AP (Advanced Placement) is the College Board’s program of college-level courses. Each course leads to a national exam in May, scored on a scale of 5. In its 2026-2027 School Profile, Crean Lutheran High School reports 28 AP courses, matching the 28 registered on the UC A-G list for 2026-27; all are UC-approved honors courses and are weighted in UC applications. This page lists the grade levels and prerequisites for each course, explains the exam results published by the school and the common AP courses the school does not offer, and recommends course combinations by intended major.
Grade Levels and Prerequisites for Each AP Course
The table below is compiled course by course from the school’s 2026-27 course catalog. “CP A- / honors B-” means an A- or higher in the preceding CP course in the same subject, or a B- or higher in the preceding honors or AP course.
| AP course | Grade levels and prerequisites |
|---|---|
| AP Human Geography | Grades 9-12; no prerequisite; elective that does not count toward the social science graduation requirement |
| AP Computer Science Principles | Grades 9-12; no prerequisite; PLTW version, UC category d |
| AP World History: Modern | Grade 10; B- or higher in AP Human Geography, or A- or higher in the preceding CP English course, or B- or higher in the preceding honors or AP English course |
| AP Seminar | Grades 10-11; score of 3 or higher on the AP Human Geography or AP World History exam; does not count toward the English graduation requirement |
| AP Precalculus | Grades 10-12; pass the placement test, or A- or higher in the preceding CP math course, or B or higher in the preceding honors math course |
| AP Calculus AB | Grades 10-12; A- or higher in Precalculus, or B or higher in Honors Precalculus or AP Precalculus |
| AP Art History | Grades 10-12; A- or higher in a CP social science, English, or visual arts course, or B- or higher in an honors or AP course in those subjects |
| AP Music Theory | Grades 10-12; A- or higher in a previous choral or instrumental course at the school |
| AP Psychology | Grades 10-12; no prerequisite listed in the catalog; hybrid instruction |
| AP English Language and Composition | Grades 11-12; CP English A- / honors English B- or higher |
| AP United States History | Grade 11; CP social science A- / honors or AP social science B- or higher |
| AP Calculus BC | Grades 11-12; B or higher in AP Precalculus |
| AP Statistics | Grades 11-12; A- or higher in the preceding CP math course, or B or higher in the preceding honors math course |
| AP Biology | Grades 11-12; A- in Biology or B or higher in Honors Biology, and A- in Chemistry or B or higher in Honors Chemistry or AP Chemistry |
| AP Chemistry | Grades 11-12; A- or higher in Chemistry, or B or higher in Honors Chemistry |
| AP Environmental Science | Grades 11-12; same as AP Biology; fully online |
| AP Physics 1 | Grades 11-12; A- in Physics or B or higher in Honors Physics or AP Physics, plus the geometry requirement met and Algebra II/Trigonometry completed or in progress |
| AP Physics C: Mechanics | Grades 11-12; physics and precalculus requirements met, with Honors Calculus completed or in progress |
| AP Cybersecurity | Grades 11-12; C- or higher in Computer Programming I and II (honors), AP Computer Science Principles, or (H) Cybersecurity |
| AP Research | Grades 11-12; score of 3 or higher on the AP Seminar exam; requires a 4,000 to 5,000 word paper and an oral defense |
| AP Chinese Language and Culture | Grades 11-12; A- or higher in Mandarin III, or B or higher in Honors Mandarin IV |
| AP Spanish Language and Culture | Grades 11-12; A- or higher in Spanish III, or B or higher in Honors Spanish IV |
| AP 2D Art and Design, AP 3D Art and Design, AP Drawing | Grades 11-12; one of Honors Advanced Art, Honors Advanced Sculpture 3, Honors Graphic Design II, or Honors Photography II must be completed first |
| AP English Literature and Composition | Grade 12; CP English A- / honors or AP English B- or higher; hybrid instruction |
| AP US Government and Politics | Grade 12; CP social science A- / honors or AP social science B- or higher; full-year course |
| AP Macroeconomics | Grade 12; CP social science A- / honors or AP social science B- or higher; may replace Economics for the graduation requirement; UC category g |
Ninth graders may take Human Geography and Computer Science Principles; tenth grade adds World History, Seminar, Precalculus, Calculus AB, Art History, Music Theory, and Psychology; eleventh grade adds English Language, United States History, Calculus BC, Statistics, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Physics 1, Physics C: Mechanics, Cybersecurity, Research, Chinese, Spanish, and the three AP art portfolio courses; English Literature, US Government, and Macroeconomics are open to twelfth graders only.
