AP Biology credit at Tennessee colleges
Every Tennessee college with a published AP Biology credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
Quick answer
30 of 41 Tennessee colleges (73%) award credit for AP Biology at a score of 3. 10 require a 4 and 1 requires a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville (4 credit hours). 41 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4 | BIOL 101 | Policy | |
 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro | 3 | 4 | BIOL1030/ BIOL 1031 (Science major may receive credit for BIOL 1110/BIOL 1111, BIOL 1120/BIOL 1121 upon recommendation of chair, Department of Biology.) | Policy |
 University of Memphis Memphis | 3 | 8 | BIOL 1010/1011, BIOL 1XXX Nonmajor's Biology w/lab | Policy |
 The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Chattanooga | 3 | 8 | BIOL 1110 & BIOL 1120 | Policy |
 East Tennessee State University Johnson City | 3 | 4 | BIOL 1010/1011 | Policy |
 Tennessee Technological University Cookeville | 3 | 4 | BIOL 1010 or 1113 | Policy |
 Austin Peay State University Clarksville | 3 | 4 | BIOL 1010 /1011 | Policy |
 Tennessee State University Nashville | 3 | 4 | BIOL 1010, 1011, BIOL 1120, 1121, or BIOL 1030 w/lab | Policy |
 Pellissippi State Community College Knoxville | 3 | 4 | BIOL 1010 or BIOL 1110 | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | BIOL 1010 or BIOL 1110 | Policy | |
CSCC Chattanooga State Community College Chattanooga | 3 | 4 | BIOL1010 or BIOL1110 | Policy |
| 3 | — | BIOL 110-120 | Policy | |
MSCC Motlow State Community College Tullahoma | 3 | 4 | BIOL1010 or BIOL1110 | Policy |
 Walters State Community College Morristown | 3 | 4 | BIOL 1010/1011 OR BIOL 1110/1111 | Policy |
 Columbia State Community College Columbia | 3 | 4 | BIOL 1010 or BIOL 1110 | Policy |
 Roane State Community College Harriman | 3 | 4 | BIOL 1010 or BIOL 1110 | Policy |
 Lipscomb University Nashville | 3 | 3 | BY 1003 | Policy |
 Lee University Cleveland | 3 | 4 | BIOS-110 | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | BIOL 1010 or BIOL 1110 | Policy | |
 Cumberland University Lebanon | 3 | 4 | BIO 111 | Policy |
CSCC Cleveland State Community College Cleveland | 3 | 4 | BIOL 1010 or 1110 | Policy |
 Dyersburg State Community College Dyersburg | 3 | 4 | BIOL 1110 General Biology II | Policy |
 Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville | 3 | 8 | BIO-1510 General Biology I and BIO-1520 General Biology II | Policy |
 Union University Jackson | 3 | 4 | BIO 100 | Policy |
 Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate | 3 | — | BIOL 111 | Policy |
 Freed-Hardeman University Henderson | 3 | 4 | BIO 111 | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | BIO 110 | Policy | |
 Bryan College-Dayton Dayton | 3 | 4 | BIO 111 | Policy |
MU Milligan University Milligan | 3 | 4 | Gen Ed Lab Science (BIOL 110, 4 credits) | Policy |
 Johnson University Knoxville | 3 | 4 | “L” competency course or BIOL 1114 Principles of Biology I A minimum score of 4 is required to apply to a student's professional major. | Policy |
 Belmont University Nashville | 4 | 4 | BIO 1050/ 1055 | Policy |
 Vanderbilt University Nashville | 4 | 3 | BSCI 1509 | Policy |
 Rhodes College Memphis | 4 | 9 | Biology 130, 131 and 140, 141 | Policy |
 The University of the South Sewanee | 4 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Carson-Newman University Jefferson City | 4 | 3 | BIOL 101 | Policy |
 Maryville College Maryville | 4 | 4 | BIO111 | Policy |
 King University Bristol | 4 | 8 | BIOL 2110; BIOL 2120 | Policy |
| 4 | 4 | BIOL 111, 111L | Policy | |
 Fisk University Nashville | 4 | 4 | BIOL 101 & BIOL 101L | Policy |
 Tusculum University Greeneville | 4 | 4 | BIOL 110, BIOL 110L | Policy |
 Southern Adventist University Collegedale | 5 | — | BIOL 152 | Policy |
AP Biology credit in other states
How we ranked this
One row per Tennessee 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 Tennessee colleges give credit for AP Biology?+
41 colleges in Tennessee publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Biology. 30 of them (73%) award credit at a score of 3, 10 require a 4, and 1 requires 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 Tennessee?+
3. The University of Tennessee-Knoxville in Knoxville awards credit at a score of 3, worth 4 credit hours, counting as BIOL 101. 30 Tennessee colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.
Does in-state residency change AP credit in Tennessee?+
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 Tennessee AP credit policies?+
41 of the 41 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.