The Laguna Beach High School 2026-27 course catalog offers 27 AP courses covering English, social science, mathematics, science, world languages, the arts, and computer science. According to the School Profile 2025-26, AP courses in 2025 had 885 enrollment seats and 842 exams were taken, with a school-reported pass rate of 95%. This page brings together the grades offered, prerequisites, 2025 exam results, and recommended combinations for each subject to help parents make plans before course selection each spring.
Grades Offered
In grade 9, students may take AP Human Geography and AP Computer Science Principles, both of which appear on the school's 2026-27 grade 9 course selection sheet. Starting in grade 10, the options expand to AP European History, AP Computer Science A, AP Spanish Language and Culture, AP French Language, AP Drawing, AP 2D Art and Design, AP 3D Art and Design, and AP Music Theory. AP English Literature and AP US History are placed in grade 11; AP Precalculus, AP Calculus AB and BC, AP Statistics, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics 1, AP Environmental Science, AP Art History, AP Chinese, and AP Spanish Literature are open to grades 11 to 12; and AP English Language, AP Government and Politics, AP Macroeconomics, and AP Physics 2 are placed in grade 12.
This grade distribution has two features. First, grade 9 students can already take two AP courses, both weighted, while grade 9 students in the Irvine Unified School District generally cannot take AP courses. Second, AP English Literature comes in grade 11 and AP English Language in grade 12, the reverse of the order at most schools; AP US Government and Politics and AP Macroeconomics are each one-semester, 5-credit courses at this school, and students complete the pair in grade 12.
AP Pass Rates by Subject (2025)
The following data come from the Laguna Beach High School School Profile 2025-26 and are counted by exam: the denominator is the number of exams taken, not the number of students. The pass rate is the pass rate published by the school, and the school does not state whether it means a score of 3 or higher. The third column is the number of students enrolled in the AP course; the difference between enrollment and exams taken is the number of enrolled students who did not take the exam.
| AP subject | Exams / school-reported pass rate / enrolled |
|---|---|
| AP US History | 118 exams / 86% / 119 enrolled |
| AP English Literature and Composition | 65 exams / 100% / 65 enrolled |
| AP English Language and Composition | 63 exams / 100% / 70 enrolled |
| AP European History | 62 exams / 90% / 62 enrolled |
| AP Computer Science Principles | 55 exams / 82% / 63 enrolled |
| AP Human Geography | 53 exams / 91% / 53 enrolled |
| AP Calculus AB | 45 exams / 93% / 45 enrolled |
| AP Biology | 44 exams / 95% / 45 enrolled |
| AP US Government and Politics | 41 exams / 90% / 50 enrolled |
| AP Macroeconomics | 40 exams / 90% / 51 enrolled |
| AP Physics 1 | 36 exams / 94% / 37 enrolled |
| AP Statistics | 31 exams / 90% / 34 enrolled |
| AP Calculus BC | 27 exams / 96% / 27 enrolled |
| AP Chemistry | 27 exams / 100% / 31 enrolled |
| AP Spanish Language and Culture | 27 exams / 96% / 28 enrolled |
| AP Art History | 23 exams / 91% / 24 enrolled |
| AP Computer Science A | 14 exams / 100% / 16 enrolled |
| AP Spanish Literature and Culture | 14 exams / 86% / 14 enrolled |
| AP 3-D Art and Design | 13 exams / 85% / 14 enrolled |
| AP Drawing | 10 exams / 90% / 10 enrolled |
| AP French Language and Culture | 9 exams / 100% / 9 enrolled |
| AP 2-D Art and Design | 7 exams / 100% / 9 enrolled |
| AP Chinese Language and Culture | 7 exams / 100% / 9 enrolled |
Grades Offered and Prerequisites for Each AP Course
The Laguna Beach High School course catalog lists the Recommended Preparation for each course. The table below lists each AP course and also notes whether there is summer work and the weekly homework load.