| Exam requirement | The school requires all students enrolled in AP courses to take the May AP exam; only students who have permission from both the teacher and the counselor and whose course grade is 75% or below at exam time may be excused. Students must be enrolled in the corresponding AP course to take the exam at the school. Students taking the course for dual credit must still take the AP exam |
|---|---|
| Grade increases for AP exam scores | School policy: a score of 5 on the AP exam raises the transcript grade for that course by one full letter grade (up to an A); a score of 4 raises it by one step (for example, B- to B or B+ to A-, up to an A-). The increase applies to every semester taken at the school and does not apply to students with a record of academic dishonesty (revised August 10, 2026) |
| Dropping a course | Students who earn a C, D, or F (75% or below) in the first semester of an AP course may be removed by the teacher and the school at the end of the semester; poor performance in the first few weeks may also lead to removal |
| Fees | $110 course fee per AP course, due by the drop deadline and nonrefundable afterward |
| AP Capstone | AP Capstone Diploma: scores of 3 or higher on both AP Seminar and AP Research, plus scores of 3 or higher on four additional AP exams; recognized at commencement |
AP Exam Results Published by the School
Crean Lutheran High School published its 2026 AP exam results in the 2026-2027 School Profile. The share of scores of 3 or higher is calculated per exam taken, the same basis used on this site’s public high school pages.
| Item (2026) | Figure |
|---|---|
| AP exams taken | 1,472 exams |
| Students taking at least one exam | 573 students |
| Average score | 4.0 |
| Share scoring 3 or higher (per exam) | 92% |
| AP subject | 2026 exams | Score 3+ | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precalculus | 121 | 99% | |
| English Language | 107 | 97% | |
| US History | 93 | 96% | |
| Calculus BC | 89 | 89% | |
| World History: Modern | 83 | 99% | |
| Biology | 76 | 93% | |
| English Literature | 70 | 96% | |
| Human Geography | 68 | 96% | |
| US Government | 68 | 94% | |
| Seminar | 45 | 100% | |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 43 | 100% | |
| Chemistry | 38 | 100% | |
| Research | 31 | 97% | |
| Physics 1 | 30 | 93% | |
| Physics C Mechanics | 29 | 100% | |
| 2-D Art & Design | 27 | 100% |
The School Profile lists only 16 subjects, totaling 1,018 test takers; the other 12 subjects (such as Calculus AB, Statistics, Psychology, Macroeconomics, Environmental Science, and Computer Science Principles) are not reported separately. Figures in the table are the number of test takers as reported by the school. The share of scores of 3 or higher in the table is 89% or above for every subject. The school does not explain why only these 16 subjects are listed, and the remaining subjects cannot be assumed to have the same pass rates. The 92% figure is the overall rate across all 1,472 exams.
Families should also note the school’s grade-increase policy: after a score of 5 or 4 on an AP exam, the transcript grade for the course is raised. This rule raises the school GPA, but the increase occurs after AP scores are released. Families should confirm with the counselor whether grade 11 course grades have already been raised by the time UC applications are submitted.
AP Courses the School Does Not Offer
The following AP courses are common in UC applications but are not offered at Crean Lutheran High School in 2026-27.
- Computer Science A
- Physics 2
- Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
- Microeconomics
- European History
- Comparative Government and Politics
- AP world language courses other than Chinese and Spanish, such as French and Latin
The most significant gaps are AP Computer Science A and AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism. The school’s computer science courses center on AP Computer Science Principles and AP Cybersecurity, with no AP Computer Science A, and the physics sequence ends after AP Physics 1 and AP Physics C: Mechanics. Students planning to major in computer science, engineering, or physics need to complete these two courses outside school. AP Microeconomics is commonly used by students headed for business, and the school’s only economics AP course is Macroeconomics.
AP Course List
The table below is based on a course-by-course comparison of the UC A-G list for 2026-27 and the school course catalog. The notes column gives the course number, instructional format, dual-credit option, and transcript title on the UC list.
