What are AP Scholars awards?

AP Scholar Awards are honors College Board gives students who score 3 or higher on several AP exams. There are three levels: AP Scholar (3 or higher on three or more exams), AP Scholar with Honor (an average of at least 3.25 on all exams taken and 3 or higher on four or more), and AP Scholar with Distinction (an average of at least 3.5 and 3 or higher on five or more), the highest of the three. You don’t apply: earned awards are added to your score report automatically, starting in July. If you’re deciding how many AP classes to take, or wondering what a high score on your final exams can lead to, the AP Scholar Awards give you clear targets to aim for.

Earning one of these awards requires meeting specific criteria, including achieving qualifying scores on a set number of AP exams. By familiarizing yourself with the requirements for various distinctions, you can strategically plan your course load and set ambitious goals for your exam performance, positioning yourself for academic recognition and future successes.

Intro to AP Scholars

Each year, the Advanced Placement (AP) program, managed by the College Board, recognizes exceptional high school students nationwide through the AP Scholars awards program. These distinctions are given to students who demonstrate college-level mastery across various subjects based on their AP exam performance. Generally, achieving a score of 3 or higher on AP exams is considered “qualifying” for college credit and placement, highlighting a student’s in-depth knowledge and readiness for advanced coursework. The different AP Scholar honors are reserved for students who earn a 3 or higher on multiple exams.

The AP Scholars program features several levels of recognition for outstanding achievement:

• AP Scholar: Presented to students who earn scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams.
• AP Scholar with Honor: Given to students who achieve an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken, with scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these assessments.
• AP Scholar with Distinction: Students attaining an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken, as well as scores of 3 or higher on five or more exams, receive this distinguished accolade. Compared with AP Scholar with Honor, it takes one more qualifying exam (five instead of four) and a higher average (3.5 instead of 3.25). Receiving AP Scholar with Distinction signifies exceptional academic achievement and can make a student stand out in college admissions.
• AP International Diploma (APID): Bestowed upon high school students attending schools outside the U.S., or U.S. students applying to international universities, who score 3 or higher on five or more AP exams.

Unlike other related distinctions, the AP International Diploma has unique content area requirements that must be satisfied:

• Content Area 1: Completion of any two eligible AP world language or English exams, provided they are in different languages (for example, French Language and Culture and English Literature and Composition).
• Content Area 2: At least one AP exam addressing a global perspective (such as Art History or Macroeconomics).
• Content Area 3: An AP exam in mathematics, computer science, or other sciences.
• Content Area 4: One additional AP exam that is neither an English nor a world language exam (excluding Latin).

In addition to the AP Scholars awards, students may earn other notable AP recognitions:

• AP Seminar and Research Certificate: Awarded to students who score 3 or higher in both AP Seminar and AP Research, courses built on intensive academic research, analytical writing, and critical thinking.
• AP Capstone Diploma: Granted to students who score 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research and on four additional AP exams of their choice.

No application is necessary to be considered for these awards; the College Board automatically grants all AP Scholars honors each summer based on exam results. Earning recognition through these programs demonstrates outstanding academic achievement across multiple subjects and signals to colleges your readiness for rigorous, college-level study as an incoming first-year student.

What level of recognition is an AP Scholar award?

AP Scholar Awards are given on the same criteria to every AP student, not by school or state, and students outside the U.S. can earn them too. So when a college application asks for an honor’s level of recognition (school, state or regional, national, or international), national is the level that fits AP Scholar, AP Scholar with Honor, and AP Scholar with Distinction. The AP International Diploma, which is meant for students applying to universities outside the U.S., is the one to list as international.

What happened to National AP Scholar?

College Board stopped the awards that encouraged students to take a large number of exams. National AP Scholar, which required an average of at least 4 on all exams and 4 or higher on eight or more, was last awarded in 2020, and the State, DoDEA, and International AP Scholar awards were last given in 2019. Students who earned one of those awards still see it on their score reports.

How to qualify for AP Scholar with Distinction

The AP Scholar with Distinction award is the most prestigious recognition granted to AP students enrolled in non-international programs. This honor highlights the exceptional accomplishments of students who take and ace several AP exams. The AP Scholar with Distinction designation acknowledges those who demonstrate wide-ranging college-level mastery across different topics.

To earn AP Scholar with Distinction, you need scores of 3 or higher on at least five AP exams and a minimum average score of 3.5 across all AP exams you’ve taken. The award is based on exam scores alone, so it’s the exams, not the courses, that count. Meeting these criteria demonstrates both breadth and depth of academic rigor.

