AP and IB: How to Choose at Foothill High School

Foothill High School offers two systems of advanced coursework: the 24 AP courses listed on the 2026-27 selection sheets and course materials, and the IB Diploma Programme for grades 11 and 12, which is open to all students. In 2025-26, 773 students took 1,402 AP exams in 23 subjects, with 89% scoring 3 or higher, and the Class of 2026 had a 100% IB Diploma pass rate. This page brings together who each path suits, the IB guidelines and six subject groups, and the grade levels of each AP course, to help families decide in the spring of grade 10.

Who AP and IB Suit at Foothill High School

At Foothill High School, AP and IB are neither a ranking of difficulty nor an either-or choice. The school states that several courses go by two names: AP U.S. History is year 1 of IB History of the Americas HL, AP Psychology is IB Psychology SL, AP Environmental Science is IB Environmental Systems and Societies SL, and AP Spanish Language and AP Spanish Literature are IB Spanish SL and HL; year 1 of IB Math HL can be Pre-Calculus Honors or AP Calculus.

Path	Who it suits and what it requires
AP (24 courses)	One course and one exam at a time, with the most flexible combinations. Grade 9 students can take AP Biology, with more options each year from grade 10. The school wants every student to have the chance to take AP; placement uses grades and teacher recommendations, and students may also request courses, register for that year's exam and sign a contract. Suits students who want to combine courses around an intended major and earn college credit through AP scores
Full IB Diploma (grades 11-12)	The most integrated option. Students take six IB courses, three or four at HL, across the six subject groups, plus Theory of Knowledge (early evening, twice a week), the Extended Essay and two years of CAS. The school recommends a weighted academic GPA of 4.0 or higher and advanced work in three subjects. Suits students ready to commit two years to one integrated academic program
Individual IB courses	IB courses are open to juniors and seniors outside the full diploma, arranged case by case as space allows; the school recommends, but does not require, previous honors coursework in the subject
College credit	Both systems can earn college credit, set by each college. The IB presentation notes that most colleges award credit for diploma totals of 30 points or above and that scores of 5 or higher typically exempt students from the corresponding college course; the school reminds families to check each college's current policy

Foothill High School IB Diploma Programme: Guidelines, Subject Groups and Core

Foothill High School's IB courses are open to all juniors and seniors as space allows, either as the full diploma or as individual classes. For students entering the full Diploma Programme in grade 11, the school recommends a weighted academic GPA of at least 4.0 (4.25 is considered highly qualified), advanced work in at least three of English, social science, science, math, world language or visual arts, and completion of French 2, Latin 2 or Spanish 2 by the end of grade 10, which is the IB minimum language requirement. Students on this path in grades 9 and 10 are designated Pre-IB; the contract and application become available in the spring of grade 10, the IB coordinator meets each student individually, and students and parents sign a contract to follow program requirements. Foothill High School currently has 68 IB students in grades 11 and 12 and more than 200 students in Pre-IB courses in grades 9 and 10 (2026-27 School Profile). The Class of 2026 IB Diploma pass rate was 100%, and the school's IB information presentation reports a five-year diploma pass rate of 93%.

IB subject group	Courses offered at Foothill High School
Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature	IB English Literature HL: English HL1 in grade 11 and English HL2 in grade 12
Group 2: Language Acquisition	IB French HL/SL, IB Latin SL and IB Spanish HL/SL; the school notes that Spanish SL is also known as AP Spanish Language and Spanish HL as AP Spanish Literature
Group 3: Individuals and Societies	IB History of the Americas HL (year 1 is AP U.S. History), IB Psychology SL (also AP Psychology) and IB Environmental Systems and Societies SL (also AP Environmental Science); IB Business Management SL is arranged case by case through an IVC course
Group 4: Sciences	IB Biology HL over grades 11 and 12; IB Environmental Systems and Societies SL counts in Groups 3 and 4; the IB presentation notes that Chemistry SL is offered by student interest
Group 5: Mathematics	IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL/SL; year 1 of HL is Pre-Calculus Honors or AP Calculus
Group 6: The Arts	IB Theater HL/SL (Theater SL is also Advanced Theater Arts) and IB Visual Arts HL/SL, with Drawing and Painting, Visual Imagery and Graphic Design tracks

