SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Nearly two-thirds of Utah high school students who take advanced placement tests earn college credit, the fifth-highest percentage in the United States, according to recent data.
Sixty-seven percent of Utah students who took AP exams in 2017 earned college credit, according to figures from College Board, a nonprofit organization focusing on expanding access to higher education. That percentage trails only New Hampshire, New Jersey, Connecticut and South Dakota.
In Utah, 26,544 students took a total of 40,755 AP exams in 2017.
Among states with the highest percentage of public high school graduates scoring a 3 or higher on an AP exam, data showed Utah ranked 12th at 25 percent. This was above the national average, which was 22.8 percent.
Students who earn college credit while still in high school are more likely to enroll in postsecondary education, said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sydnee Dickson.
Moreover, they have smoother transitions to college and are more likely to achieve economic stability, said Dickson, in a statement from the Utah State Board of Education.
“We are excited to see more students have access to advanced coursework like AP, concurrent enrollment and the International Baccalaureate Program,” she said. “We appreciate the hard work our teachers and students have put in to succeed in these programs.”
Nationally, more than 1.17 million students in the class of 2017 took nearly 4 million AP exams in public high schools.
More than 711,500 students scored 3 or higher on at least one AP exam in 2017, compared to 423,067 in 2007, according to the College Board.
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Information from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com
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