There are two primary steps taken to determine recipients of this award:

1. The College Board calculates the student’s average score based on all AP exams taken throughout their high school career.
2. The College Board ensures that only eligible scores are counted when assessing qualifications.

There are important considerations for students pursuing this title:

• If you take an AP exam multiple times, only your highest score is counted, and each exam can only count once toward your total.
• Subscores such as the AP Calculus AB subscore on the AP Calculus BC exam, as well as aural or nonaural subscores from the AP Music Theory exam, are excluded from award calculations.
• A score below 3 doesn’t rule you out, but it still counts toward your average, which has to stay at 3.5 or higher for Distinction (3.25 for Honor).

You will be notified via email if you receive an AP Scholar with Distinction award, and your awarded distinction will be clearly listed on your official AP score report starting in mid-July. Award certificates are available for download and printing, making them valuable additions to college applications and other academic portfolios.

Keep in mind: The evaluation for the AP Scholar with Distinction award includes every AP course and exam you have taken, not just those from the previous academic year.

How many people are awarded the AP Scholar with Distinction honor each year?

In 2024, the latest year College Board has published, 300,956 students earned AP Scholar with Distinction, out of 872,875 AP Scholar Awards of all kinds (including the AP International Diploma and the AP Capstone awards). That same year, about 3.1 million students took AP exams, so roughly 10% of AP students earned Distinction.

Does the AP Scholars program award scholarships?

No, there is no cash award granted directly as part of the AP Scholars program. High school students interested in scholarship opportunities should refer to the College Board’s BigFuture Scholarship searchable database.

However, the AP Scholars program can lead to other financial aid and cost-cutting opportunities. An award through this program can help distinguish your college application and demonstrate your academic mastery, opening the door to merit-based assistance directly from the schools you’re applying to. Some external scholarships run by independent organizations may also take AP classes and honors into account when determining recipients and award amounts. Importantly, earning a 3 or higher on an AP exam can unlock college credit or advanced placement, helping lighten your academic load, set you up to graduate early, and significantly cut costs.

Will an AP award help boost my college applications?

Yes: an AP Scholar award, especially AP Scholar with Distinction, is worth listing in the honors section of your applications, though colleges weigh it alongside your grades, your course load, and the AP scores behind it. Any demonstration of academic achievement reflects positively on your applications. Highly competitive schools are looking for students who challenge themselves and demonstrate they can handle multiple difficult courses at once. AP courses, in particular, offer colleges a way to more objectively measure academic readiness than standard high school classes, as the curriculum and exams are standardized nationwide. While AP scores and any honors will be reviewed within the context of your other application components (GPA overall, standardized test scores, activities, and more), strong AP performance can bolster an already impressive portfolio.

Just remember that colleges will only see your AP scores through junior year if you’re applying as a senior, so be sure to focus your efforts in sophomore and junior years on excelling academically. Be strategic about your APs: colleges are looking for focus and clarity of purpose, not just a bunch of random courses on a transcript. Choose a balanced list of classes that fit into your ultimate career or academic plans and that help build crucial skills needed for all disciplines. For example, even if you’re set on a career in the sciences, consider adding a writing-based AP exam to hone your communication skills. How many to take depends on your school and your plans, and there’s no number that selective colleges publish as a requirement; five qualifying exams is the bar for AP Scholar with Distinction. Exceptional performance (a 4 or 5) on a handful of related APs, along with an AP Scholars distinction, will always be more impressive than taking several exams and receiving average or below average scores.

Closing

The AP Scholars program recognizes high-achieving students who demonstrate exceptional academic performance, and earning an AP Scholar title is a notable accomplishment. Among these honors, the AP Scholar with Distinction award is especially well-received, reserved for those who take five or more tests and achieve high scores. This recognition highlights a student’s commitment to academic excellence and is valued by colleges seeking evidence of advanced coursework.

There are many benefits to earning these distinctions, beyond gaining mastery in specific subjects and entering your undergraduate classes more prepared. Receiving an AP Scholar honor can strengthen your college applications, enhance your resume, and support your pursuit of advanced study opportunities. Colleges often view these awards as indicators of rigorous preparation and intellectual curiosity. If you are early in your high school journey and considering which AP courses to take, focus on selecting those that align with your personal interests and long-term academic or career goals. This approach allows you to engage deeply with your coursework, excel on AP exams, and increase your chances of achieving the AP Scholar status.

By thoughtfully planning your course load and striving for excellence in your AP classes, you can maximize your potential for academic recognition and position yourself for even greater academic accomplishments down the line.