AP Physics 1 credit at Michigan colleges
Every Michigan college with a published AP Physics 1 credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
Quick answer
31 of 46 Michigan colleges (67%) award credit for AP Physics 1 at a score of 3. 14 require a 4 and 1 requires a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at Grand Valley State University (4 credit hours). 45 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Grand Valley State University Allendale | 3 | 4 | PHY general credit | Policy |
 Wayne State University Detroit | 3 | 4 | PHY 2130/2131 | Policy |
 Macomb Community College Warren | 3 | 4 | PHYS-Elective Credit or PHYS 1180* with lab notebook approval | Policy |
 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo | 3 | 10 | PHYS 1070, 1080, 1130, 1140 | Policy |
 Oakland University Rochester Hills | 3 | 4 | PHY 1010 | Policy |
 Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti | 3 | 4 | PHY 221 | Policy |
 Grand Rapids Community College Grand Rapids | 3 | 3 | PH 999 | Policy |
 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant | 3 | 5 | PHY 130QR & PHY 170 | Policy |
 Henry Ford College Dearborn | 3 | 4 | PHYS 131 | Policy |
 Ferris State University Big Rapids | 3 | 4 | PHYS 211 | Policy |
 Lansing Community College Lansing | 3 | 4 | PHYS 221 | Policy |
 Northern Michigan University Marquette | 3 | 5 | PH 201 | Policy |
 Delta College University Center | 3 | 4 | PHY-111 and PHY-112 | Policy |
 Saginaw Valley State University University Center | 3 | 5 | PHYS 111, PHYS 111L | Policy |
 University of Michigan-Dearborn Dearborn | 3 | 4 | PHYS 125 | Policy |
KCC Kellogg Community College Battle Creek | 3 | 4 | PHYS 111 | Policy |
 Northwestern Michigan College Traverse City | 3 | 4 | PHY 121, 121L | — |
 University of Detroit Mercy Detroit | 3 | 4 | PHY 1300 & 1310 | Policy |
 St Clair County Community College Port Huron | 3 | 5 | PHY 121 | Policy |
 Northwood University Midland | 3 | 3 | Science Elective | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | 151 General Physics | Policy | |
 Southwestern Michigan College Dowagiac | 3 | 5 | PHYS101 | Policy |
 Lake Superior State University Sault Ste Marie | 3 | 4 | PHYS 221 | Policy |
 Cornerstone University Grand Rapids | 3 | 4 | PHY-211 | Policy |
 College for Creative Studies Detroit | 3 | 3 | DNS 300 - (Natural Science Elective) | Policy |
 Spring Arbor University Spring Arbor | 3 | 4 | PHY 201 and Lab | Policy |
 Kirtland Community College Grayling | 3 | 4 | PHY Elective w/Lab | Policy |
 The University of Olivet Olivet | 3 | 3 | SCI 112 | Policy |
 Rochester University Rochester Hills | 3 | 4 | PHS 2014 | Policy |
 Alpena Community College Alpena | 3 | 4 | PHY 121 | Policy |
 Bay Mills Community College Brimley | 3 | 4 | PS112 | Policy |
 Michigan State University East Lansing | 4 | 3 | PHY 231 | Policy |
| 4 | 4 | PH 1110, 1111 | Policy | |
| 4 | — | PHYS-281 General College Physics I | Policy | |
UMF | 4 | 4 | College Physics I (PHY 143) | Policy |
 Hope College Holland | 4 | 3 | PHYS 105 | Policy |
 Calvin University Grand Rapids | 4 | 4 | Physics 221 | Policy |
 Muskegon Community College Muskegon | 4 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Lawrence Technological University Southfield | 4 | 4 | Earned credit for PHY2213 (College Physics 1) and PHY2221 (College Physics 1 Lab) | Policy |
 Madonna University Livonia | 4 | 3 | PHY 2530.00 | Policy |
 Adrian College Adrian | 4 | 4 | PHYS101 and PHYS103 | Policy |
 Hillsdale College Hillsdale | 4 | 4 | PHY 101 | Policy |
 Andrews University Berrien Springs | 4 | 4 | — | Policy |
 Alma College Alma | 4 | 4 | PHY-112 | Policy |
 Aquinas College Grand Rapids | 4 | 4 | PHYS 201 General Physics I | Policy |
 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor | 5 | 10 | Physics 125, 127, 126, 128 | Policy |
AP Physics 1 credit in other states
How we ranked this
One row per Michigan 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 Michigan colleges give credit for AP Physics 1?+
46 colleges in Michigan publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Physics 1. 31 of them (67%) award credit at a score of 3, 14 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 Physics 1 score that earns credit in Michigan?+
3. Grand Valley State University in Allendale awards credit at a score of 3, worth 4 credit hours, counting as PHY general credit. 31 Michigan colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.
Does in-state residency change AP credit in Michigan?+
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 Michigan AP credit policies?+
45 of the 46 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.