AP Chemistry credit at Iowa colleges
Every Iowa college with a published AP Chemistry credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
Quick answer
14 of 27 Iowa colleges (52%) award credit for AP Chemistry at a score of 3. 12 require a 4 and 1 requires a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at Iowa Western Community College (4 credit hours). 27 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs | 3 | 4 | CHM 122 Introduction to General Chemistry | Policy |
 Saint Ambrose University Davenport | 3 | 8 | CHEM 105, 106 | Policy |
 Upper Iowa University Fayette | 3 | 8 | CHEM 151 and CHEM 152 | Policy |
 University of Dubuque Dubuque | 3 | 4 | CHM 110 Chemistry and Society and Lab | Policy |
 Grand View University Des Moines | 3 | 4 | Chem 111 | Policy |
 Wartburg College Waverly | 3 | 1 | CH 113 Principles of Chemistry I | Policy |
 Buena Vista University Storm Lake | 3 | 8 | CHEM 151 and 152 | Policy |
NIAC North Iowa Area Community College Mason City | 3 | 5 | — | Policy |
 Morningside University Sioux City | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Mount Mercy University Cedar Rapids | 3 | 3 | CH 111 | Policy |
 Simpson College Indianola | 3 | 8 | CHEM 101 & CHEM 102 | Policy |
 Mercy College of Health Sciences Des Moines | 3 | 4 | CHE-101 General Chemistry I (with Lab) (4 cr.) | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | CHEM0000 Waive General Educ Science | Policy | |
 Clarke University Dubuque | 3 | 8 | CHEM 110 + Lab and CHEM 111 + Lab | Policy |
| 4 | 7 | Chemistry 1770, 1780 | Policy | |
 University of Iowa Iowa City | 4 | 3 | CHEM 1070 | Policy |
 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls | 4 | 4 | CHEM1110 | Policy |
 Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids | 4 | 4 | CHM-110 & CHM-111 | Policy |
 Drake University Des Moines | 4 | 8 | CHEM 001, CHEM 002, CHEM 003, CHEM 004 | Policy |
 Grinnell College Grinnell | 4 | 4 | CHM-129 | Policy |
 Dordt University Sioux Center | 4 | 4 | Chemistry 110 | Policy |
 Luther College Decorah | 4 | 4 | Chemistry 139 | Policy |
 Coe College Cedar Rapids | 4 | 1 | CHM 121 | Policy |
 Northwestern College Orange City | 4 | 4 | CHE111 | Policy |
 Loras College Dubuque | 4 | 4 | Elective | Policy |
 Central College Pella | 4 | 4 | CHEM 111: General Chemistry (NS, EXP3) | Policy |
 Cornell College Mount Vernon | 5 | 1 | CHE 161 | Policy |
AP Chemistry 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 Chemistry?+
27 colleges in Iowa publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Chemistry. 14 of them (52%) award credit at a score of 3, 12 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 Chemistry score that earns credit in Iowa?+
3. Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs awards credit at a score of 3, worth 4 credit hours, counting as CHM 122 Introduction to General Chemistry. 14 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?+
27 of the 27 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.