History / Social Science
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Government and Politics United States | AP | 12 | A- or higher in the previous CP social science course, or B- or higher in the previous Honors or AP social science courseCourse number 2513; full year; may replace American Government to meet the graduation requirement; hybrid format: on campus once a week, remaining work online; optional dual credit: Concordia University Nebraska PS 111, 3 credits; students who take it for dual credit receive honors weighting under school policy, and AP students must still take the May AP exam; transcript abbreviation: AP Amer. Gov. | a |
| AP Human Geography | AP | 9-12 | None; elective course that does not count toward the 2.5-credit social science graduation requirementCourse number 1517; the school recommends this course for freshmen who place into Honors English through the English placement test; transcript abbreviation: AP Human Geo. | a |
| AP United States History | AP | 11 | A- or higher in the previous CP social science course, or B- or higher in the previous Honors or AP social science courseCourse number 1505; transcript abbreviation: AP US Hist. | a |
| AP World History | AP | 10 | B- or higher in AP Human Geography, or A- or higher in the previous CP English course, or B- or higher in the previous Honors or AP English courseCourse number 1502; transcript abbreviation: AP World Hist | a |
| AP Macroeconomics | AP | 12 | A- or higher in the previous CP social science course, or B- or higher in the previous Honors or AP social science courseCourse number 2519; may replace Economics to meet the graduation requirement; hybrid format: on campus once a week, remaining work online; optional dual credit: Concordia University Nebraska ECON 101, 3 credits; students who take it for dual credit receive honors weighting under school policy, and AP students must still take the May AP exam; transcript abbreviation: (AP) Macro., (AP) Macroeconomics, AP Macro., AP Macroecon., AP Macroeconomics | g |
English
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP English Language and Composition | AP | 11-12 | A- or higher in the previous CP English course, or B- or higher in the previous Honors English courseCourse number 1411; transcript abbreviation: AP Eng. Lang., AP English Lang., AP Lang. | b |
| AP English Literature and Composition | AP | 12 | A- or higher in the previous CP English course, or B- or higher in the previous Honors or AP English courseCourse number 1410; hybrid format: on campus once a week, remaining work online; optional dual credit: Concordia University Nebraska ENG 102 and ENG 201, 6 credits total; students who take it for dual credit receive honors weighting under school policy, and AP students must still take the May AP exam; transcript abbreviation: AP Eng. Lit., AP English Lit., AP Lit. | b |
| AP Seminar | AP | 10-11 | Score of 3 or higher on the AP Human Geography or AP World History examCourse number 1420; does not count toward the 4-credit English graduation requirement; first course of AP Capstone; hybrid format: on campus once a week, remaining work online; transcript abbreviation: AP Seminar | b |
Mathematics
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Calculus AB | AP | 10-12 | A- or higher in Precalculus, or B or higher in Honors or AP PrecalculusCourse number 1110; transcript abbreviation: AP Calc. AB | c |
| AP Calculus BC | AP | 11-12 | B or higher in AP PrecalculusCourse number 1111; transcript abbreviation: AP Calc BC, AP Calc. BC | c |
| AP Precalculus | AP | 10-12 | Pass the placement test, or A- or higher in the previous CP math course, or B or higher in the previous Honors math courseCourse number 1120; transcript abbreviation: AP Precalc. | c |
| AP Statistics | AP | 11-12 | A- or higher in the previous CP math course, or B or higher in the previous Honors math courseCourse number 1113; transcript abbreviation: AP Stats. | c |
Science
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Biology | AP | 11-12 | A- or higher in Biology or B or higher in Honors Biology, and A- or higher in Chemistry or B or higher in Honors or AP ChemistryCourse number 1305; optional dual credit: Concordia University Nebraska BIO 110 and BIO 111, 6 credits total; students who take it for dual credit receive honors weighting under school policy, and AP students must still take the May AP exam; transcript abbreviation: AP Biology | d |
| AP Chemistry | AP | 11-12 | A- or higher in Chemistry, or B or higher in Honors ChemistryCourse number 1308; optional dual credit: Concordia University Nebraska CHEM 115, 4 credits; students who take it for dual credit receive honors weighting under school policy, and AP students must still take the May AP exam; transcript abbreviation: AP Chem. | d |
