Fountain Valley High School’s advanced coursework centers on AP, and the school has no IB program. The official UC A-G course list for 2026-27 includes 30 AP courses at the school. In May 2026, 1,038 students took 2,391 AP exams, and the school reports an overall pass rate of 91%. The school’s Course Guide lists the grade levels and prerequisites for each AP course, and most have grade requirements. This page brings together exam results, grade levels and prerequisites, the subjects the school does not offer, and suggested combinations to help families plan before course selection each spring.
Fountain Valley High School 2026 AP Exam Results
The 2026-27 School Profile publishes only schoolwide totals, with no subject-level data. In May 2026, 1,038 students took 2,391 AP exams, about 2.3 exams per student, and the school reports an overall pass rate (scores of 3 or higher) of 91%. The score distribution is below.
| Score | Exams and share |
|---|---|
| Score of 5 | 693 exams (29%) |
| Score of 4 | 802 exams (34%) |
| Score of 3 | 644 exams (27%) |
Scores of 5 and 4 together total 1,495 exams, more than 60% of all exams taken. Another reference point is National Merit: the School Profile table lists 5 Semifinalists and 12 Commended Scholars in its 2027 column, and 3 Semifinalists and 10 Commended Scholars in its 2026 column.
Fountain Valley High School AP Course Grade Levels
The grade levels below follow each course’s “open to” grades in the Course Guide and the course request worksheets for each grade.
| Grade | AP courses available |
|---|---|
| From grade 9 | AP Human Geography (grades 9-12), AP Computer Science Principles (grades 9-11), AP Networking (grades 9-11), AP Business with Personal Finance (grades 9-12) |
| From grade 10 | AP European History (grade 10 only), AP Chemistry, AP Computer Science A, AP Cybersecurity (grades 10-11), AP Spanish Language and Culture, AP Drawing, AP 2-D Art and Design, AP 3-D Art and Design, AP Art History, AP Music Theory |
| From grade 11 | AP English Language (grade 11 only), AP U.S. History (grade 11 only), AP Calculus AB and BC, AP Statistics, AP Biology, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2, AP Psychology, AP French Language and Culture |
| Grade 12 only | AP English Literature, AP U.S. Government and Politics (one semester), AP Macroeconomics (one semester), AP Japanese Language and Culture |
| Grade level not published | AP Physics C: Mechanics is on the UC A-G list but does not appear in the school's Course Guide, course request worksheets or School Profile |
The 2026-27 School Profile lists these AP courses: U.S. History, English Language, Biology, Calculus AB and BC, Spanish, Environmental Science, Statistics, Business & Finance, Economics and U.S. Government, Cybersecurity & Networking, Computer Science, English Literature, Drawing and 2-D Design, Music Theory, Physics 1 and 2, Chemistry, Spanish 4, Japanese 4 and French 4, European History, Psychology, and Human Geography. The School Profile combines several courses in single entries and does not list AP 3-D Art and Design, AP Art History or AP Physics C: Mechanics separately; this page uses the UC A-G list for the course count.
Fountain Valley High School AP Course Prerequisites
The Course Guide sets prerequisites course by course, mostly based on each semester’s grade in the previous course, and some courses also require teacher recommendation or an academic GPA. The table lists them course by course.
| AP course | Grade levels and prerequisites |
|---|---|
| AP Human Geography | Grades 9-12; placement by reading assessments, grades and teacher recommendation |
| AP European History | Grade 10 only; B or higher both semesters in AP Human Geography and/or an A in English Honors 1, plus a 3.5 academic GPA; summer reading may be required |
| AP U.S. History | Grade 11 only; B or higher both semesters in AP European History or an A both semesters in World History, a 3.5 academic GPA and teacher recommendation |
| AP U.S. Government and Politics | Grade 12 only; B or higher in AP European History and/or AP U.S. History, or an A in U.S. History, plus teacher recommendation |
| AP Macroeconomics | Grade 12 only, one semester; no prerequisite; meets the economics graduation requirement |
| AP Psychology | Grades 11-12; A or B in any previous honors or AP class, including English Honors 2 |
| AP English Language | Grade 11 only; 80% or higher both semesters in English Honors 2, or 93% or higher both semesters in English 2, for Honors Committee recommendation; summer reading required |
| AP English Literature | Grade 12 only; 80% or higher both semesters in AP English Language, or 93% or higher both semesters in English 2; summer reading required |
| AP Calculus AB | Grades 11-12; C or better each semester in Pre-Calculus Honors, or B or better in Pre-Calculus |
