DeKalb Students Earn 12% More Qualifying AP Scores as Participation Grows

DeKalb County students earned 4,606 Advanced Placement exam scores of 3 or higher in the 2025–26 school year, a 12.1% increase as more students took the college-level tests and a larger share reached the qualifying benchmark.

Students took 7,467 AP exams, up 4.9% from the previous year. The share earning at least a 3 rose to 61.7%, compared with 57.7% in 2025 and 51.8% in 2024.

The four-percentage-point increase from 2025 means the improvement extended beyond a higher testing volume. A greater proportion of exams also produced scores that can qualify students for college credit or placement in more advanced courses.

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Participation and scores improve across the district

Fifteen DeKalb high schools increased the number of AP exams their students took, while 17 improved the percentage earning scores of 3 or higher. The district’s results, released this month, cover exams taken during the school year that ended in spring 2026.

The figures count exams rather than individual students. A student who takes several AP tests contributes several results to the totals.

For families in Brookhaven, Chamblee and Dunwoody, the gains offer a broader picture of advanced coursework in the school system. The initial announcement did not include separate results for Chamblee High School, Dunwoody High School or other individual campuses, so it does not establish how much each school contributed to the district’s improvement.

College credit depends on the institution

AP exams are scored on a five-point scale. A score of 3 is designated “qualified,” but colleges decide which scores they accept and how those scores apply toward a degree.

Depending on the college and subject, a qualifying result can earn course credit, allow a student to skip an introductory class, or both. Some institutions require a 4 or 5 for particular courses.

Families comparing colleges can use the College Board’s AP credit policy search to check requirements by institution and subject. Reviewing those rules alongside a student’s intended major can help clarify whether an exam result will satisfy a degree requirement, provide elective credit or permit placement into a higher-level class.