AP Credit
AP Physics C: Mechanics Credit by College
Of 143 colleges whose AP charts name AP Physics C: Mechanics, 70 give credit or placement for a 3, 127 for a 4, and 142 for a 5.
| College | Lowest score | What it earns | With a 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 3 | 3 units, PHYS 102 | 3 units, PHYS 140 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion | 3 | 4 hours, PHY 111, 113 (score 5, 4 or 3) | Same |
| Arkansas | 3 | Credit for PHYS 20304 | Credit for PHYS 203H4 |
| Baylor | 3 | Physics 1405 | Same |
| Binghamton | 3 | 4 credits, elective credit | 4 credits, PHYS 131 |
| Buffalo | 3 | 4 credits, general exam credit | 4 credits, PHY 107 |
| California State University-Long Beach | 3 | 4 units, PHYS 151 | Same |
| Carleton | 3 | 3 credits | Same |
| Cincinnati | 3 | 5 credits, PHYS 2001 and PHYS 2001L | Same |
| Clemson | 3 | 4 credits, PHYS 1220 and PHYS 1240 | Same |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 3 | 5 credits, PH 141 | Same |
| CU Boulder | 3 | 4 lower-division Arts and Sciences credits | 4 credits, PHYS 1110 |
| Delaware | 3 | 3 credits, PHYS 166DE (Physics elective) | 3 credits, PHYS 207 (lecture, not lab) |
| Florida | 3 | PHY 2053/PHY 2053L (5 credits) | PHY 2048/PHY 2048L (4 credits) |
| Florida Atlantic University | 3 | 4 credits, PHY 2053 and PHY 2053L | 5 credits, PHY 2048 and PHY 2048L |
| Florida International University | 3 | 5 credits, PHY 2053/2048L | 5 credits, PHY 2048/2048L |
| Florida State University | 3 | PHY 2053C (4) | PHY 2048C (5) |
| George Mason | 3 | 4 credits, PHYS 243 and 244 | 4 credits, PHYS 160 and 161 |
| Hofstra | 3 | 3 credits, LA 999 | 5 credits, PHYS 11A and PHYS 11B |
| Houston | 3 | 4 hours, PHYS 1301 and PHYS 1101 | 4 hours, PHYS 2325 and PHYS 2125 |
| Indiana University-Bloomington | 3 | 3 credit hours, PHYS-UN 100 (undistributed) | 5 credit hours, PHYS-P 221 |
| James Madison | 3 | 4 credits, PHYS 140 and PHYS 140L | 4 credits, PHYS 240 and PHYS 240L |
| Kentucky | 3 | 4 credit hours, PHY 231 | Same |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | 3 | 3 hours, PHYS 2110 | Same |
| Miami University-Oxford | 3 | 5 hours, PHY 181 and PHY 183 | Same |
| Mississippi State University | 3 | 3 hours, PH 1113 (no lab credit) | 3 hours, PH 2213 (no lab credit) |
| NC State | 3 | 4 hours, PY 131 | 4 hours, PY 205 and PY 206 |
| New Hampshire | 3 | 4 credits, PHYS 407 | Same |
| North Texas | 3 | 4 hours, PHYS 1410/PHYS 1430 | 4 hours, PHYS 1710/PHYS 1730 |
| Ohio State | 3 | Physics 1250 (5) (score 3+) | Same |
| Ole Miss | 3 | 4 hours, PHYS 2xx (lab) | 4 hours, PHYS 2110 and PHYS 2111 |
| Oregon State University | 3 | 4 credits, PH 211 | Same |
| Purdue | 3 | PHYS 1XXXX (undistributed credit) (score 3 or 4) | PHYS 17200 |
| San Diego State | 3 | 4 units, PHYS 195 and PHYS 195L | Same |
| San Jose State University | 3 | 4 units, PHYS 50 | Same |
| Stony Brook | 3 | 2 credits, no course equivalent | 3 credits, PHY 125 |
| Syracuse University | 3 | 4 credits, PHY 101 or PHY 211 and PHY 221 | Same |
