AP Physics 1 credit at Arizona colleges

Every Arizona college with a published AP Physics 1 credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.

Quick answer

2 of 20 Arizona colleges (10%) award credit for AP Physics 1 at a score of 3. 18 require a 4 and 0 require a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at Grand Canyon University (3 credit hours). 19 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.

Colleges that award credit for AP Physics 1, with the minimum qualifying score, credit hours awarded and the equivalent course.
College	Min score	Credits	Counts as	Source
Grand Canyon University Phoenix	3	3	—	Policy
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott Prescott	3	4	PS 113 and PS 113L	Policy
Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe	4	4	PHY 111, 113	Policy
University of Arizona Tucson	4	4	PHYS 102 & 181	Policy
Northern Arizona University Flagstaff	4	4	PHY 111	Policy
Pima Community College Tucson	4	4	PHY121IN	Policy
GCC Glendale Community College Glendale	4	4	PHY 111	Policy
CGCC Chandler-Gilbert Community College Chandler	4	4	PHY111	Policy
PC Phoenix College Phoenix	4	4	PHY111	Policy
Arizona Western College Yuma	4	4	PHY111	Policy
Central Arizona College Coolidge	4	4	PHY 111	Policy
RSC Rio Salado College Tempe	4	4	PHY111	Policy
SCC Scottsdale Community College Scottsdale	4	4	PHY111	Policy
Yavapai College Prescott	4	4	PHY 111	Policy
GCC GateWay Community College Phoenix	4	4	PHY111	Policy
Eastern Arizona College Thatcher	4	4	PHY111	Policy
Cochise County Community College District Sierra Vista	4	4	PHY111	Policy
Mohave Community College Kingman	4	4	PHY 111	Policy
Coconino Community College Flagstaff	4	4	PHY111	Policy
Northland Pioneer College Holbrook	4	—	PHY 111, 112	—

AP Physics 1 credit in other states

California 163 New York 98 Ohio 90 Pennsylvania 88 Illinois 80 Texas 79 Florida 58 North Carolina 57 Massachusetts 50 Michigan 46 Virginia 45 Georgia 45

How we ranked this

One row per Arizona 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 Arizona colleges give credit for AP Physics 1?+

20 colleges in Arizona publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Physics 1. 2 of them (10%) award credit at a score of 3, 18 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 Physics 1 score that earns credit in Arizona?+

3. Grand Canyon University in Phoenix awards credit at a score of 3, worth 3 credit hours. 2 Arizona colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.

Does in-state residency change AP credit in Arizona?+

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 Arizona AP credit policies?+

19 of the 20 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

📚 AP Physics 1 nationwide 📚 All AP exams 🎓 All Arizona colleges 🔁 Transfer credit policies 🧭 Counselor toolkit

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.