AP Physics C: Mechanics credit at Colorado colleges
Every Colorado college with a published AP Physics C: Mechanics credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
Quick answer
17 of 22 Colorado colleges (77%) award credit for AP Physics C: Mechanics at a score of 3. 5 require a 4 and 0 require a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at University of Colorado Boulder (4 credit hours). 20 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4 | 4 lower-division Arts & Science credits that count toward the A&S Gen. Ed. Natural Science requirement and the CMCI Core Natural World requirement | Policy | |
 Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins | 3 | 5 | PH 141 | Policy |
| 3 | 5 | PHY 2311, 2321 | Policy | |
 Front Range Community College Westminster | 3 | 5 | PHY 2111 Physics: Calculus-Based I w/ Lab | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | PHYS 2999AE | Policy | |
 Pikes Peak State College Colorado Springs | 3 | 5 | PHY 2111 Physics Calc-Based I/Lab | Policy |
 University of Colorado Colorado Springs Colorado Springs | 3 | 5 | PES 1110, PES 1160 | Policy |
 Colorado Mesa University Grand Junction | 3 | 5 | PHYS 1XX & PHYS 1XXL - ELNL | Policy |
| 3 | 5 | PHYS 240 | Policy | |
 Red Rocks Community College Lakewood | 3 | 5 | PHY 211 | Policy |
 Fort Lewis College Durango | 3 | 8 | PHYS 217 & 218 | Policy |
| 3 | 5 | General Education Physics Elective & Lab | Policy | |
 Western Colorado University Gunnison | 3 | 4 | PHYS 140 | Policy |
 Adams State University Alamosa | 3 | 10 | PHYS 225 and PHYS 226 | Policy |
MCC Morgan Community College Fort Morgan | 3 | 5 | PHY 2111 | — |
CNCC | 3 | 5 | — | — |
 Naropa University Boulder | 3 | 3 | — | Policy |
 University of Denver Denver | 4 | 5 | PHYS 1211 | Policy |
 Colorado School of Mines Golden | 4 | 3 | Challenge exam, PHGN 100, If student does not pass the Challenge Exam, FREE 1XX for 3 credit hours is awarded | Policy |
 United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy | 4 | 4 | Physics215 | Policy |
 Regis University Denver | 4 | 4 | PH 304A, PH305A | Policy |
 Colorado College Colorado Springs | 4 | 1 | — | Policy |
AP Physics C: Mechanics credit in other states
How we ranked this
One row per Colorado 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 Colorado colleges give credit for AP Physics C: Mechanics?+
22 colleges in Colorado publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Physics C: Mechanics. 17 of them (77%) award credit at a score of 3, 5 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 C: Mechanics score that earns credit in Colorado?+
3. University of Colorado Boulder in Boulder awards credit at a score of 3, worth 4 credit hours, counting as 4 lower-division Arts & Science credits that count toward the A&S Gen. Ed. Natural Science requirement and the CMCI Core Natural World requirement. 17 Colorado colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.
Does in-state residency change AP credit in Colorado?+
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 Colorado AP credit policies?+
20 of the 22 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.