AP Physics 1 credit at Wisconsin colleges
Every Wisconsin college with a published AP Physics 1 credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.
24 of 32 Wisconsin colleges (75%) award credit for AP Physics 1 at a score of 3. 7 require a 4 and 1 requires a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at University of Wisconsin-Madison (3 credit hours). 32 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.
| College | Min score | Credits | Counts as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison | 3 | 3 | PHYSICS X15 | Policy |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee | 3 | 3 | L&S Elective/Nat Sci Lab GER | Policy |
| University of Wisconsin-La Crosse La Crosse | 3 | 4 | Elective Credit | Policy |
| University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Whitewater | 3 | 3 | PHYSCS 999 Miscellaneous Physics Course* | Policy |
| University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Eau Claire | 3 | 5 | Physics 211 | Policy |
| University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Oshkosh | 3 | 4 | Physics/Astronomy Elective Credit | Policy |
| University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Stevens Point | 3 | 3 | Natural Sciences Gen Ed Elective | Policy |
| University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Green Bay | 3 | 5 | PHYSICS Elective | Policy |
| Fox Valley Technical College Appleton | 3 | 3 | College Physics | Policy |
| University of Wisconsin-Platteville Platteville | 3 | 5 | Physics 1350 | Policy |
| University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie | 3 | 4 | 3 credits Physics 211 and 1 credit Physics 212 | Policy |
| Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Green Bay | 3 | 3 | College Physics 1 | Policy |
| Gateway Technical College Kenosha | 3 | 4 | 806-154 General Physics 1 | Policy |
| University of Wisconsin-River Falls River Falls | 3 | 5 | 5 cr. science elective, not applicable: Physics major or minor | Policy |
| University of Wisconsin-Superior Superior | 3 | 3 | — | Policy |
| Lakeshore Technical College Cleveland | 3 | 4 | General Physics 1 | Policy |
| Saint Norbert College De Pere | 3 | 4 | PHYS 111 | Policy |
| Edgewood College Madison | 3 | 4 | PHYS 130 | Policy |
| Alverno College Milwaukee | 3 | — | Physics 231 | Policy |
| Nicolet Area Technical College Rhinelander | 3 | 4 | 20-806-276 College Physics I | Policy |
| Mount Mary University Milwaukee | 3 | 4 | PHY 201 General Physics | Policy |
| Maranatha Baptist University Watertown | 3 | 8 | ASSC 151, 152 - General Physics 1 & 2 | Policy |
| Bellin College Green Bay | 3 | 3 | None | Policy |
| University of Wisconsin-Parkside Flex Kenosha | 3 | 3 | — | Policy |
| Marquette University Milwaukee | 4 | 4 | PHYS 1001 | Policy |
| Carthage College Kenosha | 4 | 4 | PHY 1200 Fundamentals of Physics (LAB) | Policy |
| Carroll University Waukesha | 4 | 4 | Elective | Policy |
| Lawrence University Appleton | 4 | 6 | — | Policy |
| Viterbo University La Crosse | 4 | 4 | PHYS-250, 270 | Policy |
| Beloit College Beloit | 4 | 1 | PHYS 101 | Policy |
| Ripon College Ripon | 4 | 4 | — | Policy |
| Wisconsin Lutheran College Milwaukee | 5 | 4 | PHY 151 | Policy |
AP Physics 1 credit in other states
How we ranked this
One row per Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin colleges give credit for AP Physics 1?+
32 colleges in Wisconsin publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Physics 1. 24 of them (75%) award credit at a score of 3, 7 require a 4, and 1 requires 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 Physics 1 score that earns credit in Wisconsin?+
3. University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison awards credit at a score of 3, worth 3 credit hours, counting as PHYSICS X15. 24 Wisconsin colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.
Does in-state residency change AP credit in Wisconsin?+
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 Wisconsin AP credit policies?+
32 of the 32 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.