Diploma candidates take six IB courses in grades 11 and 12: three Higher Level (HL) and three Standard Level (SL) courses, or four HL and two SL, with one course from each of Groups 1 to 5 and a sixth from Group 2, 3, 4 or 6. HL courses run for two years across grades 11 and 12, and SL courses take one year in either grade; every course has prerequisites, so students must complete Spanish 3 before Spanish SL, for example. Candidates also complete the three core requirements: Theory of Knowledge (TOK), an Extended Essay (EE) on a topic of their choice (3,600 to 4,000 words, according to the IB presentation) and two years of Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS). TOK meets in the spring of grade 11 and the fall of grade 12, in the early evening twice a week. The diploma also has minimum score requirements and requires no academic honesty violations. The IB presentation states that TOK currently meets from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, subject to change. The IB presentation states that Foothill does not offer IB Physics or IB Economics: the new IB Physics syllabus does not align closely enough with AP Physics, and there are not enough interested students to run an IB-only course. IB students who want physics can take AP Physics in an open period in grade 11 or 12, but it does not count as an IB course.

Fees and Booster Club	For 2026-27, IB exam payment is due November 1 on the total registration (2026-27 calendar on the school's IB website); the school website does not publish the fee amount. The IB Booster Club funds field-trip transportation, the three luncheons each year, the senior IB banquet and program T-shirts.
Admissions and inclusion policies	Foothill High School's IB Admissions Policy (revised spring 2025) states that the school extends the IB program to the widest possible group of students: students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan may participate, with inclusive access arrangements requested from the IB each fall, and IB students may also take part in AVID, a CTE pathway, the arts and athletics. The school also publishes IB assessment, language, inclusive access and academic honesty policies.
IB Career-related Programme	In its 2026-27 course selection materials, the school introduced the IB Career-related Programme for students who will complete a CTE pathway: two IB courses in grades 11 and 12 plus a Personal and Professional Skills course with a Reflective Project, community engagement through an internship and one semester of language study. The school's IB website says the program is planned to start in fall 2026, and the school has not published whether it has opened or how many students are enrolled.

Recommended Four-Year IB Diploma Schedule (school IB website)

Grade 9: English 1 Honors, World Language 1 or 2, World History Honors, Biology or AP Biology, one of Geometry, Geometry Honors, Algebra 2/Trig or Algebra 2/Trig Honors, and PE, with a seventh course if desired. Students who take Algebra 1 in grade 9 must take Geometry in the summer after grade 9
Grade 10: English 2 Honors, World Language 2 or 3, AP European History or World History Honors, Chemistry, Chemistry Honors or AP Chemistry, Algebra 2/Trig (or Honors) or Pre-Calculus (or Honors), and PE
Grade 11: IB English Literature HL1, World Language 3 or 4, AP U.S. History (year 1 of IB History of the Americas HL), IB Biology HL1, Pre-Calculus (or Honors) or AP Calculus AB/BC (Pre-Calculus Honors or AP Calculus serves as year 1 of IB Math HL), one IB elective (Environmental Systems and Societies, Psychology or Visual Arts) and spring TOK
Grade 12: IB English Literature HL2, World Language 4 (if not already completed), IB History of the Americas HL2, IB Biology HL2, IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL or SL, an IB elective (if not already completed) and fall TOK

Foothill High School AP and IB Exam Results for 2025-26

The School Profile reports only school-wide totals: in 2025-26, 773 students (about 35% of the school) took 1,402 AP exams in 23 subjects, and 89% scored 3 or higher, an average of about 1.8 exams per student; the Class of 2026 had a 100% IB Diploma pass rate, and the IB presentation reports 93% over five years. The school does not publish pass rates by subject for AP or IB. The two systems measure success differently: an AP exam counts as passed at 3 or higher, while the IB Diploma depends on the total across six subjects and the core and on meeting all IB assessment requirements.

Grade Levels for AP Courses at Foothill High School

On the 2026-27 course selection sheets, the only AP course for grade 9 is AP Biology, chosen instead of regular Biology. Grade 10 adds AP European History, AP Chemistry, AP Precalculus, AP Seminar English 10, AP French and AP Spanish Language, plus AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A in the computer science pathway. Grade 11 opens AP English Language, AP U.S. History, AP Calculus AB and BC, AP Statistics, AP Physics 1 and 2, AP Environmental Science, AP Psychology, AP Art History and AP Spanish Literature. AP English Literature, AP U.S. Government and AP Microeconomics are offered only in grade 12.

