Austin ISD students have achieved some of the district’s strongest Advanced Placement (AP) results to date. This spring, more than 7,200 students took over 15,000 AP exams. This represents an 18% increase in exams and a 14% rise in student participation compared to 2024.
Seventy-three percent of the exams taken earned a score of 3 or higher, qualifying for college credit, which is a four-point gain from the previous year. The increased participation and success in AP courses mean Austin ISD students earned over 11,000 college credits this year, saving families an estimated $16.6 million in future tuition costs.
Participation is growing across various student groups. African-American student participation jumped by 50%, with a passing rate of 47%. Hispanic student participation rose by 20%, with a passing rate of 58%, up four points from last year. Economically disadvantaged student participation grew by 22%, with nearly a three-point increase in passing rates.
Dr. Elizabeth Severance, Director of Advanced Academics at Austin ISD, stated: “This growth reflects the hard work happening across the district—from the AP coordinators who manage AP testing to the teachers engaging students or attending AP instructional rounds to the students challenging themselves to take college-level courses.” She added that there is still work to do in closing opportunity gaps but noted that this year’s success shows progress in the right direction.
Austin ISD plans to continue expanding access to college-level coursework so that every student has the chance to earn college credit while still in high school.