| Texas A&M University-College Station | 3 | PHYS 206 or PHYS 226, 3 or 4 credit hours (PHYS 206 for engineering majors; PHYS 206 and 226 for non-engineering majors) | Same |
| Texas Tech | 3 | 4 hours, PHYS 1408 | Same |
| The University of Alabama | 3 | 4 credits, PH 105 | Same |
| The University of Texas at Dallas | 3 | 3 hours, PHYS lower-level transfer elective | 4 hours, PHYS 2325, 2125 |
| UC Berkeley | 3 | 2.6 semester units | Same |
| UC Davis | 3 | 4 quarter units, no course equivalent | 4 quarter units, PHY 001A |
| UC Irvine | 3 | 4 units elective credit | 4 units, Physics 3A |
| UC San Diego | 3 | 4 units; score of 3 exempts PHYS 1A | 4 units; score of 4 or 5 exempts PHYS 1A or 2A |
| UC Santa Barbara | 3 | 4 units; one Science, Mathematics, and Technology GE course; satisfies Quantitative Relationships requirement | Same |
| UC Santa Cruz | 3 | 4 units, no course equivalent | 4 units, PHYS 5A and 5L |
| UCLA | 3 | 4.0 units, PHYSICS General "C" | Same |
| UGA | 3 | PHYS 1111 + Lab (4 credit hours) | PHYS 1211 + Lab (4 credit hours) |
| UIC | 3 | 3 hours, PHYS 100 | 4 hours, PHYS 141 |
| UIUC | 3 | PHYS 2-- (elective credit), 3 credit hours | PHYS 211, 4 credit hours |
| UNC Chapel Hill | 3 | PHYS ELECTIVE, 3 credit hours | PHYS 114, 4 credit hours (minimum score 4) |
| University at Albany | 3 | 4 credits, APHY 140 and APHY 145 | Same |
| University of California-Merced | 3 | 2.6 semester units | Exempts Physics 8 or Physics 18 |
| University of California-Riverside | 3 | 4 units Natural Science (Physical Sciences) breadth credit | PHYS 2A |
| University of Central Florida | 3 | PHY 2053C | PHY 2048C |
| University of Maryland-College Park | 3 | 4 credits, Lab Science (DSNL) | 4 credits, PHYS 161 and PHYS 261 (score 4 or 5) |
| University of Missouri-Columbia | 3 | 4 credits, Physics 1210 | 5 credits, Physics 2750 |
| University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | 3 | PHYS 1114 | PHYS 1205 |
| University of South Carolina-Columbia | 3 | PHYS 201 and 201L | PHYS 211 and 211L |
| University of South Florida | 3 | 4 credits, PHY 2053 and PHY 2053L | 4 credits, PHY 2048 and PHY 2048L |
| UT Austin | 3 | PHY 301, 101L; or PHY 302K, 105M; or PHY 303K, 105M; or PHY 317K, 105M (score 3-5) | Same |
| Utah | 3 | 4 hours, PHYS 1010 plus 1 hour of PHYS 1XXX credit | 5 hours, PHYS 2010 and PHYS 2015 |
| UW | 3 | PHYS 101, 5 credits | PHYS 121, 5 credits (score 4, 5) |
| UW-Madison | 3 | PHYSICS X15, 3 credits | PHYSICS 207, 5 credits (score 4-5) |
| Vermont | 3 | 4 credits, PHYS 1400 | 4 credits, PHYS 1500 (PHYS 1600 with a Calculus score of 4 or 5) |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 3 | 4 credits, PHYS 207 | Same |
| Virginia Tech | 3 | PHYS 2205 + PHYS 2215, 3+1 credits | PHYS 2305, 4 credits (score 4 or 5) |
| Washington State University | 3 | 3 credits, Physics elective | Same |
| West Virginia | 3 | 4 credit hours, PHYS 111 | Same |
| Auburn University | 4 | 4 hours, PHYS 1600 | Same |
| Barnard College | 4 | 3 points | Same |
| Bates | 4 | 1 unspecified credit | Same |
| Boston College | 4 | 3 advanced placement units; 1 Natural Science Core | Same |
| Boston University | 4 | 4 credits, CAS PY 211 or CAS PY 251 | Same |
