AP English Literature and Composition credit at Iowa colleges
Every Iowa college with a published AP English Literature and Composition credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
16 of 28 Iowa colleges (57%) award credit for AP English Literature and Composition at a score of 3. 12 require a 4 and 0 require a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at University of Northern Iowa (3 credit hours). 28 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls | 3 | 3 | ENGLISH 1120 | Policy |
| Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs | 3 | 3 | ENG 105 Composition I | Policy |
| Waldorf University Forest City | 3 | 3 | ENG 121 | Policy |
| Saint Ambrose University Davenport | 3 | 3 | ENGL 120 | Policy |
| Upper Iowa University Fayette | 3 | 6 | ENG 211 and ENG 212 | Policy |
| University of Dubuque Dubuque | 3 | 3 | ENG 112 Intro to Literature | Policy |
| Wartburg College Waverly | 3 | 1 | EN 150 Introduction to Literature | Policy |
| Buena Vista University Storm Lake | 3 | 3 | Humanities - Literature | Policy |
| North Iowa Area Community College Mason City | 3 | 3 | — | Policy |
| Morningside University Sioux City | 3 | 4 | — | Policy |
| Mount Mercy University Cedar Rapids | 3 | 3 | EN 002 | Policy |
| Simpson College Indianola | 3 | 4 | English Elective Credit | Policy |
| Loras College Dubuque | 3 | 3 | Elective | Policy |
| Mercy College of Health Sciences Des Moines | 3 | 3 | ENG-102 Composition II | Policy |
| Graceland University-Lamoni Lamoni | 3 | 3 | ENGL1100 | Policy |
| Clarke University Dubuque | 3 | 6 | ENGL 121 Literary Ventures and General Education: Communication Perspectives | Policy |
| Iowa State University Ames | 4 | 3 | English 1000 or 1500 | Policy |
| University of Iowa Iowa City | 4 | 3 | ENGL 1200 | Policy |
| Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids | 4 | 3 | LR- XXXT | Policy |
| Drake University Des Moines | 4 | 6 | ENG Elective | Policy |
| Grinnell College Grinnell | 4 | 4 | Humanities Division | Policy |
| Dordt University Sioux Center | 4 | 3 | Core 180 | Policy |
| Grand View University Des Moines | 4 | 3 | Engl-111 | Policy |
| Luther College Decorah | 4 | 4 | English 139 | Policy |
| Coe College Cedar Rapids | 4 | 1 | — | Policy |
| Northwestern College Orange City | 4 | 4 | ENG 250LC | Policy |
| Cornell College Mount Vernon | 4 | 1 | ENG 011 | Policy |
| Central College Pella | 4 | 3 | ENGL 100AP English Elective(LP) | Policy |
AP English Literature and Composition 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 English Literature and Composition?+
28 colleges in Iowa publish a credit-bearing policy for AP English Literature and Composition. 16 of them (57%) award credit at a score of 3, 12 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 English Literature and Composition score that earns credit in Iowa?+
3. University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls awards credit at a score of 3, worth 3 credit hours, counting as ENGLISH 1120. 16 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?+
28 of the 28 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.