Foothill High School's AP page states that the school wants every student to have the opportunity to take AP courses; students who enroll must plan to register for the AP exam, and students, parents and teachers sign a contract that sets out course expectations. Placement relies mainly on grades and teacher recommendations, and students may also request enrollment in Honors, AP or IB courses. The 2026-27 School Profile lists 23 AP courses: English Literature, English Language, Statistics, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Biology, French Language, Spanish Language, Microeconomics, Psychology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, U.S. Government and Politics, U.S. History, European History, Physics 1, Physics 2, Drawing, 2-D Art, 3-D Art, and three courses not offered in 2025-26: Computer Science A, Spanish Literature and Computer Science Principles.

Grade Levels and Prerequisites for Each AP Course at Foothill High School

Foothill High School’s selection sheets show the grade levels for each AP course, and the Course Shopping materials add prerequisites and recommendations for some; the school publishes no grade cutoffs. The table lists each course according to the 2026-27 sheets and course materials.

AP course	Grades and prerequisites
AP Biology	Grades 9, 11 and 12; grade 9 students take it instead of Biology
AP European History	Grade 10; the selection sheet lists World History as the prerequisite
AP Chemistry	Grades 10-12; designed for students intending to major in science or engineering
AP Precalculus	Grades 10-12; taken after Geometry and Algebra 2, preparing students for AP Calculus BC or IB Math HL
AP Seminar English 10	Grade 10; coded as English 2 Honors for 2026-27, centered on research, argument and team presentations
AP Computer Science Principles / AP Computer Science A	Grades 10-12; level 2 of the Computer Science pathway
AP French / AP Spanish Language	Grades 10-12; after level 3 of the language or the native speakers sequence
AP English Language	Grade 11; frequent timed reading and writing
AP U.S. History	Grade 11; IB Diploma students count it as year 1 of History of the Americas HL
AP Calculus AB / BC	Grades 11-12; BC recommends Geometry Honors, Algebra 2 Honors and Pre-Calculus Honors
AP Statistics	Grades 11-12; after Algebra 2
AP Physics 1	Grades 11-12; strong math skills recommended, with Pre-Calculus Honors as the typical concurrent math course
AP Physics 2	Grades 11-12; requires a year of physics, with AP Physics 1 strongly recommended
AP Environmental Science	Grades 11-12; listed on the IB website as IB Environmental Systems and Societies SL
AP Psychology	Grades 11-12; listed on the IB website as IB Psychology SL
AP Art History	Grades 11-12; course materials say it meets A-G "f"
AP Spanish Literature	Grades 11-12; listed on the IB website as IB Spanish HL
AP Studio Art	Listed for grades 10-12; portfolio review and an interview with the teacher are required
AP English Literature	Grade 12
AP U.S. Government / AP Microeconomics	Grade 12, one semester each

AP Courses Not Offered at Foothill High School

AP World History: Modern
AP Human Geography
AP Macroeconomics
AP Physics C: Mechanics / E&M
AP Chinese Language and Culture
AP Comparative Government and Politics
AP Music Theory
AP Research (the second year of AP Capstone)

The district course catalog lists AP World History, AP Human Geography and AP Chinese, but these courses are not on Foothill High School’s 2026-27 selection sheets. The school does not offer Chinese, so students who want the AP Chinese exam need to study outside school and register on their own.

Foothill High School AP Course List

English 3 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
AP Seminar English 10	AP	10	Completion of English 1Course number 1205T, coded as English 2 Honors for 2026-27; research, argument and team presentations; Not on the UC A-G list; UC treats it under English 2 Honors	b
AP English Language and Composition	AP	11	Completion of English 2Course number 1243; Frequent timed reading, essays and speeches	b
AP English Literature and Composition	AP	12	Completion of English 3 or AP English LanguageCourse number 1244	b

Social Science 4 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
AP European History	AP	10	Selection sheet lists World History as the prerequisiteCourse number 1805; European history from 1480 to the present	a
AP U.S. History	AP	11	—Course number 1811; IB Diploma students count it as year 1 of History of the Americas HL	a
AP U.S. Government and Politics	AP	12	—Course number 1820; One semester	a
AP Microeconomics	AP	12	—Presented with AP Government at course shopping (AP Gov & Econ); UC A-G "g" on the list	g

