Tustin High School’s advanced coursework centers on AP, and the school does not offer IB. The official UC A-G course list for 2026-27 includes 22 AP courses at the school, and the 2025-26 School Profile lists 18. In 2024-25, 261 students took 478 AP exams in 17 subjects, and 69% scored 3 or higher. This page brings together the grade levels for each AP course, the district course catalog’s grade recommendations, exam registration and fees, the subjects the school does not offer and suggested combinations, to help families plan before course selection each spring.
Tustin High School AP Placement and Enrollment Requirements
The School Profile states that honors and AP placement is based mainly on grades and teacher recommendations, and that students may also request enrollment. The district course catalog lists grade levels and a Course Placement Recommendation for most AP courses; for example, AP English Language calls for a B or better in the previous English course, and AP Physics 1 calls for a B or better in Biology and Chemistry. These are recommendations, not a common entrance exam.
| Program | Key points |
|---|---|
| AP (22 courses on the UC list) | One subject, one exam, over a year or a semester. AP Biology is open in grade 9, AP World History and AP Psychology from grade 10, and most courses are concentrated in grades 11 and 12 |
| Honors courses | Weighted on the 5-point scale on the school transcript, but seven are not UC-approved honors courses; to show course rigor in the UC GPA for grades 10 and 11, AP is the most reliable choice |
| IB | Tustin High School does not offer IB courses |
| College credit | The school's AP FAQ notes that most universities and community colleges award credit based on AP scores; check each university's current credit policy |
Tustin High School AP Exam Results
The School Profile publishes only schoolwide totals: in 2024-25, 261 students took 478 AP exams in 17 subjects, and 69% scored 3 or higher, or about 1.8 exams per test taker. The school does not publish exam counts or pass rates by subject, so this page does not rank subjects.
Tustin High School AP Course Grade Levels
The table below follows the grade levels in the district course catalog and the school’s UC A-G list.
| Grade | AP courses available |
|---|---|
| From grade 9 | AP Biology: the district course catalog lists it for grades 9 through 12 |
| From grade 10 | AP World History, AP Psychology, and AP Calculus AB and BC (after meeting the Pre-Calculus grade recommendation) |
| From grade 11 | AP English Language, AP U.S. History, AP Chemistry, AP Physics 1, AP Environmental Science, AP Statistics, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Spanish Language, AP French Language, AP 2-D Art and Design, AP 3-D Art and Design and AP Drawing |
| Grade 12 | AP English Literature, AP U.S. Government and Politics (one semester) and AP Microeconomics (one semester) |
| Grade not stated | AP Seminar and AP Precalculus (online): listed only on the UC A-G list; neither the district course catalog nor the School Profile includes them |
Tustin High School Grade Recommendations for Each AP Course
The district course catalog lists placement recommendations for most AP courses, shown one per row below; where the catalog gives no grade requirement, the table says so.
| AP course | Grades and placement recommendation |
|---|---|
| AP English Language | Grades 11-12; B or better in the previous English course |
| AP English Literature | Grade 12; B or better in the previous English course |
| AP World History | Grades 10-12; the district course catalog states no grade recommendation |
| AP U.S. History | Grades 11-12; the district course catalog states no grade recommendation |
| AP U.S. Government and Politics | Grade 12; one semester |
| AP Microeconomics | Grade 12; one semester |
| AP Psychology | Grades 10-12; counts toward UC A-G area g |
| AP Calculus AB | Grades 10-12; B or better in Pre-Calculus, or C or better in Pre-Calculus H |
| AP Calculus BC | Grades 10-12; B or better in Pre-Calculus H |
| AP Statistics | Grades 11-12; C or better in Pre-Calculus or Algebra 2/Trigonometry |
| AP Biology | Grades 9-12; the district course catalog states no grade recommendation |
| AP Chemistry | Grades 11-12; C or better in Chemistry |
| AP Physics 1 | Grades 11-12; B or better in Biology and Chemistry |
| AP Environmental Science | Grades 11-12; C or better in Biology and Chemistry |
| AP Computer Science Principles | Grades 11-12; the Tustin High School UC A-G list places it in area d (laboratory science) |