| AP course | Grades offered and recommended preparation |
|---|---|
| AP Human Geography | Grades 9 to 12, no prerequisite; listed on the school's summer assignments page; UC A-G category a |
| AP Computer Science Principles | Grades 9 to 12, concurrent enrollment in Algebra 1; UC A-G category d |
| AP European History | Grade 10, an A in Multicultural Studies and a teacher recommendation; summer work required; about 5 hours of homework per week |
| AP Computer Science A | Grades 10 to 12, completion of AP Computer Science Principles and/or App Development; UC A-G category c |
| AP Spanish Language and Culture | Grades 10 to 12, Spanish 4 Honors (an A recommended) or a B or higher in Spanish Literature and Culture Honors; about 5 hours of homework per week |
| AP French Language | Grades 10 to 12, a B or higher in French 3 Honors or an A in French 4 |
| AP Drawing / AP 2-D Art and Design | Grades 10 to 12, a GPA of 3.5 or higher in related art courses |
| AP 3-D Art and Design | A B or higher in Ceramics 2 |
| AP Music Theory | Grades 10 to 12, teacher recommendation |
| AP English Literature and Composition | Grade 11, an A or B in English 10 Honors and/or a teacher recommendation |
| AP US History | Grade 11, completion of AP European History, an A in World History and English, and a teacher recommendation; summer work required; about 5 hours of homework per week |
| AP Biology | Grades 11 to 12, an A or B in Integrated Science 2 Honors; 3 to 4 hours of summer review work |
| AP Chemistry | Grades 11 to 12, completion of Integrated Science 2 Honors and Algebra 2 Honors; summer work required |
| AP Physics 1 | Grades 11 to 12, completion of Integrated Science 2 Honors and concurrent enrollment in Algebra 2 Honors or a higher math course; summer work required |
| AP Environmental Science | Grades 11 to 12; grade 11 students must have completed Integrated Science 1 and Integrated Science 2 Honors, and grade 12 students must have completed Integrated Science 1, 2, and 3 |
| AP Precalculus | Grades 11 to 12, a B or higher in both semesters of Algebra 2 |
| AP Calculus AB | Grades 11 to 12, a B or higher in both semesters of Algebra 2 Honors; summer work required |
| AP Calculus BC | Grades 11 to 12, completion of AP Calculus AB |
| AP Statistics | Grades 11 to 12, Algebra 2 Honors |
| AP Art History | Grades 11 to 12, World History or AP European History |
| AP Chinese Language and Culture | Grades 11 to 12, an A in Mandarin Chinese 4 Honors |
| AP Spanish Literature and Culture | Grades 11 to 12, completion of AP Spanish Language and Culture; summer work required |
| AP English Language and Composition | Grade 12, an A or B in English 11 or AP English Literature and/or a teacher recommendation |
| AP US Government and Politics | Grade 12, one semester, 5 credits; a B or higher in AP US History, a passing score on the AP US History exam, or an A in United States History |
| AP Macroeconomics | Grade 12, one semester, 5 credits; an A or B in an advanced math course and a passing score on the AP US History exam |
| AP Physics 2 | Grade 12, a B or higher in AP Physics 1 and concurrent enrollment in Algebra 2 Honors or a higher math course |
One chain of prerequisites is worth seeing clearly in advance: AP US History requires AP European History, and AP European History requires an A in grade 9 Multicultural Studies; AP US Government and Politics and AP Macroeconomics are in turn both tied to the AP US History grade or exam. The social science AP sequence begins screening in grade 9 with a course that does not count toward A-G.
AP Courses the School Does Not Offer
- AP Psychology
- AP World History: Modern
- AP Microeconomics
- AP Comparative Government
- AP Physics C (Mechanics; Electricity and Magnetism)
- AP Seminar / Research
- AP Latin, AP Japanese, and AP German
In social science, the school does not offer AP Psychology or AP World History: Modern; in physics, it offers only AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2, with no calculus-based AP Physics C. Students who want to take these exams need to complete the coursework outside school and register for the exams on their own.
AP Course List
English
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP English Literature and Composition | AP | 11 | An A or B in English 10 Honors, and/or a teacher recommendationCourse number EN310Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School); placed in grade 11 at this school | b |
| AP English Language and Composition | AP | 12 | An A or B in English 11 or AP English Literature, and/or a teacher recommendationCourse number EN410Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School); placed in grade 12 at this school; summer work required | b |
Social Science
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP European History | AP | 10 | An A in Multicultural Studies and a teacher recommendationCourse number SS210Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School); summer work required; about 5 hours of homework per week | a |
| AP US History | AP | 11 | Completion of AP European History, an A in World History and English, and a teacher recommendationCourse number SS310Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School); summer work required | a |
| AP Government and Politics US | AP | 12 | A B or higher in AP US History, a passing score on the AP US History exam, or an A in United States HistoryCourse number SS410Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School); one semester, 5 credits | a |
| AP Macroeconomics | AP | 12 | An A or B in an advanced math course and a passing score on the AP US History examCourse number SS411Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School); one semester, 5 credits | a |
Mathematics
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Pre-Calculus | AP | 11-12 | A B or higher in both semesters of Algebra 2Course number MA311Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School); next courses: AP Calculus AB and/or AP Statistics | c |
| AP Calculus AB | AP | 11-12 | A B or higher in both semesters of Algebra 2 HonorsCourse number MA410Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School); summer work required; next course: AP Calculus BC | c |
| AP Calculus BC | AP | 11-12 | Completion of AP Calculus ABCourse number MA500Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School); at this school, a second-year course taken after completing AB | c |
| AP Statistics | AP | 11-12 | Algebra 2 HonorsCourse number MA411Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School) | c |
Science