Mathematics 5 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
AP Precalculus	AP	10-12	Taken after Geometry and Algebra 2Course number 1533A, coded as Pre-Calculus for 2026-27; Prepares students for AP Calculus BC or IB Math HL; Not on the UC A-G list	—
AP Calculus AB	AP	11-12	Thorough knowledge of Algebra 1 and 2, Geometry and Pre-CalculusCourse number 1530	c
AP Calculus BC	AP	11-12	A solid foundation in Algebra 2 Honors, Geometry Honors and Pre-Calculus HonorsCourse number 1531; Students take the BC exam or complete a major project	c
AP Statistics	AP	11-12	Completion of Algebra 2Course number 1536; Equivalent to a one-semester, non-calculus college statistics course	c
AP Computer Science A	AP	10-12	Level 2 of the Computer Science pathwayCourse number 1115; Java, object-oriented programming, searching and sorting; also listed in the math column for grades 11 and 12	c

Science 5 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
AP Biology	AP	9, 11-12	—Course number 1726; Grade 9 students may take it instead of Biology	d
AP Chemistry	AP	10-12	—Course number 1703; For students intending to major in science or engineering	d
AP Physics 1	AP	11-12	Strong math skills recommended; typical math level is Pre-Calculus HonorsCourse number 1727; Algebra-based, mostly mechanics	d
AP Physics 2	AP	11-12	A year of physics (AP or non-AP); AP Physics 1 strongly recommendedCourse number 1728	d
AP Environmental Science	AP	11-12	—Course number 1738; Listed on the IB website as IB Environmental Systems and Societies SL	d

World Language 3 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
AP French Language and Culture	AP	10-12	Completion of French 3Course number 1406	e
AP Spanish Language and Culture	AP	10-12	Completion of Spanish 3 or the native speakers sequenceCourse number 1420; Also known as IB Spanish SL	e
AP Spanish Literature and Culture	AP	11-12	Completion of Spanish 3 or the native speakers sequenceCourse number 1445; Also known as IB Spanish HL	e

Visual & Performing Arts 2 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
AP Studio Art	AP	10-12	Portfolio review and interview requiredCourse number 1358; Listed as AP Drawing on the UC A-G list	f
AP Art History	AP	11-12	—Course number 1353; Course materials say it meets A-G "f"; not yet on the UC A-G list	—

Electives 1 course

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
AP Psychology	AP	11-12	—Course number 1841; Also known as IB Psychology SL	g

Career Technical Education (CTE) Pathways 1 course

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
AP Computer Science Principles	AP	10-12	Level 2 of the Computer Science pathwayCourse number 1115P	d

Foothill High School IB Course List

English 2 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
English HL1 (IB)	IB	11	Completion of English 2; IB courses are open to all juniorsCourse number 9306; IB English Literature HL, year 1; UC-approved honors course; weighted in UC GPA	b
English HL2 (IB)	IB	12	Completion of English HL1Course number 9307; IB English Literature HL, year 2; UC-approved honors course; weighted in UC GPA	b

Social Science 1 course

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
History of the Americas HL2 (IB)	IB	12	Completion of AP U.S. HistoryCourse number 9311; Focuses on 20th-century history: rights and protest, authoritarian states and the Cold War; non-Diploma students take it alongside Government and Economics; UC-approved honors course; weighted in UC GPA	a

Mathematics 2 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches SL	IB	12	Completion of Pre-CalculusListed as IB Math SL: Humanities on the selection sheet; UC-approved honors course; weighted in UC GPA	c
IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL	IB	11-12	Completion of Pre-Calculus Honors or higherListed as IB Math HL: STEM; year 1 is Pre-Calculus Honors or AP Calculus, with HL2 in grade 12; UC-approved honors course; weighted in UC GPA	c

Science 2 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
Biology HL1 (IB)	IB	11	—Course number 9305; Emphasis on anatomy and physiology; non-Diploma students take it alongside Physics; UC-approved honors course; weighted in UC GPA	d
Biology HL2 (IB)	IB	12	Completion of Biology HL1Course number 9308; UC-approved honors course; weighted in UC GPA	d

World Language 2 courses

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
French SL (IB)	IB	12	Completion of French 3Course number 1404; UC-approved honors course; weighted in UC GPA	e
French HL2 (IB)	IB	12	Completion of French HL year 1Course number 1405; UC-approved honors course; weighted in UC GPA	e

Visual & Performing Arts 1 course

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
Visual Arts SL (IB)	IB	10-12	IB students onlyCourse number 9320; UC-approved honors course; weighted in UC GPA	f

