AP Biology credit at Iowa colleges
Every Iowa college with a published AP Biology credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
Quick answer
12 of 26 Iowa colleges (46%) award credit for AP Biology at a score of 3. 14 require a 4 and 0 require a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at Saint Ambrose University (4 credit hours). 26 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Saint Ambrose University Davenport | 3 | 4 | BIOL 101 | Policy |
 Upper Iowa University Fayette | 3 | 8 | BIO 100 | Policy |
 University of Dubuque Dubuque | 3 | 4 | BIO 110 Human Biology | Policy |
 Grand View University Des Moines | 3 | 8 | Biol-101 & 102 | Policy |
 Wartburg College Waverly | 3 | 1 | BI 101 Concepts of Biology | Policy |
 Buena Vista University Storm Lake | 3 | 4 | BIOL 163 | Policy |
 Morningside University Sioux City | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Mount Mercy University Cedar Rapids | 3 | 3 | BI 125 | Policy |
 Loras College Dubuque | 3 | 4 | Elective | Policy |
 Mercy College of Health Sciences Des Moines | 3 | 4 | BIO 101 - General Biology (W/ Lab) | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | BIOL0000 Waive General Educ Science | Policy | |
 Clarke University Dubuque | 3 | 8 | BIOL 115 + Lab and BIOL 116 + Lab | Policy |
| 4 | 4 | Biology 1000 | Policy | |
 University of Iowa Iowa City | 4 | 4 | BIOL 1140 | Policy |
 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls | 4 | 4 | BIOL 2051 | Policy |
 Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids | 4 | 3 | BIO 104 | Policy |
 Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs | 4 | 4 | BIO 105 Introductory Biology | Policy |
 Drake University Des Moines | 4 | 8 | BIO 001, 001L, BIO Elective | Policy |
 Grinnell College Grinnell | 4 | 4 | Science Division | Policy |
 Dordt University Sioux Center | 4 | 3 | Core 21X (CORE Natural Science, lab-based science) | Policy |
 Luther College Decorah | 4 | 4 | Biology 139 | Policy |
NIAC North Iowa Area Community College Mason City | 4 | 8 | — | Policy |
 Coe College Cedar Rapids | 4 | 1 | — | Policy |
 Northwestern College Orange City | 4 | 4 | BIO110SN | Policy |
 Cornell College Mount Vernon | 4 | 1 | BIO 013 | Policy |
 Central College Pella | 4 | 4 | BIOL 100AP Biology Elective (NS) | Policy |
AP Biology credit in other states
How we ranked this
One row per Iowa college: the lowest score that earns actual credit under the policy that applies to all students, and the largest credit award published at that score. Placement-only policies — permission to skip a course without earning credit hours — are excluded. Credit hours and course equivalents are reproduced exactly as the college published them; “—” means no value was published and we do not estimate one. A page is published for a state only when at least 8 colleges back it.
Frequently asked questions
Which Iowa colleges give credit for AP Biology?+
26 colleges in Iowa publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Biology. 12 of them (46%) award credit at a score of 3, 14 require a 4, and 0 require a 5. The full list, with credit hours and the course each exam replaces, is in the table on this page.
What is the lowest AP Biology score that earns credit in Iowa?+
3. Saint Ambrose University in Davenport awards credit at a score of 3, worth 4 credit hours, counting as BIOL 101. 12 Iowa colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.
Does in-state residency change AP credit in Iowa?+
No. AP credit policy is set per institution and applies to admitted students regardless of residency — residency affects tuition rate, not credit awards. What does vary is the school within a university: engineering and nursing colleges commonly set higher bars than arts and sciences. The rules shown here are the ones that apply to all students at each college.
How do I verify these Iowa AP credit policies?+
26 of the 26 colleges on this page link to their own published AP credit page in the Source column; our snapshot was taken July 30, 2026. The college's page is authoritative and can change between admission cycles, so confirm there before building a graduation plan around the credit.
Keep exploring
Data sources: Each college's own published AP / advanced-standing credit page (captured July 30, 2026) · IPEDS institution directory (names, control, location). Figures are the most recent values published in each federal dataset; cells with no published value are shown as “—” and never estimated. Education does not sell rankings or accept placement fees.