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Environmental Science | AP | 11-12 | Grade 11 students must have completed Integrated Science 1 and Integrated Science 2 Honors; grade 12 students must have completed Integrated Science 1, 2, and 3Course number SC340Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School) | d |
| AP Biology | AP | 11-12 | An A or B in Integrated Science 2 HonorsCourse number SC310Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School); 3 to 4 hours of summer review work | d |
| AP Chemistry | AP | 11-12 | Integrated Science 2 Honors and Algebra 2 HonorsCourse number SC320Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School); summer work required | d |
| AP Physics 1 | AP | 11-12 | Integrated Science 2 Honors and concurrent enrollment in Algebra 2 Honors or a higher math courseCourse number SC330Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School); summer work required | d |
| AP Physics 2 | AP | 12 | A B or higher in AP Physics 1 and concurrent enrollment in Algebra 2 Honors or a higher math courseCourse number SC420Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School); the course catalog summary table lists grade 12, while the course description lists grades 11 to 12 | d |
World Language
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Spanish Language and Culture | AP | 10-12 | Spanish 4 Honors (an A recommended), or a B or higher in Spanish Literature and Culture HonorsCourse number WL520Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School); summer work required | e |
| AP Spanish Literature and Culture | AP | 11-12 | AP Spanish Language and CultureCourse number WL530Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School); summer work required | e |
| AP French Language | AP | 10-12 | A B or higher in French 3 Honors, or an A in French 4Course number WL521Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School) | e |
| AP Chinese Language and Culture | AP | 11-12 | An A in Mandarin Chinese 4 HonorsCourse number WL522Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School) | e |
Visual and Performing Arts
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Drawing | AP | 10-12 | A GPA of 3.5 or higher in Art Production 1 and 2Course number VP201Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School); capstone course of the Visual and Commercial Art pathway | f |
| AP 2D Art and Design | AP | 10-12 | A GPA of 3.5 or higher in Art Production 1 and 2 and/or Digital PhotographyCourse number VP301Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School) | f |
| AP Art History | AP | 11-12 | World History or AP European HistoryCourse number VP530Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School) | f |
| AP 3D Art and Design | AP | 10-12 | A B or higher in Ceramics 2Course number VP302Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School); the course description lists grades 11 to 12 | f |
| AP Music Theory | AP | 10-12 | Teacher recommendationCourse number VP540Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School) | f |
Electives
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Computer Science Principles | AP | 9-12 | Concurrent enrollment in Algebra 1Course number ID110Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School); concentrator course of the Systems Programming pathway | d |
| AP Computer Science A | AP | 10-12 | Completion of AP Computer Science Principles and/or App Development or another computer science courseCourse number ID210Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School); capstone course of the Systems Programming pathway | c |
| AP Human Geography | AP | 9-12 | —Course number SS110Y; weighted (the course catalog marks it as weighted for both UC and Laguna Beach High School); open to grade 9 students | a |
Recommended Combinations by Intended Major
Frequently Asked Questions
Can grade 9 students take AP courses at Laguna Beach High School?
Yes, and this is one of the clearest differences from the Irvine Unified School District. The Laguna Beach High School 2026-27 grade 9 course selection sheet includes two AP courses: AP Human Geography, which has no prerequisite and can replace grade 9 Multicultural Studies to satisfy the social science requirement; and AP Computer Science Principles, which requires concurrent enrollment in Algebra 1. Both are weighted. In the Irvine Unified School District, grade 9 students generally cannot take AP courses, with the exception of AP Human Geography at Woodbridge High School.
How do AP exam results look at Laguna Beach High School?
The Laguna Beach High School School Profile 2025-26 reports that in 2025, AP courses had 885 enrollment seats and 842 exams were taken, with a school-reported pass rate of 95%. By subject, AP English Literature (65 exams), AP English Language (63 exams), AP Chemistry (27 exams), and AP Computer Science A (14 exams) all had a 100% pass rate. Note that adding the subject rows gives only 831 exams, which does not match the total row, and the school does not explain why.
Which AP courses at Laguna Beach High School have lower pass rates?
According to the subject-level data in the Laguna Beach High School School Profile 2025-26, the courses with lower pass rates were AP Computer Science Principles at 82% (55 exams), AP 3-D Art and Design at 85% (13 exams), AP US History at 86% (118 exams), and AP Spanish Literature at 86% (14 exams). AP US History has the most exams of any subject at the school and is widely taken by grade 11 students. All figures are counted by exam, with the number of exams taken as the denominator.
When Irvine families compare Laguna Beach High School with the high schools in their own district, is the range of AP offerings the same?
No. This school is not part of the Irvine Unified School District. The Laguna Beach High School 2026-27 course catalog does not include AP Psychology, AP World History: Modern, AP Microeconomics, AP Comparative Government, AP Physics C, or AP Seminar / Research. Students who want to take these exams need to complete the coursework outside school and register for the exams on their own.
How do students register for AP exams at Laguna Beach High School, and must students in AP courses take the exam?
The Laguna Beach High School Student Handbook states that all students enrolled in AP courses should take the May AP exams. The 2027 AP exams run from May 3 to 14. The school provides an online payment link on its testing page; registration after November 13, 2026, incurs a $40 late fee, and students who qualify for a fee reduction can contact the school for a reduced-fee payment link.
