How Many AP Classes Should You Take in High School?

AP classes are a great way for high school students to take college-level courses and test their academic capabilities — but how many AP classes should students take during their time in high school? In this blog post, we’ll break it all down for you!

What Are AP Classes?

Advanced Placement classes, colloquially known as “AP” classes, are courses that students in select U.S. and Canadian high schools can take through the College Board, which is the organization that also administers standardized tests the SAT. AP classes, which are comparable to advanced and honors classes, are more challenging than regular classes, boasting college-level work and potentially offering students college credit in the future. Each school has different AP class offerings based on their available resources, and many courses have prerequisites and/or are only offered to students who are in 10th grade or above.

An Advanced Placement class will have a curriculum that models that of introductory college classes — for instance, your AP Biology class material may resemble that of a Biology 101 class for college freshmen. It is often fast-paced and explores more difficult concepts than your average high school courses. Then, at the end of the year, students take a standardized exam for that subject that is graded on a scale of 1-5, and this exam score is meant to exemplify a student’s mastery of the course material.

Scores on AP exams often determine whether or not students receive college credit, although this is ultimately determined by the academic requirements of a student’s major and/or the school’s academic requirements. Many selective colleges don’t necessarily accept AP scores as credit, but a high AP score might allow for placement in more advanced courses at an earlier time. On the College Board‘s website, you can research the policies at your school of choice to see if you might receive college credit for your performance on your AP exams.

Why Do Students Take AP Classes?

There are many reasons why challenging classes like APs might be a great fit for a high school student. They offer a chance for students to pursue more advanced material and explore potential college majors before they’ve even graduated high school, which can help shape the future of their education. Plus, AP courses can offer students advanced skills in critical thinking and analysis that can be applied both in and outside the classroom.

Of course, AP classes also look great to college admissions officers and prove that a student is pursuing a level of academic rigor that makes them a great applicant, especially at a competitive college. If a student is pursuing and even excelling at college-level coursework as a high schooler, that shows a degree of college readiness that could help them stand out in the college admissions process.

Choosing AP Classes

As is the case when choosing any high school class, you want to make sure you’re meeting graduation requirements while exploring your academic interests. An ideal school course load would include a mix of classes that play to your strengths and allow you to improve in some of your more difficult subjects. What’s important in the context of college applications is a rigorous course load — that means that you’re pushing yourself academically and taking the highest-level courses for which you qualify.

At some schools, students have a very limited choice of honors courses, much less AP classes, and oftentimes, teachers choose who is going onto the most advanced classes. The best place to start when choosing your AP classes is by talking to your school counselor and teachers. They will inform you which classes are available and the potential academic trajectories you could take during your high school career.

If you’d like any further guidance on how best to select your courses, you can check out our complete guide to AP classes here, where we go even more in-depth and answer your questions about all things Advanced Placement!

How Many AP Classes Are Available?

There are 40 subjects offered for AP classes — here is a list of all of the academic subjects AP students can explore:

AP Capstone Diploma Program

• AP Seminar
• AP Research

Arts

• AP 2-D Art and Design
• AP 3-D Art and Design
• AP Drawing
• AP Art History
• AP Music Theory

English

• AP English Language and Composition
• AP English Literature and Composition

History and Social Sciences

• AP African American Studies
• AP Comparative Government and Politics
• AP European History
• AP Human Geography
• AP Macroeconomics
• AP Microeconomics
• AP Psychology
• AP United States Government and Politics
• AP United States History
• AP World History: Modern

Math and Computer Science

• AP Calculus AB
• AP Calculus BC
• AP Computer Science A
• AP Computer Science Principles
• AP Precalculus
• AP Statistics

Sciences

• AP Biology
• AP Chemistry
• AP Environmental Science
• AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based
• AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based
• AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
• AP Physics C: Mechanics

World Languages and Cultures

• AP Chinese Language and Culture
• AP French Language and Culture
• AP German Language and Culture
• AP Italian Language and Culture
• AP Japanese Language and Culture
• AP Latin
• AP Spanish Language and Culture
• AP Spanish Literature and Culture

When Should You Start Taking AP Classes?

High school students should consider taking AP classes when they feel academically prepared and confident in handling college-level coursework. Many students don’t start taking APs until their sophomore year, and these classes tend to be history or English AP classes. However, some schools offer AP courses as early as 9th grade for advanced students. The most popular classes amongst 9th and 10th grade students are AP Human Geography, AP World History: Modern, AP European History, AP Seminar, AP Computer Science Principles, and AP World Language and Culture Courses.

It’s important to balance ambition with realism; taking too many AP classes at once can lead to burnout. Students should choose AP subjects that align with their interests and future goals, as this makes the experience more rewarding and manageable. Consulting with teachers and counselors can help determine the right time and course load.