| AP Calculus BC | Grades 11-12; B or higher each semester in Pre-Calculus Honors |
| AP Statistics | Grades 11-12; A in Algebra 2 Trig, or B or better each semester in Probability/Statistics & Trigonometry or Pre-Calculus, or C or better each semester in Pre-Calculus Honors |
| AP Chemistry | Grades 10-12; A in Algebra 2 or concurrent enrollment in Algebra 2 Trig or higher, A or B in Chemistry, and teacher recommendation |
| AP Biology / AP Environmental Science | Grades 11-12; B or higher in Honors Biology and Chemistry, plus teacher recommendation |
| AP Physics 1 | Grades 11-12; the Course Guide states a B or higher in "Algebra II Honors" and at least concurrent enrollment in Pre-Calculus Honors |
| AP Physics 2 | Grades 11-12; B or higher in AP Physics 1 |
| AP Computer Science A | Grades 10-12; Algebra 2 or above, or teacher recommendation; students in grades 10-11 must also have completed Exploring Computer Science or AP Computer Science Principles |
| AP Cybersecurity | Grades 10-11; AP Networking first |
| AP Spanish Language and Culture | Grades 10-12; B or higher in Spanish 3 or Español Dos, teacher recommendation, and a B or higher on a written test given in the fourth quarter of Spanish 3 |
| AP French Language and Culture | Grades 11-12; B or higher in French 3, or teacher recommendation |
| AP Japanese Language and Culture | Grade 12 only; B or higher in Japanese 3 and teacher recommendation |
| AP art courses and AP Music Theory | Grades 10-12; AP Drawing and AP 2-D Art and Design require Art 1 or instructor review, AP 3-D Art and Design requires Ceramics 1, AP Art History requires an A or B in the prior year of English, and AP Music Theory requires music-reading experience, a placement test and teacher approval |
Several of these requirements link together. The Course Guide describes AP European History as the first AP opportunity for most students at the school; it requires a B in AP Human Geography or an A in English Honors 1 in grade 9, plus a 3.5 academic GPA. AP U.S. History then requires a B in AP European History or an A in World History, and AP Psychology requires an A or B in any previous honors or AP course. Grade 9 honors English and AP Human Geography therefore decide access to history and social science AP courses for the next three years.
Fountain Valley High School AP Exam Planning and Summer Assignments
| Exam registration | The district Planning Guide says students in AP courses generally decide by November, with their AP teacher, whether to take the May exam; there is an exam fee, and eligible students can apply for a fee waiver through their counselor. The school website does not publish its exam fees or registration deadlines |
|---|---|
| Summer assignments | The school's 2026 summer assignment notice lists Algebra 2 Trig, AP Chemistry, AP Computer Science A, AP and Honors English, AP European History, AP Physics 1 and AP Spanish |
| UC weighting | Every AP course is on the UC-approved honors list; AP courses taken in grades 10 and 11 with a C or better earn one extra point in the UC GPA, for up to eight semesters |
Fountain Valley High School Career-Focused AP Courses
Fountain Valley High School offers three career-focused AP courses, all on the UC-approved honors list:
- AP Networking: grades 9-11, no prerequisite, the first year of the Cybersecurity CTE pathway, UC A-G “d”
- AP Cybersecurity: grades 10-11, requires AP Networking, the second year of the Cybersecurity CTE pathway, UC A-G “d”
- AP Business with Personal Finance: grades 9-12, no prerequisite, UC A-G “g”
These courses are available as early as grades 9 and 10 and also belong to CTE pathways; students who complete both years of the Cybersecurity pathway in order with a pathway GPA of 3.0, no honor code violations and good citizenship can earn a CTE honor cord at graduation.
AP Courses Not Offered at Fountain Valley High School
- AP Precalculus: Pre-Calculus is offered only as a regular, honors and dual enrollment course
- AP World History: Modern: grade 10 world history is offered as a regular course, an honors course or AP European History
- AP Microeconomics: the only AP economics course is Macroeconomics
- AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
- AP Spanish Literature and Culture
- AP Chinese Language and Culture and other AP language courses beyond Spanish, French and Japanese
- AP Comparative Government and Politics
- AP Seminar and AP Research (AP Capstone)
AP Physics C: Mechanics is on the UC A-G list, but the Course Guide, the course request worksheets and the School Profile do not list it, so students who want it should confirm during course selection whether it runs that year. The school offers no Chinese courses; Vietnamese speakers can qualify for the Seal of Biliteracy through an alternate language test, but there is no corresponding AP course.
