AP Physics C: Mechanics credit at Virginia colleges
Every Virginia college with a published AP Physics C: Mechanics credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
Quick answer
33 of 49 Virginia colleges (67%) award credit for AP Physics C: Mechanics at a score of 3. 14 require a 4 and 2 require a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at Liberty University (4 credit hours). 49 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Liberty University Lynchburg | 3 | 4 | PHYS 231 University Physics I | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | PHYS 2205 & 2215 | Policy | |
 George Mason University Fairfax | 3 | 4 | PHYS 243, 244 | Policy |
 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond | 3 | 5 | PHYS 207 | Policy |
 James Madison University Harrisonburg | 3 | 4 | PHYS 140 & PHYS 140L | Policy |
 Old Dominion University Norfolk | 3 | 4 | PHYS 111N | Policy |
 Radford University Radford | 3 | 4 | PHYS 221 | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | PHY 201 | Policy | |
 Norfolk State University Norfolk | 3 | 4 | PHY 160 | Policy |
 Germanna Community College Locust Grove | 3 | 4 | PHY 241 | Policy |
 Virginia State University Petersburg | 3 | 4 | PHYS 105 | Policy |
 Regent University Virginia Beach | 3 | 4 | PHYS 221 | Policy |
| 3 | 4 | PHY 201 | Policy | |
| 3 | 4 | PHY 201 | Policy | |
 University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg | 3 | 4 | PHYS-101 | Policy |
 Hampton University Hampton | 3 | 8 | PHY 201 & 202 | Policy |
 Laurel Ridge Community College Middletown | 3 | 4 | PHY 201 | Policy |
LU Longwood University Farmville | 3 | 4 | PHYS 221 | Policy |
 Shenandoah University Winchester | 3 | 4 | PHYS 121 | Policy |
SVCC | 3 | 4 | PHY 121 | Policy |
 Marymount University Arlington | 3 | 4 | PHYS 161, PHYS 161L | Policy |
 Virginia Military Institute Lexington | 3 | 3 | PY-160 & PY-155 | Policy |
 Patrick & Henry Community College Martinsville | 3 | 4 | PHY 202 | Policy |
 Bridgewater College Bridgewater | 3 | 4 | PHYS 125 | Policy |
MECC Mountain Empire Community College Big Stone Gap | 3 | 4 | PHY 201 | Policy |
 Wytheville Community College Wytheville | 3 | 4 | PHY 241 | Policy |
| 3 | 5 | PHY 100T | Policy | |
 Averett University Danville | 3 | 4 | PSC201 | Policy |
 Richard Bland College South Prince George | 3 | 4 | PHYS 201 | Policy |
 Ferrum College Ferrum | 3 | 3 | — | Policy |
PDCC Paul D Camp Community College Franklin | 3 | 4 | PHY 201 | Policy |
 Sweet Briar College Sweet Briar | 3 | 4 | PHYS 171 | Policy |
 Patrick Henry College Purcellville | 3 | 3 | — | Policy |
 University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville | 4 | 3 | PHYS 1425 | Policy |
 Christopher Newport University Newport News | 4 | 4 | PHYS 201/201L | Policy |
 University of Richmond University of Richmond | 4 | 1 | PHYS 131 | Policy |
 Roanoke College Salem | 4 | 1 | PHYS 201 | Policy |
 University of Lynchburg Lynchburg | 4 | 4 | PHYS 161 | Policy |
 Randolph-Macon College Ashland | 4 | 4 | PHYS 151 | Policy |
 Virginia Wesleyan University Virginia Beach | 4 | 4 | PHYS 221 | Policy |
 Mary Baldwin University Staunton | 4 | 4 | PHYS 201 | Policy |
| 4 | 4 | PHYS 201 | Policy | |
 Southern Virginia University Buena Vista | 4 | 3 | PHY 175R | Policy |
 Hampden-Sydney College Hampden-Sydney | 4 | 4 | Physics 131/151 | Policy |
 Eastern Mennonite University Harrisonburg | 4 | 4 | PHYS 252 and 253 University Physics I lecture, lab | Policy |
 Hollins University Roanoke | 4 | — | — | Policy |
RC Randolph College Lynchburg | 4 | 4 | PHYS 1115/1115L | Policy |
 William & Mary Williamsburg | 5 | 4 | PHYS 101 PHYS 101L | Policy |
 Washington and Lee University Lexington | 5 | 3 | PHYS 1-SC-N (3-credit SC non-major elective) | Policy |
AP Physics C: Mechanics credit in other states
How we ranked this
One row per Virginia 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 Virginia colleges give credit for AP Physics C: Mechanics?+
49 colleges in Virginia publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Physics C: Mechanics. 33 of them (67%) award credit at a score of 3, 14 require a 4, and 2 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 Virginia?+
3. Liberty University in Lynchburg awards credit at a score of 3, worth 4 credit hours, counting as PHYS 231 University Physics I. 33 Virginia colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.
Does in-state residency change AP credit in Virginia?+
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 Virginia AP credit policies?+
49 of the 49 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.