How to Choose the Right Number of AP Classes

The short answer is that there is no “right” number of AP classes — this all depends on who the student in question is and the school they attend. For instance, at some schools, it is not abnormal for top students to take 10+ APs with many students taking at least 2-3 APs during their time in high school. However, at a high school that only offers a handful of APs, it might be difficult for a student to even take 4-5. Keep in mind that college admissions officers do have this context available when evaluating a student’s application, so you won’t be penalized for factors that are outside of your control.

So the “right” number of APs doesn’t precisely exist. It can vary widely based on a student’s academic focus, ability to take prerequisite courses, graduation requirements, course availability at the school, room in their schedule, and more. This could also be affected by a student’s financial situation, given that students sometimes have to pay $99-$129 for an AP exam, according to the College Board website. It’s best to consult your school counselor for advice on your specific situation.

Oftentimes, it’s recommended that students only take a few harder AP classes in their strongest subjects while taking a good amount of easier classes in other subjects. Keep in mind that “harder” and “easier” are all technically relative, but the spread of scores on certain AP exams does make it clear which subjects struggle with most. For instance, AP Chemistry is known as one of the most challenging AP courses, even for top science students, whereas AP Psychology is widely known to be less demanding. If a student who is focused on STEM subjects wanted to take multiple APs, it makes sense that they would choose these two classes as options instead of also adding on another very challenging AP class, such as AP Physics.

Curious about which other AP classes are considered to be the most difficult? Check out this recent blog post from H&C counselor Melissa on the hardest and easiest AP classes.

Balancing AP Classes with Extracurricular Activities

When taking on an advanced workload like what is expected in AP classes, many students worry that they will not be able to balance their existing extracurriculars with the increased amount of homework. Simply put, balancing extracurricular activities and AP classes requires careful time management, which requires students to practice

When planning out the school year, students should assess their workload realistically, considering the intensity of their AP courses and the existing time commitment of their extracurriculars. This doesn’t necessarily mean students should drop their clubs and sports teams because of their APs, but it’s important to prioritize activities that genuinely interest them and align with their personal or career goals. Once the schedule for those activities is set, students can start planning more time to complete their assignments.

Creating a weekly plan can help allocate an appropriate amount of time for studying, extracurricular activities, and relaxation to avoid burnout. Communication is also key — for instance, students should inform their teachers, mentors, and coaches about their academic responsibilities to avoid any serious conflicts. Striking this balance ensures that students can excel academically while still gaining valuable experiences outside the classroom.

AP Exams: What to Expect

As described above, AP exams are designed to test students’ mastery of the college-level material offered in their classes, typically through a combination of multiple-choice and free-response questions. Students can expect the exams to require not only content knowledge but also critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which are emphasized in the curriculum and sample tests provided to teachers. It would also be helpful to get a practice book to familiarize yourself with the types of questions you’ll encounter — just make sure the book reflects the most recent versions of the test.

Each exam follows a standardized format with specific sections focusing on different aspects of the subject. For example, a science AP exam might include a multi-step free response question (FRQ) to solve a problem, while a history exam could require more comprehensive essay writing (usually a document-based question, or “DBQ”). Exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5, with 3 or higher often considered passing. Before taking the exam, which occurs at the conclusion of the academic year, students should review course material, take practice exams, and familiarize themselves with the exam structure to feel confident on test day.

It’s also important to note that, now, some of these exams are hybrid (digital and on paper) or fully digital, which is facilitated by CollegeBoard’s app of choice, Bluebook. Your teacher should inform you about the format in which your specific exam will be, but make sure you incorporate the format of your exam into your prep work.

The Pros and Cons of Taking Too Many AP Classes

As described above, taking many AP classes can have its advantages and disadvantages. On the positive side, AP classes allow students to challenge themselves with rigorous academic work early, potentially earn college credit, and demonstrate their commitment to college-level coursework, which can serve them well both in their college application and beyond. They also help develop time management and study skills that become invaluable in college, and they can make those first few classes at university less daunting. 

However, when students overload their schedule with AP classes, it can lead to stress, burnout, and a lack of time for extracurricular activities, hobbies, or leisure. This can affect a student’s mental health, and it may result in significantly lower grades if the workload becomes particularly unmanageable. Before committing to multiple APs, you should carefully consider your interests, strengths, and overall capacity to do the work — and make sure to consult your school counselors, parents, and teachers for their input. Above all, you want to aim for a balance that supports both academic success and personal well-being, both in and out of your AP classes.

Want help planning out your high school classes? Schedule a free consultation today with one of our seasoned college admissions consultants.