accept. WSU, on the other hand gives course credit for less than half of the AP exams it accepts -- and WWU gives course credit for only two IB exams.
How much credit you get for each exam at the four-year colleges and universities often depends on your score. At UW, for instance, you'll get 5 credits for Calculus if you scored 3 on the exam; you'll get 10 credits if you scored 4 or 5.
And there are just as many differences between community and technical colleges. Bellevue College awards general education credit for 32 of the 34 AP exams it accepts. And at Bellingham Technical College, all you'll get is elective credit. You'll find details for community and technical colleges here.
Getting a good picture of how AP and IB credits can help you meet your general education requirements is a bit more complicated. At the four-year colleges and universities, you often get credit toward general education requirements only for scores of 4 or 5. Community and technical colleges usually give you the same course credit for all scores of 3 or higher -- and, if it's not elective credit, you're likely to get credits that help you meet the general education requirements.
You can find a summary of elective vs. course credits for the four year colleges and universities, as well as summaries of each school's policies here. And you'll find detailed charts for all of the public colleges and universities in the state here .
To learn more about what to consider when you're looking at colleges, see For Your College Search.
How much credit you get for each exam at the four-year colleges and universities often depends on your score. At UW, for instance, you'll get 5 credits for Calculus if you scored 3 on the exam; you'll get 10 credits if you scored 4 or 5.
And there are just as many differences between community and technical colleges. Bellevue College awards general education credit for 32 of the 34 AP exams it accepts. And at Bellingham Technical College, all you'll get is elective credit. You'll find details for community and technical colleges here.
Getting a good picture of how AP and IB credits can help you meet your general education requirements is a bit more complicated. At the four-year colleges and universities, you often get credit toward general education requirements only for scores of 4 or 5. Community and technical colleges usually give you the same course credit for all scores of 3 or higher -- and, if it's not elective credit, you're likely to get credits that help you meet the general education requirements.
You can find a summary of elective vs. course credits for the four year colleges and universities, as well as summaries of each school's policies here. And you'll find detailed charts for all of the public colleges and universities in the state here .
To learn more about what to consider when you're looking at colleges, see For Your College Search.