| Bowdoin | 4 | 1 general credit (PHYS 1130) after completing PHYS 1140 with a minimum grade of C- | Same |
| Brandeis | 4 | 4 credits, PHYS 11a | Same |
| Brown | 4 | With a 4 on Physics C Mechanics plus a 5 on Physics C Electricity and Magnetism, and after completing PHYS 0040, 0060, 0160, 0470, 0500, or an appropriate 1000-level physics course at Brown: can request a PHYS 0030 notation retroactively | Score of 5 on Physics C Mechanics (alone) qualifies for the same retroactive PHYS 0030 notation after completing an eligible Brown physics course |
| Case Western | 4 | 4 credit hours, PHYS 121 | Same |
| Colby College | 4 | 3 credits, PH141 | Same |
| Colgate | 4 | 1 course credit, PHYS 111 | Same |
| Columbia | 4 | 3 credits, but you are not entitled to any exemptions | Same |
| Dartmouth | 4 | Physics 3 credit | Same |
| Davidson | 4 | Credit for PHY 118 | Credit for PHY 130 |
| Denver | 4 | 5 credits, PHYS 1211 | Same |
| Drexel | 4 | 4 credits, PHYS 152 (or PHYS 182 for ARCH and ARCS majors) | 4 credits, PHYS 101 (or PHYS 152 or 182 depending on major) |
| Duke | 4 | PHYSICS 25 | Same |
| Emory | 4 | 3 credit hours, PHYS 151 | Same |
| George Washington | 4 | 4 credits, PHYS 1021 | Same |
| Gonzaga | 4 | 3 credits, lower-division Physics elective | 3 credits lower-division Physics elective, or 4 credits toward PHYS 121 after passing a departmental exam |
| Grinnell College | 4 | 4 credits as PHY-131, for major credit | Same |
| Howard | 4 | 4 credits, PHYS 013 & 023 | Same |
| Iowa | 4 | 4 s.h., duplicates PHYS:1611 Introductory Physics I | Same |
| Iowa State | 4 | 5 credits, Physics 2310, 2310L | Same |
| Johns Hopkins | 4 | 4 credits, AS.171.101 | Same |
| Kansas | 4 | 4 hours, PHSX 211 and 216 | Same |
| Lehigh | 4 | 5 credits, PHY 011 and PHY 012 | Same |
| Loyola Chicago | 4 | 3 hours, PHYS 121, no lab credit | Same |
| Marquette | 4 | 3 credits, PHYS 1003 | Same |
| Michigan State | 4 | 4 credits, PHY 183 | Same |
| Northeastern | 4 | 5 SH, PHYS1151/1152 & 1153 (Physics for Engineering 1/Lab & Interactive Learning Seminar for PHYS 1151) | Same |
| Notre Dame | 4 | 4 credits, PHYS 20210 (appears on transcript as PHYS 10095) | 4 credits, PHYS 10310 (appears on transcript as PHYS 10093) |
| NYU | 4 | 4 credits, PHYS-UA 11 or PHYS-UA 91 | Same |
| Oberlin | 4 | 1 full course, PHYS 110 | Same |
| Penn State | 4 | Physics 211 (4 credits) (grade of four or five) | Same |
| Rice | 4 | 4 credit hours, PHYS 101 (4) and PHYS 103 (0); distribution credit DIII | Same |
| Rochester | 4 | Conditional credit for PHYS 113 or PHYS 121 | Credit for PHYS 113 or PHYS 121 |
| RPI | 4 | 4 credits, PHYS 1100 | Same |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 4 | 01:750:203 & 750:205, 4 credits (score 4 or 5) | Same |
| Santa Clara | 4 | 5 quarter units, elective credit | 5 quarter units, PHYS 31 |
| Seton Hall University | 4 | 4 credits, PHYS 1701 and 1811 (5 credits, PHYS 1705 and 1815, for physics, math and some chemistry majors) | Same |
| Southern Methodist University | 4 | 3 hours, PHYS 1303 (no lab credit) | Same |
