Earning College Credit in High School
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Advanced Placement (AP)
Schools offering
All except Union County Early College
Grade levels
9-12. Some courses are only available for certain grade levels. This can vary by school.
Process for earning credit
There is a national exam administered in early May. Students who score 3, 4, or 5 may be eligible to earn college credits. Each college has its own policy around awarding credit. All UNC system schools award some type of credit for a score of 3 or higher. The College Board offers an AP Credit Policy search tool to allow you to search polices of various colleges to see how much credit would be earned and for which courses.
Cost to students
The state of North Carolina pays for the national exam. UCPS pays for textbooks. There is no cost for students.
Effect on GPA
Students receive one additional quality point for each AP course.
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Career & College Promise (CCP)
Schools offering
All.
Grade levels
9-12: CTE Credentialing Pathway. 9-12: College Transfer Pathway. There are state requirements to be part of this program. Check with the school counselor for more information.
Process for earning credit
Students who pass the course will earn credit. What that credit counts for in college will be determined by the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement.
Cost to students
Students are required to pay for textbooks, access codes, or textbook-related fees. UCPS will reimburse currently enrolled UCPS students up to $50 per CCP course for approved textbooks and online access codes. Students facing financial hardship can contact their counselor for additional options. Tuition is paid for by the state of NC. There is no cost for students.
Effect on GPA
Students receive one additional quality point for some CCP courses. Check with the school counselor to inquire about specific courses.
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International Baccaluareate (IB)
Schools offering
- Marvin Ridge High School
- CATA (for non-Marvin Ridge students, beginning with the class of 2026)*
Grade levels
9-12
*Rising 9th graders enter an informal IB Pathway cohort. Beginning with 11th grade, students are part of the IB Diploma Programme.
Process for earning credit
There is a national exam administered at the end of the year. Students who earn passing scores may be eligible to earn college credits. Each college has its own policy around awarding credit.
Cost to student
The state of NC pays for the national exams. There is no cost for students.
Effect on GPA
Students receive one additional quality point for each IB course.
Disclaimers
*Central Academy of Technology & Arts (CATA) is a candidate school** for the Diploma Programme. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. IB World Schools share a common philosophy: a commitment to high-quality, challenging, international education that we believe is important for our students.
**Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme (DP), or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes visit http://www.ibo.org.
