Today, New York City Public Schools is proudly sharing the 2024 Advanced Placement (AP) exam results. Under the leadership of the Adams administration, NYCPS students are thriving – and the proof is clear. More students are enrolling in these challenging courses, and thanks to our world-class educators and resources, they are excelling.
With a record number of students taking AP exams last school year, the number of students who scored a 3 (of 5) or more on one or more exams increased more than 12 percent, or an increase of just over 4,500 students than last year. This marks the highest number of students passing AP exams to date for New York City Public Schools, with double-digit gains in Asian (+11 percent), Black (+15 percent), and Hispanic (+15 percent) subgroups, with White students increasing by 7 percent. Additionally, 2024 represented a record number of participants by English Language Learners and students with disabilities. With these increases, over a quarter of all seniors passed at least one AP exam in high school.
The percentage of all NYC seniors – students in the Class of 2024, who started high school in Fall 2020 – who took at least one Advanced Placement exam during their four years of high school increased to 44.9 percent, a 0.9 percentage point increase from the Class of 2023. The percentage of the cohort scoring a 3 or higher increased as well to 25.6 percent, a 2-percentage point increase compared to the Class of 2023. Across all subgroups in this cohort – including race/ethnicity, Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners – we saw increases in both test taking and performance.
NYCPS students continue to demonstrate strong academic performance in AP participation and achievement compared to their peers nationwide. The percent of 2024 NYCPS graduating seniors taking at least one AP exam in four years of high school outpaced the nation by 9.2 percentage points. The percent scoring 3 or higher on at least one AP exam in four years of high school outpaced the nation by 3.0 percentage points.
In 2024, two new AP exams were introduced: AP African American Studies and AP Precalculus. These exams drove increases in the subject areas of Math and History & Social Sciences:
- Math had the largest increase of all subject areas in both number of students taking (+24.5 percent) and scoring 3 or higher (+48.8 percent) since 2023. These increases were largely driven by the new Precalculus exam.
- History and Social Sciences had a small increase in the number of students taking exams (+5.0 percent) along with a much larger increase in the number of students scoring 3+ (+31.4 percent). The increase in participation was largely due to the new African American Studies exam.
AP exams are one way that our students can participate in college and career preparatory course work in high school. In New York City, AP fees for eligible students are paid for by New York City Public Schools. Overall, last year saw an increase in students participating in college credit courses generally. Over the past two years, there has been a 10 percent increase in the number of students taking at least one CUNY course through the College Now or Early College offerings, meaningfully increasing the number of students who are prepared with a head start on college when they graduate from high school. These exciting developments reflect our educators’ commitment to providing a rigorous education for our students – a key desire for parents in New York City as demonstrated in our recently shared enrollment survey.
Quote from New York City Mayor Eric Adams: “Here in New York City, our students aren’t afraid to take challenging, rigorous classes, and they continue to excel, leading the nation in Advanced Placement achievement. These results reflect not only the incredible work of our city’s students but also the commitment of our educators and staff, who provide them with constant support and the resources needed to succeed. What’s more, our new courses — AP African American Studies and AP Precalculus — are helping our students learn critical elements of math and history. The facts are clear: Under our administration, we are ensuring that New York City students have access to the world-class education they deserve.”
Quote from Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos: “I am beyond proud to commend our students on record achievements on AP exams last school year — far exceeding participation and pass rates from previous years. This is truly a testament to the hard work of our students and the dedication of our outstanding educators. Today’s announcement serves as proof that when our students challenge themselves, they succeed, and show the world that they are smart, capable, and a beacon of hope for our city’s future.”
For more information on the results, as well as SAT results, which have been posted today, please visit here.
Featured image credit: DepositPhotos.com