| AP Spanish Language | Grades 11-12; B or better in Spanish 4 H or Spanish for Native Speakers |
| AP French Language | Grades 11-12; B or better in French 4 H |
| AP 2-D Art and Design, AP 3-D Art and Design and AP Drawing | Grades 11-12; count toward UC A-G area f |
Tustin High School AP Exam Registration and Fees
| Registration and fees | For 2025-26, AP exam registration ran online from September 15 to November 3, 2025, at $115 per exam; registration on or after November 3 costs $160 per exam. Students whose families completed Data Confirmation at the start of the year and qualify pay $25 per exam, and no fee reductions are approved after November 3. Exams canceled by November 3 are refunded $100 ($15 for reduced-fee students); there are no refunds after that |
|---|---|
| Exam dates | The 2026 AP exams run from May 4 to May 15; morning exams start at 8:00 a.m., afternoon exams at 12:00 p.m., and students must arrive 15 minutes early |
| Exam subjects | The 2026 AP exam schedule lists subjects in 17 time slots: Biology, Microeconomics, Chemistry, U.S. Government and Politics, English Literature, Physics 1, World History, Statistics, U.S. History, Art and Design portfolios (2-D, 3-D and Drawing), Calculus AB and BC, French, Psychology, English Language, Spanish and Environmental Science |
| Testing rules | The school offers exams for the AP courses it teaches. Students may take an exam without taking the course (for example, a Spanish 4 Honors student taking the AP Spanish exam) but must pay the full fee with no reduction. The district does not allow out-of-district students to test at Tustin High School; students at other district high schools need approval from this school first |
The school’s AP FAQ explains that students decide whether to report AP scores, and exams they do not pass do not appear on the transcript; official scores are sent to a university for credit after the student is admitted and commits to attend. Registration dates and fees for 2026-27 have not yet been published, so check the school’s AP page when they are.
AP Courses Tustin High School Does Not Offer
- AP Physics 2 and AP Physics C
- AP Computer Science A: the district course catalog includes it, but it is not on the Tustin High School UC A-G list
- AP Macroeconomics
- AP Human Geography and AP European History: in the district course catalog but not on this school's list
- AP Chinese Language and Culture: the school's world languages are Spanish, French and Latin only
- AP Spanish Literature and Culture
- AP Comparative Government, AP Art History and AP Music Theory
- AP Research
The school offers exams for the AP courses it teaches, and the district does not allow out-of-district students to test at the school. Students who want to sit these exams need to take the course elsewhere and register at another school’s test site on their own.
Tustin High School AP Course List
English
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP English Language and Composition | AP | 11-12 | B or better in the previous English courseTranscript abbreviations: AP Eng Lang Comp, Eng Lang & Com AP, Eng Lang & Comp (AP) | b |
| AP English Literature and Composition | AP | 12 | B or better in the previous English courseTranscript abbreviations: AP Eng Lang and Lit, Eng Lit & Comp (AP), Eng Lit & Comp AP | b |
| AP Seminar | AP | — | —Appears only on the UC A-G list; it is not in the School Profile AP list or the 2026 AP exam schedule, so confirm with a counselor whether it is offered; Transcript abbreviations: Ap Seminar English 10 | b |
History / Social Science
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Government and Politics United States | AP | 12 | —Semester course; Transcript abbreviations: am gov/pol (ap), am gov/pol ap | a |
| AP United States History | AP | 11-12 | —Transcript abbreviations: us history (ap), us history ap | a |
| AP World History | AP | 10-12 | —Transcript abbreviations: World History (AP) | a |
| AP Microeconomics | AP | 12 | —Semester course; Transcript abbreviations: economics (ap), economics ap | g |
| AP Psychology | AP | 10-12 | —Transcript abbreviations: Psychology (AP), Psychology AP | g |
Mathematics
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Calculus AB | AP | 10-12 | B or better in Pre-Calculus, or C or better in Pre-Calculus HTranscript abbreviations: calculus ab (ap), calculus ab ap | c |
| AP Calculus BC | AP | 10-12 | B or better in Pre-Calculus HTranscript abbreviations: Calculus BC (AP) | c |
