AP Computer Science A credit at Iowa colleges
Every Iowa college with a published AP Computer Science A credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
12 of 25 Iowa colleges (48%) award credit for AP Computer Science A at a score of 3. 13 require a 4 and 0 require a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at Iowa Western Community College (3 credit hours). 25 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs | 3 | 3 | CIS 127 Introduction to Programming | Policy |
| Saint Ambrose University Davenport | 3 | 3 | CSCI 195 | Policy |
| Upper Iowa University Fayette | 3 | 3 | MIS 101 | Policy |
| University of Dubuque Dubuque | 3 | 3 | CIS 910 - Free elective | Policy |
| Grand View University Des Moines | 3 | 3 | Cps-241 | Policy |
| Buena Vista University Storm Lake | 3 | 3 | CMSC 181 | Policy |
| Morningside University Sioux City | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
| Simpson College Indianola | 3 | 4 | CMSC 150 | Policy |
| Loras College Dubuque | 3 | 4 | CSC-115 | Policy |
| Mercy College of Health Sciences Des Moines | 3 | 3 | CMP-120 Computer Informatics | Policy |
| Graceland University-Lamoni Lamoni | 3 | 3 | CSIT2010 | Policy |
| Clarke University Dubuque | 3 | 3 | CS-250 | Policy |
| Iowa State University Ames | 4 | 4 | Computer Science 1270 | Policy |
| University of Iowa Iowa City | 4 | 4 | CS 1210 | Policy |
| University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls | 4 | 3 | CS1160 | Policy |
| Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids | 4 | 4 | CSC 142 | Policy |
| Drake University Des Moines | 4 | 3 | CS 065 | Policy |
| Grinnell College Grinnell | 4 | 4 | Science Division | Policy |
| Dordt University Sioux Center | 4 | 3 | CMSC elective | Policy |
| Luther College Decorah | 4 | 4 | Computer Science 139 | Policy |
| Wartburg College Waverly | 4 | 1 | CS 120 Introduction to Computers and Programming | Policy |
| Coe College Cedar Rapids | 4 | 1 | CS 125 | Policy |
| Northwestern College Orange City | 4 | 4 | CSC171QR | Policy |
| Cornell College Mount Vernon | 4 | 1 | CSC 140 | Policy |
| Central College Pella | 4 | 3 | COSC 110 Intro to Computer Science (EXP3) | Policy |
AP Computer Science A credit in other states
How we ranked this
One row per Iowa 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 Iowa colleges give credit for AP Computer Science A?+
25 colleges in Iowa publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Computer Science A. 12 of them (48%) award credit at a score of 3, 13 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 Computer Science A score that earns credit in Iowa?+
3. Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs awards credit at a score of 3, worth 3 credit hours, counting as CIS 127 Introduction to Programming. 12 Iowa colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.
Does in-state residency change AP credit in Iowa?+
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 Iowa AP credit policies?+
25 of the 25 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.