AP European History Score and College Credit Guide

The AP European History course and exam covers cultural, intellectual, political, diplomatic, social and economic themes in Europe from 1450 to the present. The course is less popular than AP World History and AP United States History, but it still had over 100,000 students take the exam. A score of 3 or higher on the exam will often earn students either elective credits, humanities credits, or history credits in college. About the AP European History Course and Exam Students who take AP European History should learn the types of disciplinary practices and critical reasoning skills that are central to the study of history. The course content covers six equally important themes: Interaction of Europe and the World. European exploration, trade, colonialism, and empire building all fall under this category. Students study how Europe interacted with the world since 1450, and what the impact of those interactions were on both European and non-European societies.Poverty and Prosperity.  These theme covers issues related to economic development and the rise of capitalism in Europes history. Students study both the social and political impacts of economic change.Objective Knowledge and Subjective Visions. This part of the course looks at changes in how knowledge was both created and transmitted in Europe. Students explore topics such as religious world views, ancient texts, scientific inquiry and experimentation, and  subjective interpretations of reality.States and Other Institutions of Power. This theme covers governance and politics in Europes history. Students explore Europes varying forms of governance and their social, cultural, and economic impacts.Indiv idual and Society. This theme looks beyond national politics to introduce students to the changing nature of family, class status, and social groups throughout Europes history.National and European Identity. Students study the wide-ranging ways in which Europeans have viewed themselves. From local communities to nations to international alliances, European identities have changed radically since 1450. The breadth of AP European History is a bit daunting. The course covers over 550 years of history for an entire continent. Both the teaching of the course and the assessment of the exam break the history down into four periods that get equal weight: 1450 to 1648, 1648 to 1815, 1815 to 1914, and 1914 to the present. AP European History Score Information In 2018, 101,740 students took the exam and earned a mean score of 2.89. To earn college credit or course placement, students typically need to earn a score of 3 or higher. 57.7 percent of students did so. The distribution of scores for the AP European History exam is as follows: AP European History Score Percentiles (2018 Data) Score Number of Students Percentage of Students 5 12,101 11.9 4 20,297 19.9 3 26,331 25.9 2 30,558 30.0 1 12,453 12.2 The College Board has released preliminary score percentages for the 2019 exam. Keep in mind that these numbers may change slightly as late exams are added to the calculations. Preliminary 2019 AP European History Score Data Score Percentage of Students 5 11.7 4 20.6 3 26.1 2 29.4 1 12.2 If you earn a score that isnt going to impress the college admissions folks, you can usually choose to omit it. Whereas most schools require students to submit SAT or ACT scores, AP exam scores are usually self-reported and optional. College Credit and Course Placement for AP European History Most colleges and universities have a history or global perspectives requirement, so a high score on the AP European History exam will sometimes fulfill one of these requirements. The course can be particularly valuable for students who have interests in history, different cultures, global studies, government, comparative literature, political science, and many other fields. The table below presents some representative data from a variety of colleges and universities. This information is meant to provide a general overview of the scoring and placement practices related to the AP European History exam. For schools not listed here, youll need to search the college website or contact the appropriate Registrars office to get AP placement information, and always check with a college to get the most up-to-date AP placement information. AP European History Scores and Placement College Score Needed Placement Credit Georgia Tech 4 or 5 HTS 1031 (3 semester hours) Grinnell College 4 or 5 4 semester credits; HIS 101 LSU 3, 4 or 5 HIST 1003 (3 credits) for a 3; HIST 2021, 2022 (6 credits) for a 4 or 5 MIT 5 9 general elective units; no placement Mississippi State University 3, 4 or 5 HI 1213 (3 credits) for a 3; HI 1213 and HI 1223 (6 credits) for a 4 or 5 Notre Dame 5 History 10020 (3 credits) Reed College 4 or 5 1 credit; no placement Stanford University - no credit or placement for AP European History Truman State University 3, 4 or 5 HIST 133 World Civilizations, 1700 to Present (3 credits) UCLA (School of Letters and Science) 3, 4 or 5 8 credits and European History placement Yale University - no credit or placement for AP European History A Final Word About AP European History To learn more specific information about the AP European History exam, be sure to visit the  official College Board website. Keep in mind that the most important part of a college application is your academic record. Colleges want to see that you have challenged yourself and taken the most challenging courses available to you. AP, IB, Honors, and dual enrollment courses all play an important role on this front. Even if your favorite college doesnt offer credit for AP European History, the fact that you took a college-level course will strengthen your application.