IB Diploma Programme Core 1 course

Course	Level	Grades	Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes	UC A-G
Theory of Knowledge (IB)	IB	11-12	IB Diploma candidatesCourse number 9312; One semester in the spring of grade 11 and the fall of grade 12, early evening twice a week	g

Foothill High School Course Combinations by Intended Major

EDUBUS Perspective

At Foothill High School, choosing between IB and AP turns not on difficulty but on two things. The first is schedule space: the full IB Diploma locks English, history, biology, math and a language into IB courses and adds early-evening Theory of Knowledge, so adding AP Physics or AP Chemistry requires a seventh period or an open period; still, because several IB and AP courses overlap, with AP U.S. History, AP Psychology and AP Environmental Science also counting as IB courses, switching between the paths costs less here than at many schools. The second is the application story: the Extended Essay and CAS form a complete record of research and service, which suits students aiming at the humanities and social sciences or wanting one integrated program to show academic depth; students aiming at engineering or physics fit AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2 and AP Calculus BC more easily into an AP schedule and can run it alongside the FEAT engineering pathway. Both paths need to be settled by the spring of grade 10, because switching after grade 11 begins is costly.

Foothill High School AP and IB: Frequently Asked Questions

Irvine families ask: should a Foothill High School student choose AP or the IB Diploma?

At Foothill High School, AP and IB are not an either-or choice. IB courses are open to all juniors and seniors as the full diploma or as individual classes, and several IB courses are the same courses as AP, so AP U.S. History is year 1 of IB History of the Americas HL. The full IB Diploma requires six IB courses plus Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay and two years of CAS, which suits students ready to commit two years to one integrated academic program; STEM-focused students who want to concentrate on AP Physics, AP Chemistry and AP Calculus BC have more flexibility with an AP schedule. The decision point is the spring of grade 10.

What does the Foothill High School IB Diploma require, for Irvine families planning ahead?

Foothill High School's IB program is open access with no hard cutoff; the school gives recommended guidelines instead: a weighted academic GPA of at least 4.0 when entering the full diploma in grade 11 (4.25 is considered highly qualified), advanced work in at least three of English, social science, science, math, world language or visual arts, and completion of French 2, Latin 2 or Spanish 2 by the end of grade 10, which is the IB minimum language requirement. Students submit the program contract and application in the spring of grade 10, and students and parents sign the contract.

Irvine families ask: what is the Foothill High School IB Diploma pass rate?

Foothill High School's 2026-27 School Profile reports a 100% IB Diploma pass rate for the Class of 2026, and the school's IB information presentation reports a five-year diploma pass rate of 93%. The school currently has 68 IB students in grades 11 and 12 and more than 200 students in Pre-IB courses in grades 9 and 10. The school does not publish IB averages or pass rates by subject.

Can grade 9 students take AP at Foothill High School, a question Irvine families often ask?

On Foothill High School's 2026-27 selection sheets, the only AP course available in grade 9 is AP Biology, taken instead of regular Biology. Other AP courses open from grade 10, including AP European History, AP Chemistry, AP Precalculus, AP Seminar English 10, AP French, AP Spanish and the two AP courses in the computer science pathway. Students who enroll in an AP course must register for that year's exam and sign a contract with their parents and teacher.

Irvine families ask: which AP and IB courses does Foothill High School not offer?

Foothill High School's 2026-27 selection sheets do not include AP World History, AP Human Geography, AP Macroeconomics, AP Physics C, AP Chinese, AP Comparative Government, AP Music Theory or AP Research. On the IB side, the school does not offer IB Physics or IB Economics, and IB Business Management is arranged case by case through an Irvine Valley College course. Students who want those AP exams need to study outside school and register on their own.

Can Foothill High School students take IB courses without the full diploma, for Irvine families comparing options?

Foothill High School's IB courses can be taken individually, arranged case by case as space allows. Course Shopping sessions introduce IB English Literature, IB Biology, IB History of the Americas and IB Math to non-Diploma students: IB Biology is taken alongside grade 11 Physics, and IB History of the Americas HL2 requires AP U.S. History and is taken alongside grade 12 Government and Economics. IB courses are weighted on the school's 5-point scale, and IB courses on the UC A-G list are also weighted for UC.

Data verified on 2026-11-14. Course catalogs are updated each spring; prerequisites follow the school's current Course of Study.