Fountain Valley High School AP Course List
English
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP English Language and Composition | AP | 11 | 80% or higher both semesters in English Honors 2, or 93% or higher both semesters in English 2, for Honors Committee recommendation; summer reading requiredA dual enrollment section (ENGL C1000) is a two-year pathway not open to students on a period 0-4 schedule; Transcript abbreviations: AP Eng Lang/Comp A, AP Eng Lang/Comp B | b |
| AP English Literature and Composition | AP | 12 | 80% or higher both semesters in AP English Language, or 93% or higher both semesters in English 2, for Honors Committee recommendation; summer reading requiredThe dual enrollment section (ENGL C1003) requires AP English Language DE; Transcript abbreviations: AP Eng Lit/Comp A, AP Eng Lit/Comp B | b |
History & Social Science
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP European History | AP | 10 | B or higher both semesters in AP Human Geography and/or an A in English Honors 1, plus a 3.5 academic GPA; summer reading may be requiredThe Course Guide calls it the first AP opportunity for most students at the school; Transcript abbreviations: AP EUR HIS A, AP EUR HIS B | a |
| AP Government and Politics United States | AP | 12 | B or higher in AP European History and/or AP U.S. History, or an A in U.S. History, plus teacher recommendationOne-semester course paired with AP Macroeconomics; Transcript abbreviations: AP US Govt | a |
| AP Human Geography | AP | 9-12 | Placement by reading assessments, grades and teacher recommendationListed as a grade 9 elective, including a Model United Nations option; Transcript abbreviations: AP Human Geo A, AP Human Geo B | a |
| AP Macroeconomics | AP | 12 | —Listed in the Course Guide as AP Economics (Macro); one semester; meets the economics graduation requirement; Transcript abbreviations: AP Economics | g |
| AP Psychology | AP | 11-12 | A or B in any previous honors or AP class, including English Honors 2Transcript abbreviations: AP Psych A, AP Psych B | g |
| AP United States History | AP | 11 | B or higher both semesters in AP European History or an A both semesters in World History, a 3.5 academic GPA and teacher recommendation; summer reading may be requiredTranscript abbreviations: AP US Hist A, AP US HIST B | a |
Mathematics
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Calculus AB | AP | 11-12 | C or better each semester in Pre-Calculus Honors, or B or better in Pre-CalculusTranscript abbreviations: AP Calc AB/A, AP Calc Ab/B | c |
| AP Calculus BC | AP | 11-12 | B or higher each semester in Pre-Calculus HonorsTranscript abbreviations: AP Calc BC/A, AP Calc BC/B | c |
| AP Statistics | AP | 11-12 | A in Algebra 2 Trig; or B or better each semester in Probability/Statistics & Trigonometry or Pre-Calculus; or C or better each semester in Pre-Calculus HonorsMay be taken concurrently with Pre-Calculus or AP Calculus; Transcript abbreviations: AP Statistics A, AP Stats B | c |
Laboratory Science
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Biology | AP | 11-12 | B or above in Honors Biology and Chemistry, plus teacher recommendationMay include a summer assignment; Transcript abbreviations: AP BIOLOGY A, AP BIOLOGY B | d |
| AP Chemistry | AP | 10-12 | A in Algebra 2 or concurrent enrollment in Algebra 2 Trig or higher, A or B in Chemistry, and teacher recommendationThe science flow chart lists it among grade 10 options; summer assignment; Transcript abbreviations: AP Chemistry A, AP Chemistry B | d |
| AP Environmental Science | AP | 11-12 | B or above in Honors Biology and Chemistry, plus teacher recommendationTranscript abbreviations: AP Env Sci A, AP Env Sci B | d |
| AP Physics 1 | AP | 11-12 | The Course Guide states a B or above in "Algebra II Honors" and at least concurrent enrollment in Pre-Calculus HonorsAlgebra-based; summer assignment; Transcript abbreviations: AP Physics 1A, AP Physics 1B | d |
| AP Physics 2 | AP | 11-12 | B or above in AP Physics 1Transcript abbreviations: AP Physics 2A, AP Physics 2B | d |
| AP Physics C: Mechanics | AP | — | —On the UC A-G list but not in the Course Guide, course request worksheets or School Profile; Transcript abbreviations: AP Phy C Mech A, AP Phy C Mech B | d |
Computer Science & Engineering
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Computer Science A | AP | 10-12 | Algebra 2 or above, or teacher recommendation; students in grades 10-11 must also have completed Exploring Computer Science or AP Computer Science PrinciplesSummer assignment; Transcript abbreviations: AP CompSC A(A), AP CompSC A(B) | c |
| AP Computer Science Principles | AP | 9-11 | —Transcript abbreviations: AP Comp Sci Pri | d |
| AP Cybersecurity | AP | 10-11 | AP NetworkingSecond year of the Cybersecurity CTE pathway; Transcript abbreviations: AP Cyber Sec A, AP Cyber Sec B | d |
