AP Physics C: Mechanics credit at New Mexico colleges
Every New Mexico college with a published AP Physics C: Mechanics credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
Quick answer
15 of 16 New Mexico colleges (94%) award credit for AP Physics C: Mechanics at a score of 3. 1 requires a 4 and 0 require a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at University of New Mexico-Main Campus (4 credit hours). 15 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 University of New Mexico-Main Campus Albuquerque | 3 | 4 | PHYS 1310 & 1310L | Policy |
 Central New Mexico Community College Albuquerque | 3 | 5 | PHYS 1310, PHYS 1310L | Policy |
 New Mexico State University-Main Campus Las Cruces | 3 | 3 | PHYS 1310G/1310L | Policy |
 New Mexico State University-Dona Ana Las Cruces | 3 | — | PHYS 1310 +1310L or 1310C | Policy |
 San Juan College Farmington | 3 | 4 | PHYS-1310, PHYS-1310L | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | GPS4 1XX | Policy | |
 Santa Fe Community College Santa Fe | 3 | — | Department Review | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | PHYS 1310C | Policy | |
 New Mexico Highlands University Las Vegas | 3 | — | PHYS 1310 +1310L or 1310C. | Policy |
| 3 | — | PHYS 1310 +1310L or 1310C. Calculus Based Physics I and Lab | — | |
| 3 | — | PHYS 1310 +1310L or 1310C. Calculus Based Physics I and Lab | Policy | |
NNMC Northern New Mexico College Espanola | 3 | — | PHYS 1310 +1310L or 1310C | Policy |
 New Mexico State University-Alamogordo Alamogordo | 3 | — | PHYS 1310 +1310L or 1310C. Calculus Based Physics I and Lab* | Policy |
 Luna Community College Las Vegas | 3 | 4 | Calc Based Physic I and Lab | Policy |
 Southeast New Mexico College Carlsbad | 3 | 3 | PHYS 215G | Policy |
| 4 | 5 | PHYS 1310 | Policy |
AP Physics C: Mechanics credit in other states
How we ranked this
One row per New Mexico 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 New Mexico colleges give credit for AP Physics C: Mechanics?+
16 colleges in New Mexico publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Physics C: Mechanics. 15 of them (94%) award credit at a score of 3, 1 requires 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 New Mexico?+
3. University of New Mexico-Main Campus in Albuquerque awards credit at a score of 3, worth 4 credit hours, counting as PHYS 1310 & 1310L. 15 New Mexico colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.
Does in-state residency change AP credit in New Mexico?+
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 New Mexico AP credit policies?+
15 of the 16 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.