New Report: Which AP Courses Matter Most for College Admissions?

Empowerly analysis of nearly 12,000 high school students suggests that when it comes
to college admissions, not all AP courses are created equal – and some of the popular
courses may not boost the odds of admissions.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Empowerly, a college and career counseling platform serving thousands of students and college counselors annually, today released an analysis of admissions decisions for 11,764 students who applied to 524 colleges and universities. The report, which explores the admissions "lift" associated with 36 Advanced Placement (AP) courses, identifies six courses associated with the greatest admissions advantage, but also suggests that simply taking certain AP courses is unlikely to improve a student's admissions odds. The findings, which consider AP course participation rather than AP exams, are notable because students often submit college applications months before they take and receive scores on senior-year AP exams.

"In a moment when students and parents are under intense pressure, this research suggests that some of the courses families think students need to take may be a wash when it comes to college admissions," said Changxiao Xie, co-founder and CEO of Empowerly. "Although this analysis isn't exhaustive, we hope that it can challenge the conventional wisdom by providing parents with data that helps take the guesswork out of high-stakes scheduling decisions."

The report's key findings include:

• Six courses showed a likely admissions advantage: AP Calculus BC (+5.18%), AP Psychology (+4.64%), AP Biology (+4.58%), AP Chemistry (+4.51%), AP English Language (+4.04%), and AP Statistics (+3.23%).
• Participation in five widely taken courses (AP Physics 1, AP World History, AP Calculus AB, AP Computer Science Principles, and AP Computer Science A), showed no discernible admissions lift, despite representing more than 1.1 million exam takers.
• Participation in seven courses, including AP Comparative Government (+32.70%) and AP Latin (+22.07%), points toward a large advantage but falls short of statistical confirmation due to small sample sizes.
• AP Statistics and AP Psychology showed confirmed admissions advantages, while AP Calculus AB showed none, challenging the assumption that courses perceived as the most demanding have the greatest impact on college admissions.
• Courses associated with stronger admissions outcomes aren't available at every high school. AP Calculus BC, which was correlated with the largest confirmed advantage, is offered at just 33% of U.S. high schools (9,058), compared with 51% (13,893) for AP Calculus AB. Similar access gaps appear between other course pairs, including AP Physics C: Mechanics (19%) and AP Physics 1 (31%), and AP European History (14%) and AP World History (34%).

Due to the variability in course offerings across high schools and the complexity of the college admissions process, the report encourages families to use its findings as just one factor in course planning. The analysis also isn't intended to question the value of AP courses overall; on the contrary, taking as many AP courses as a student can successfully complete is one of the recommendations in the report.

Cassidy Martin, a former assistant director of international admissions at Smith College, advises students to "take on the most rigorous schedule they can handle, and show an upward trend in grades." The report also notes that course expectations vary by college, and a course's measured advantage may reflect the students who choose to take it as much as the course itself.

The full report is available at empowerly.com/empowerly-insights/.

About Empowerly

Empowerly is on a mission to help every student become the most successful version of themselves. We deliver personalized college admissions and career guidance to thousands of students and their families each year. From securing your first internship, to landing your dream school and beyond, Empowerly helps students achieve their college and career goals. To learn more, visit www.empowerly.com.

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SOURCE Empowerly