| AP Precalculus | AP | — | —Listed as an online course on the UC A-G list; not listed in the district course catalog; Transcript abbreviations: AP Pre Calculus | c |
| AP Statistics | AP | 11-12 | C or better in Pre-Calculus or Algebra 2/TrigonometryTranscript abbreviations: ap statistics, Statistics (AP), statistics AP | c |
Science
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Biology | AP | 9-12 | —Transcript abbreviations: biology (ap), biology ap | d |
| AP Chemistry | AP | 11-12 | C or better in ChemistryTranscript abbreviations: chemistry (ap), chemistry ap | d |
| AP Environmental Science | AP | 11-12 | C or better in Biology and ChemistryTranscript abbreviations: Enviro Sci (AP), Envnmtl Sci (AP) | d |
| AP Physics 1 | AP | 11-12 | B or better in Biology and ChemistryTranscript abbreviations: AP Physics 1 | d |
T-Tech & PLTW
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Computer Science Principles | AP | 11-12 | —Transcript abbreviations: CompSciPrn (AP) | d |
World Language
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP French Language and Culture | AP | 11-12 | B or better in French 4 HTranscript abbreviations: French Lang (AP) | e |
| AP Spanish Language and Culture | AP | 11-12 | B or better in Spanish 4 H or Spanish for Native SpeakersTranscript abbreviations: Spanish 5 (AP), spanish 5 ap | e |
Visual & Performing Arts
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP 2D Art and Design | AP | 11-12 | —Transcript abbreviations: AP Art 2D | f |
| AP 3D Art and Design | AP | 11-12 | —Transcript abbreviations: AP Art 3D | f |
| AP Drawing | AP | 11-12 | —Transcript abbreviations: Studio Art (AP) | f |
Tustin High School AP Combinations by Intended Major
The combinations below use only courses whose grade levels appear in the district course catalog and that are on the school’s UC A-G list.
Tustin High School AP Courses: Frequently Asked Questions
How many AP courses does Tustin High School offer, for Irvine families comparing schools?
Tustin High School's AP count has two versions: the official UC A-G list for 2026-27 includes 22 courses, and the school's 2025-26 School Profile lists 18. The difference comes from four courses, AP Seminar, AP Calculus BC, AP Precalculus and AP Computer Science Principles; AP Calculus BC appears on the 2026 exam schedule, while the other three appear only on the A-G list. The school does not offer IB courses.
How do Tustin High School students do on AP exams, for Irvine families looking at results?
Tustin High School's School Profile reports that in 2024-25, 261 students took 478 AP exams in 17 subjects, and 69% scored 3 or higher. The school publishes only these schoolwide totals, not exam counts or pass rates by subject.
Irvine families ask: how does AP exam registration work at Tustin High School, and what does it cost?
Tustin High School's 2025-26 AP exam registration ran online from September 15 to November 3, 2025, at $115 per exam; registration on or after November 3 costs $160 per exam. Students whose families completed Data Confirmation at the start of the year and qualify pay $25 per exam, and no reductions are approved after November 3. The 2026 exams run from May 4 to May 15. The district does not allow out-of-district students to test at the school.
Which AP courses does Tustin High School not offer, for Irvine families planning outside coursework?
Tustin High School's 2026-27 UC A-G list does not include AP Physics 2, AP Physics C, AP Computer Science A, AP Macroeconomics, AP Human Geography, AP European History, AP Chinese, AP Spanish Literature, AP Comparative Government, AP Art History, AP Music Theory or AP Research. AP Computer Science A, AP Human Geography, AP European History and AP Physics 2 appear in the district course catalog but not on this school's list. Students who want these exams need to take the course elsewhere and register at another test site on their own.
What is the earliest grade a student from an Irvine family can take AP at Tustin High School?
Tustin High School follows the district course catalog, which opens AP Biology to grades 9 through 12; AP World History and AP Psychology open in grade 10, and AP Calculus AB and BC also open in grade 10 once the Pre-Calculus grade recommendation is met. Most courses, including AP English Language, AP U.S. History, AP Chemistry and AP Physics 1, open in grade 11, and AP English Literature, AP U.S. Government and AP Microeconomics are offered only in grade 12. The School Profile states that AP and honors placement is based mainly on grades and teacher recommendations, and that students may also request enrollment.
