WASHINGTON — As the cost of higher education continues to rise, students and families are turning to Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs to reduce tuition expenses and graduate sooner. However, despite the increasing popularity of these programs — over 5.2 million AP exams were taken in 2023 — a new analysis from the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) reveals that many colleges and universities are imposing restrictive policies on how AP and IB credits are applied, making it harder for students to save both time and money.
A new PPI report, “Diminishing Credit II: How Colleges and Universities Restrict the Use of AP and IB Towards Earning a Degree in Less Than Four Years”, authored by PPI Senior Fellow Paul Weinstein Jr., dives deeper into these trends. The report highlights how institutions limit the value of pre-college coursework through measures such as capping the total credits allowed, raising minimum exam score thresholds, and making credit policies opaque and difficult to navigate. These restrictions force students to take more courses than necessary, prolonging their time to degree completion and inflating the overall cost of a college education.
The report is a follow-up to PPI’s groundbreaking 2016 study and reveals that colleges are increasingly reducing the value of pre-college coursework, worsening the student debt crisis. Key findings include:
“Colleges and universities are creating unnecessary obstacles for students striving to graduate early and reduce tuition costs,” said Weinstein. “By capping credits, raising score requirements, and limiting transparency around AP and IB policies, these institutions are driving up the cost of a degree and forcing families to shoulder even greater financial burdens. It’s time for policymakers and colleges to remove these barriers and deliver on the promise of affordable, accessible higher education for all students.”
The report recommends reforms to make credit policies more transparent and equitable, including:
The findings are especially timely given the Biden administration’s focus on reducing student loan debt. While President Biden has made strides to address the financial burden of student loans, such as his executive order to cancel up to $20,000 of student debt for many borrowers, PPI maintains that these measures are not enough to tackle the root cause of the crisis: skyrocketing tuition costs.
Instead of relying on costly and potentially inequitable debt forgiveness programs, PPI emphasizes the need for colleges and universities to lower costs and allow students to capitalize on pre-college achievements like AP and IB coursework. These steps would provide a more sustainable and equitable path forward by ensuring that families can reduce the cost of higher education upfront rather than retroactively addressing debt burdens.
Read and download the report here.
The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org. Find an expert at PPI and follow us on Twitter.
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Media Contact: Ian O’Keefe – iokeefe@ppionline.org