| AP Networking | AP | 9-11 | —First year of the Cybersecurity CTE pathway; Transcript abbreviations: AP Cyber Netwrk | d |
World Languages
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP French Language and Culture | AP | 11-12 | B or above in French 3 or teacher recommendationListed in the Course Guide as AP French 4; Transcript abbreviations: AP French 4A, AP French 4B | e |
| AP Japanese Language and Culture | AP | 12 | B or above in Japanese 3 and teacher recommendationListed in the Course Guide as AP Japanese 4; Transcript abbreviations: AP Japanese 4A, AP Japanese 4B | e |
| AP Spanish Language and Culture | AP | 10-12 | B or above in Spanish 3 or Español Dos, teacher recommendation, and a B or above on a written test given in the fourth quarter of Spanish 3Listed in the Course Guide as AP Spanish 4; Transcript abbreviations: AP Spanish 4A, AP Spanish 4B | e |
Visual & Performing Arts
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP 2D Art and Design | AP | 10-12 | Art 1 or instructor review; C or above in Art 2 or Department Coordinator approvalTranscript abbreviations: AP 2D Art/Des, AP 2D Art/Des B | f |
| AP 3D Art and Design | AP | 10-12 | Ceramics 1 and instructor recommendationTranscript abbreviations: AP 3D Art/ Des A, AP 3D Art/Des B | f |
| AP Art History | AP | 10-12 | A or B in the prior year of EnglishTranscript abbreviations: AP Art Hist A, AP Art Hist B | f |
| AP Drawing | AP | 10-12 | Art 1 or instructor review; C or above in Art 2 or Department Coordinator approvalTranscript abbreviations: AP Drawing A, AP Drawing B | f |
| AP Music Theory | AP | 10-12 | Experience reading music, a placement test and teacher approvalTranscript abbreviations: AP Music Th A, AP Music Th B | f |
Business & Law
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Business with Personal Finance | AP | 9-12 | —Transcript abbreviations: AP Bus Fin A, AP Bus Fin B | g |
Fountain Valley High School AP Combinations by Intended Major
The combinations below use only courses for which the school publishes grade levels and prerequisites.
Fountain Valley High School AP: Frequently Asked Questions
How many AP courses does Fountain Valley High School offer, Irvine families ask?
Fountain Valley High School has 30 AP courses on the official UC A-G list for 2026-27, covering English, history and social science, math, science, computer science, Spanish, French, Japanese, art and music, plus three career-focused AP courses: AP Networking, AP Cybersecurity and AP Business with Personal Finance. AP Physics C: Mechanics is on the UC list but not in the school's Course Guide or School Profile, so families should confirm with a counselor whether it runs. The school has no IB program.
How do Fountain Valley High School students do on AP exams, for Irvine families comparing schools?
Fountain Valley High School's 2026-27 School Profile reports that in May 2026, 1,038 students took 2,391 AP exams, with 693 scores of 5, 802 scores of 4 and 644 scores of 3, and an overall pass rate (scores of 3 or higher) of 91% as published by the school. The school does not publish pass rates by subject.
How early can Irvine families' children take AP courses at Fountain Valley High School?
Fountain Valley High School ninth graders can take AP Human Geography, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Networking and AP Business with Personal Finance. Grade 10 adds AP European History, AP Chemistry, AP Computer Science A, AP Cybersecurity, AP Spanish and the AP art courses; AP English Language, AP U.S. History, AP Calculus, AP Biology and AP Physics begin in grade 11; and AP English Literature, AP U.S. Government, AP Macroeconomics and AP Japanese are offered only in grade 12.
Which AP courses does Fountain Valley High School not offer, something Irvine families should know?
Fountain Valley High School's 2026-27 UC A-G list does not include AP Precalculus, AP World History: Modern, AP Microeconomics, AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, AP Spanish Literature, AP Chinese, AP Comparative Government or AP Seminar and Research. The school also offers no Chinese courses, so students who want to take AP Chinese need to study outside school and register for the exam on their own.
What are the prerequisites for AP courses at Fountain Valley High School, Irvine families ask?
Fountain Valley High School's Course Guide lists grade requirements for most AP courses. For example, AP European History requires a B or higher both semesters in AP Human Geography or an A in English Honors 1, plus a 3.5 academic GPA; AP English Language requires 80% or higher both semesters in English Honors 2; AP Calculus BC requires a B or higher each semester in Pre-Calculus Honors; and AP Biology and AP Environmental Science require a B or higher in Honors Biology and Chemistry. AP Human Geography, AP Computer Science Principles and AP Macroeconomics have no prerequisite.
