NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: September 30, 2025
Mississippi students achieve record high qualifying scores on Advanced Placement exams in 2024-25
JACKSON, Miss. – During the 2024-25 school year, 11,393 Mississippi public school students took 16,145 Advanced Placement exams, with a record high of 9,155 exams earning a qualifying score. The rate of exams achieving a qualifying score reached an all-time high of 56.7%.
Compared to 2023-24, the numbers mark an 8.4% decrease in students taking AP exams, an 8.8% decrease in tests taken and an 18.4% increase in passing scores on exams. Since 2013, the overall number of Mississippi students taking AP courses and passing AP exams has more than doubled.
AP courses are college-level courses offered by high school teachers. Research shows AP students are better prepared for college and more likely to graduate college in four years than non-AP peers.
Mississippi is one of 37 states that has established a consistent statewide AP credit policy. Mississippi’s AP policy entitles students who score three or higher on an AP exam to earn at least three college credits at any Mississippi public university or community college, reducing the cost of attending a university.
The Mississippi State Board of Education requires all high schools to offer and enroll students in advanced courses including AP classes in the four core subject areas of English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. Participation in AP and other accelerated courses is a factor in school and district accountability grades. Funding is available for schools and districts to cover the cost of low-income students’ AP exam fees.
The Mississippi Department of Education implemented an AP Initiative in 2015-16 to increase statewide participation in AP courses. The effort includes raising awareness about AP benefits, increasing access to AP opportunities and providing AP-focused professional development for teachers, principals and counselors.
Visit the College Board website at collegeboard.org to get information and learn about workshops and resources to aid teachers such as AP Classroom – apcentral.collegeboard.org/instructional-resources/ap-classroom.
Find all MDE news releases at mdek12.org/news.
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Jean Cook, APR
Chief of Communication
601-359-3515
jcook@mdek12.org
Shanderia Minor
Public Information Officer
601-359-3515
sminor@mdek12.org
