Are you looking for world-class academics with a California dreaming kind of vibe? Look no further, because you will find all of it at Stanford University. However, to get into this stellar school, you will need to prove you have what it takes to succeed there.

How, you might ask? Well, a strong academic record has a lot to do with it. You can build this record by taking a few AP® classes and acing them. But, at the end of the day, what are you supposed to do with all of your AP® scores once you have them? Can they do more than just get you into a good college?

This article will walk you through everything you ever needed to know about Stanford AP® Credits.By the end, you’ll understand how they affect your application to the school, if they can help you graduate early or opt out of certain classes, and more.

We know you are working hard in high school, so we want to make sure you have the information to help you succeed in college.

Let’s get started!

Fast Facts about Stanford

•  Stanford University in located in Stanford, California

•  The university and its host city are named after Leland and Jane Stanford.

•  Leland was a former governor of California and Southern Pacific Railroad president.

•  Stanford is a private research university and was founded by the Lelands on November 11, 1885.

•  The school’s colors are cardinal red and white

•  Stanford doesn’t really have a mascot, and you can read all about the tumultuous history of it

 The Numbers

 According to the CollegeBoard as of 2015, Stanford has… 

•  6,994 undergraduates

•  9,128 postgraduate students

•  1,719 first-time freshmen

The school also maintains a $22.2 billion dollar endowment fund and an impressive4.7% admission rate.

In 2015, 24,797 students applied for 2,140 spots.

With an admission rate of less than 5%, it is obvious that getting a yes from Stanford is quite rare. While the school considers your class rank and personality to be important aspects of your application, the number one thing that the admissions committee seems to care about is your academic record.

Stanford says, “Academic excellence is the primary criterion. Prospective students should have challenged themselves throughout high school and done very well.”

The easiest way to interpret that statement is to assume that to gain entrance to Stanford, you have to have taken multiple AP® or honors classes. Not only that, but you need to earn A’s in the classes and score a 5 (in some cases a 4) on the final AP® exam. But, once you’re admitted, what on earth are you supposed to do with those scores? Do they go to waste after you step foot on campus? The good news is no, they don’t. Keep reading to find out more!

Advanced Standing at Stanford

Before we talk about every individual aspect of Stanford AP® Credits that there’s possibly could be, we need to make sure you understand what using this credits will do for you once you arrive on campus. Let us present you with the bigger picture.

If you take advanced classes in high school, oftentimes you can apply them towards your bachelor’s degree. This is called Advanced Standing, and, depending on the AP® classes you took in high school, you can be eligible to do any of the following things:

•  Take a semester off and still graduate on time.

•  Graduate a semester or even an entire academic year early.

•  Skip lower-level classes to take more interesting ones.

If you want to pursue the first two options at Stanford, you can apply at the beginning of your sophomore year. If, however, you just want to opt out of lower-level classes, you should send your AP® scores to the university ASAP® and they will post to your student record by mid-September of your freshman year.

Stanford’s AP® Credits Policy

There is more than one way to earn Advanced Standing at Stanford. While we are only going to be discussing Stanford AP® credits, you should also know that the school accepts the following alternatives:

•  International Baccalaureate (IB) higher level exams

•  British A-Level exams

•  SAT® subject tests

•  Placement tests offered by some academic departments

Now, here is what your AP® scores will get you if you go to Stanford:

Language 

Math 

 Science 

We found all of this information at the Stanford website, so if you want to check it out for yourself, now you know where to look.

Stanford is known for its engineering and business programs, and this is really shown through its exclusion of most of the humanities from its accepted AP® credits. So if you are interested in attending, it’s a good idea to take as many AP® classes in the STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) as you can while you are still in high school.

Here are some other quick facts about Stanford AP® credits:

According to Stanford’s website

A maximum of 45 quarter units of transfer and test credit may be applied toward the undergraduate degree. Subjects not listed on the AP® chart are not eligible for AP® credit. Students continuing in the subject should enroll in the placement course for the corresponding AP® subject. If Stanford courses are taken below the level of the placement course, the corresponding AP® units will be removed as these are considered duplicating courses. A score of 5 on Language AP® exams fulfill the language requirement. No more than 10-quarter units may be given for performance in a single subject area.

The key information to pull from that is that if it’s not on the list above, don’t ask about it – you won’t get credit. And while you can’t get out of Stanford’s core classes requirements, you can opt out of a language course if you got a 5 on an AP® Language test. 

Undergraduate Academic Requirements

Like many other schools, Stanford has certain types classes that everyone is required to take. They are as follows:

•  Thinking Matters Requirement

Thinking Matters courses are meant to help freshman students develop a sense for what constitutes a genuine question or problem and how to address it in a creative and disciplined manner.

•  Ways of Thinking/Ways of Doing

The “Ways” program teaches students how to view the world from other points of view and merge new thoughts with old ones.

•  Writing and Rhetoric Requirement

These courses are meant to help students mature as thinkers, writers, researchers, and presenters over the course of their time at Stanford.

•  Language Requirement

This requirement is meant to aid students in obtaining fluency in a second language.

You can click on each department to learn more. These four categories of classes are what make a Stanford education so unique, which is why you can only transfer AP® credits to get out of the one of them – the language requirement.

Campus Vibe

Stanford is located the region of California known as the Bay Area. San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and San Jose are all nearby – so there is no shortage to the amount of adventures you could have. All first year students live on campus, and 93% of upperclassmen live in the dorms. There is obviously something special about them if so many people stick around.

There are so many things to do on Stanford’s campus: from choral groups to yearbook and everything in between, no matter your interests, you are sure to “find your people.”

 The student-faculty ratio at Stanford is 4:1 and over 70%of its classes have fewer than 20 students, so you are sure to get the attention in class that you need.

A Quick Review

Here are a few things to remember as you plan your Stanford course load with AP® results in mind: 

•  Stanford accepts AP® scores of 3,4, & 5 for course credit.

•  These requirements vary by department.

•  Stanford has certain classes that everyone has to take called General Education Requirements.

•  You can’t use AP® credits to get out of them.

•  But you can use them to get out of the language requirement.

So now you know everything you need to about Stanford AP® credits.

What are the next steps?

You might as well set Albert.io as your new home page, because you’re going to be spending lots of time with us! As you plan out your course load, make sure to read about the easiest AP® classes and tests here,, and the hardest ones here.

You can also find a helpful guide about when to start studying for the AP® exams here, so you can avoid a major freak out in May when the all of the tests start piling up. While you’re at it, take look at how AP® classes will affect your GPA (if your school uses the weighted scale, that is).

We wish you the best of luck on your college admissions journey! And remember, we are here for you all your AP® needs.

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