AP Biology credit at Colorado colleges
Every Colorado college with a published AP Biology credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
19 of 24 Colorado colleges (79%) award credit for AP Biology at a score of 3. 5 require a 4 and 0 require a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at University of Colorado Boulder (4 credit hours). 22 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Colorado Boulder Boulder | 3 | 4 | 4 lower-division Arts & Science credits that fulfill the lab portion of and count toward the A&S Gen. Ed. Natural Science requirement and the CMCI Core Natural World requirement | Policy |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins | 3 | 4 | LIFE 1++3L | Policy |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver | 3 | 8 | BIO 1080,1081, 1090 & 1091 | Policy |
| Front Range Community College Westminster | 3 | 5 | BIO 1111 General College Biology I w/ Lab | Policy |
| Pikes Peak State College Colorado Springs | 3 | 5 | BIO 1111 General College Biology w/ Lab | Policy |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs Colorado Springs | 3 | 4 | BIOL 1999TC | Policy |
| Colorado Mesa University Grand Junction | 3 | 4 | BIOL 101, 101L (4) or 108, 108L (4) | Policy |
| Colorado School of Mines Golden | 3 | 3 | FREE 1XX | Policy |
| University of Northern Colorado Greeley | 3 | 4 | BIO 100, 105 | Policy |
| Community College of Denver Denver | 3 | 5 | BIO 111 | Policy |
| Red Rocks Community College Lakewood | 3 | 5 | BIO 111 | Policy |
| Aims Community College Greeley | 3 | 5 | BIO 111 | Policy |
| Fort Lewis College Durango | 3 | 4 | BIO 202 | Policy |
| Colorado State University Pueblo Pueblo | 3 | 4 | BIOL 100/L | Policy |
| Western Colorado University Gunnison | 3 | 3 | BIOL 120 | Policy |
| Adams State University Alamosa | 3 | 4 | BIOL 101, 101L (4) | Policy |
| Morgan Community College Fort Morgan | 3 | 5 | BIO 1111 | — |
| Colorado Northwestern Community College Rangely | 3 | 5 | — | — |
| Naropa University Boulder | 3 | 3 | — | Policy |
| University of Denver Denver | 4 | 5 | BIOL 1011, 1021 | Policy |
| Colorado Christian University Lakewood | 4 | 4 | BIO-101, BIO-111 | Policy |
| United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy | 4 | 4 | Biology315 | Policy |
| Regis University Denver | 4 | 6 | BS 258, BL 260 | Policy |
| Colorado College Colorado Springs | 4 | 1 | — | Policy |
AP Biology credit in other states
How we ranked this
One row per Colorado college: the lowest score that earns actual credit under the policy that applies to all students, and the largest credit award published at that score. Placement-only policies — permission to skip a course without earning credit hours — are excluded. Credit hours and course equivalents are reproduced exactly as the college published them; “—” means no value was published and we do not estimate one. A page is published for a state only when at least 8 colleges back it.
Frequently asked questions
Which Colorado colleges give credit for AP Biology?+
24 colleges in Colorado publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Biology. 19 of them (79%) award credit at a score of 3, 5 require a 4, and 0 require a 5. The full list, with credit hours and the course each exam replaces, is in the table on this page.
What is the lowest AP Biology score that earns credit in Colorado?+
3. University of Colorado Boulder in Boulder awards credit at a score of 3, worth 4 credit hours, counting as 4 lower-division Arts & Science credits that fulfill the lab portion of and count toward the A&S Gen. Ed. Natural Science requirement and the CMCI Core Natural World requirement. 19 Colorado colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.
Does in-state residency change AP credit in Colorado?+
No. AP credit policy is set per institution and applies to admitted students regardless of residency — residency affects tuition rate, not credit awards. What does vary is the school within a university: engineering and nursing colleges commonly set higher bars than arts and sciences. The rules shown here are the ones that apply to all students at each college.
How do I verify these Colorado AP credit policies?+
22 of the 24 colleges on this page link to their own published AP credit page in the Source column; our snapshot was taken July 30, 2026. The college's page is authoritative and can change between admission cycles, so confirm there before building a graduation plan around the credit.
Keep exploring
Data sources: Each college's own published AP / advanced-standing credit page (captured July 30, 2026) · IPEDS institution directory (names, control, location). Figures are the most recent values published in each federal dataset; cells with no published value are shown as “—” and never estimated. CertiHomes Education does not sell rankings or accept placement fees.