| Stanford University | 4 | 4 units, PHYSICS 21 | 4 units, PHYSICS 21/41 |
| Temple | 4 | 4 credits, Physics 1061 | Same |
| Texas Christian University | 4 | 4 hours, PHYS 20474 | Same |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 4 | PHYS 101, 161 or 221 (students admitted before fall 2027) | PHYS 135 |
| Tufts | 4 | 5 credits, PHY 0011 | Same |
| Tulane | 4 | 4 credit hours, PHYS 1310 | Same |
| UConn | 4 | 4 credits, PHYS 1501Q | Same |
| University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 4 | 4 credits, Physics 151 | Same |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | 4 | 4 credits, Physics 1301W | Same |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 4 | 4 credits, PHYS 211 | Same |
| USC | 4 | 4 semester units of elective credit; satisfies GE-E: Physical Sciences | Same |
| UVA | 4 | 3 credits for PHYS 1425 (score 4 or 5) | Same |
| Villanova | 4 | 4 credits, PHY 1100 and PHY 1101 | Same |
| Wake Forest | 4 | 4 hours, PHY 113 and 113L | Same |
| WashU | 4 | 3 units of elective credit for PHYSICS 1013 | 4 total units of credit for PHYSICS 1740 (3 credits) and PHYSICS 1741 (1 credit) |
| Carnegie Mellon University | 5 | 12 units, 33-141, Physics I for Engineering Students | Same |
| College of William & Mary | 5 | 4 credits, PHYS 101 and PHYS 101L | Same |
| Cornell | 5 | 3 or 4 credits; placement out of PHYS 1112 (for 3 credits) or PHYS 2207 (for 4 credits). College of Arts and Sciences: 5 grade will receive credit for PHYS 2207 | Same |
| Georgetown University | 5 | five credits for PHYS 2051 (Principles of Physics I) | Same |
| Georgia Tech | 5 | PHYS 2211, 4 hours (score of 5) | Same |
| Michigan | 5 | 5 credit hours for Physics 139 (Lecture/Discussion 4, Lab 1) | Same |
| MIT | 5 | Credit for 8.01 only with a score of 5 on both Physics C exams (Mechanics and Electricity & Magnetism) | Same |
| Northwestern | 5 | 1.34 units (PHYSICS 135-1 and lab course 136-1) | Same |
| Penn | 5 | Physics 0150 (1.5 c.u.) | Same |
| Pitt | 5 | 4 credits, PHYS 0174 | Same |
| Swarthmore | 5 | 1 credit, equals PHYS 003, if you pass a department test | Same |
| University of Chicago | 5 | PHYS 12100 | Same |
| Vanderbilt | 5 | 4 credit hours, PHYS 1601: General Physics I (3) and PHYS 1601L: General Physics I Laboratory (1) | Same |
| Wellesley | 5 | 1 unit, PHYS 104 or 107 | Same |
| Yale University | 5 | 1 acceleration credit for 5 on either AP Physics C test, with 5 on AP Calculus AB test or 4 or 5 on Calculus BC test | Same |
| Hamilton | None | No credit |
Frequently asked questions
Do colleges give credit for a 3 on AP Physics C: Mechanics?
70 of the 143 colleges listed here do. 127 accept a 4, and 142 accept a 5. 1 give nothing for this exam at any score.
Does a 5 on AP Physics C: Mechanics earn more than a 4?
At some colleges, yes. The last column of the table shows where a 5 earns more credit or a higher course than the minimum score does.
Each row was read from the college’s own registrar, catalog, or admissions page and last checked 2026-10-08. Colleges whose pages do not name this exam are left out. Confirm with the college before you plan around it.
