University of California–Santa Cruz AP credit

What each AP score earns at University of California–Santa Cruz for 2025-26: 41 exams, credit shown in quarter units. Always confirm with the school before you plan your schedule.

Rules that apply to every exam

Credit is awarded based on the year the exam was taken; this policy lists AP exams taken in 2025-26.
A maximum of eight units is awarded in each of art and design, English, mathematics, and physics.
If multiple exams are taken in one of those subject areas, all GE and course equivalencies are awarded, but units are capped at 8.
Students will not receive duplicate credit for multiple exams in the same subject area.
Enrolling in a UC Santa Cruz course already covered by exam credit causes loss of that credit unless the course is dropped before the add/drop/swap deadline.
Exams taken after college courses in the same subject area will not be awarded duplicate credit.
Request AP scores be sent online to UC Santa Cruz using CEEB code 004860.
Beginning Fall 2026, CHEM 3B includes the lab; AP Chemistry exams taken May 2026 onward satisfy both lecture and lab.
Music Theory credit is based on the overall score; Aural and Nonaural components are not awarded credit separately.
Review awarded exam credit in the MyUCSC portal under My Academics, Transfer Credit Summary.

AP exam	Score	Credit	Courses
AP 2-D Art and Design	3+	8	ART 10DGE: IM
AP 3-D Art and Design	3+	8	ART 10EGE: IM
AP African American Studies	3+	4	CRES 68GE: ER
AP Art History	3+	8	—GE: IM
AP Biology	5	8	BIOL 20A, BIOE 20BGE: SI
	3–4	8	—GE: SI
AP Calculus AB	3+	4	MATH 11A, MATH 19AGE: MF
AP Calculus BC	4+	8	MATH 11A, MATH 11B, MATH 19A, MATH 19BGE: MF
	3	8	MATH 11A, MATH 19AGE: MF
AP Calculus BC (AB Subscore)	3+	4	MATH 11A, MATH 19AGE: MF
AP Chemistry	4+	8	CHEM 3A, CHEM 3BGE: SI
	3	8	—GE: SI
AP Chinese Language and Culture	3+	8	—
AP Computer Science A	4+	8	CSE 5JGE: MF
	3	8	CSE 10GE: MF
AP Computer Science Principles	3+	8	CSE 10GE: MF
AP Drawing	4+	8	ART 20LGE: PR-C
	3	8	—GE: PR-C
AP English Language and Composition	3+	8	—GE: ELWR
AP English Literature and Composition	3+	8	—GE: ELWR
AP Environmental Science	3+	4	—GE: PE-E
AP European History	3+	8	—GE: CC
AP French Language and Culture	3+	8	—
AP German Language and Culture	3+	8	—
AP Government and Politics: Comparative	3+	4	—GE: CC
AP Government and Politics: United States	3+	4	—
AP Human Geography	3+	4	—
AP Italian Language and Culture	3+	8	—
AP Japanese Language and Culture	3+	8	—
AP Latin	3+	8	—GE: TA
AP Macroeconomics	4+	4	ECON 2GE: PE-H
	3	4	—GE: PE-H
AP Microeconomics	4+	4	ECON 1GE: PE-H
	3	4	—GE: PE-H
AP Modern World History	3+	8	—GE: CC
AP Music Theory	3+	8	—
AP Physics 1	3+	8	—GE: SI
AP Physics 2	3+	8	—GE: SI
AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism	5	4	PHYS 5C, PHYS 5NGE: SI
	4	4	PHYS 6C, PHYS 6NGE: SI
	3	4	—GE: SI
AP Physics C: Mechanics	5	4	PHYS 5A, PHYS 5LGE: MF
	4	4	PHYS 6A, PHYS 6LGE: MF
	3	4	—GE: SI
AP Precalculus	3+	0	MATH 3GE: MF
AP Psychology	4+	4	PSYC 1GE: PE-H
	3	4	—GE: PE-H
AP Research	3+	0	—GE: ELWR
AP Seminar	3+	0	—GE: ELWR
AP Spanish Language and Culture	5	8	SPAN 1, SPAN 2, SPAN 3, SPAN 4, SPAN 5
	4	8	SPAN 1, SPAN 2, SPAN 3, SPAN 4
	3	8	—
AP Spanish Literature and Culture	3+	8	—GE: TA
AP Statistics	4+	4	STAT 5, PSYC 2, SOCY 3BGE: SR
	3	4	—GE: SR
AP United States History	3+	8	—GE: AH&I