| AP Computer Science Principles | AP | 9-12 | —Course number 1554; PLTW (Project Lead The Way) version; transcript abbreviation: AP CompSci Prin | d |
| AP Cybersecurity | AP | 11-12 | C- or higher in Honors Computer Programming I and II, AP Computer Science Principles, or Honors CybersecurityCourse number 1322; transcript abbreviation: AP Cybersecurity | d |
| AP Environmental Science | AP | 11-12 | A- or higher in Biology or B or higher in Honors Biology, and A- or higher in Chemistry or B or higher in Honors or AP ChemistryCourse number 1315; fully online (asynchronous) version available; online courses require a cumulative unweighted academic GPA of 3.0 or higher; optional dual credit: Concordia University Nebraska SCI 315, 3 credits; students who take it for dual credit receive honors weighting under school policy, and AP students must still take the May AP exam; transcript abbreviation: AP Env. Sci., AP Envir. Science | d |
| AP Physics 1 | AP | 11-12 | A- or higher in Physics or B or higher in Honors or AP Physics, and A- or higher in Geometry or B or higher in Honors Geometry, and current or prior enrollment in Algebra II/TrigonometryCourse number 1311; course catalog title: AP Physics I; transcript abbreviation: AP Physics 1, AP Physics I | d |
| AP Physics C: Mechanics | AP | 11-12 | A- or higher in Physics or B or higher in Honors or AP Physics, and A- or higher in Precalculus or B or higher in Honors or AP Precalculus, and current or prior enrollment in Honors Calculus (B or higher)Course number 1318; transcript abbreviation: AP Phy. C Mech, AP Physics C | d |
Language Other than English
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Chinese Language and Culture | AP | 11-12 | A- or higher in Mandarin III, or B or higher in Honors Mandarin IVCourse number 1622; optional dual credit: Concordia University Nebraska CHNS 202, 3 credits; students who take it for dual credit receive honors weighting under school policy, and AP students must still take the May AP exam; transcript abbreviation: AP Chinese | e |
| AP Spanish Language and Culture | AP | 11-12 | A- or higher in Spanish III, or B or higher in Honors Spanish IVCourse number 1605; optional dual credit: Concordia University Nebraska SPAN 202, 3 credits; students who take it for dual credit receive honors weighting under school policy, and AP students must still take the May AP exam; transcript abbreviation: AP Span Lang, AP Span., AP SpanLang | e |
Visual Arts
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP 2D Art and Design | AP | 11-12 | One of Honors Advanced Art, Honors Sculpture III, Honors Graphic Design II, or Honors Photography IICourse number 1753; transcript abbreviation: AP Art, AP Art: 2-D | f |
| AP 3D Art and Design | AP | 11-12 | One of Honors Advanced Art, Honors Sculpture III, Honors Graphic Design II, or Honors Photography IICourse number 1753; transcript abbreviation: AP Art, AP Art: 3-D | f |
| AP Art History | AP | 10-12 | A- or higher in a CP social science, English, or visual arts course, or B- or higher in an Honors or AP course in the same areasCourse number 1762; transcript abbreviation: AP Art History | f |
| AP Drawing | AP | 11-12 | One of Honors Advanced Art, Honors Sculpture III, Honors Graphic Design II, or Honors Photography IICourse number 1753; transcript abbreviation: AP Art, AP Art: Drawing | f |
Performing Arts
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Music Theory | AP | 10-12 | A- or higher in any choral or instrumental course previously taken at the schoolCourse number 1717; optional dual credit: Concordia University Nebraska MU 103, 3 credits; students who take it for dual credit receive honors weighting under school policy, and AP students must still take the May AP exam; transcript abbreviation: AP Music Theory | f |
College-Preparatory Elective
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Psychology | AP | 10-12 | No prerequisite listed in the course catalogCourse number 1507; hybrid format: on campus once a week, remaining work online; optional dual credit: Concordia University Nebraska PSY 101 and SOC 101, 6 credits total; students who take it for dual credit receive honors weighting under school policy, and AP students must still take the May AP exam; transcript abbreviation: AP Psych., AP Psychology | g |
| AP Research | AP | 11-12 | Score of 3 or higher on the AP Seminar examCourse number 1421; second course of AP Capstone; hybrid format: on campus once a week, remaining work online; transcript abbreviation: AP Research | g |
Recommended Combinations by Intended Major
The combinations below use only courses listed in the school’s 2026-27 course catalog and are arranged according to each course’s grade levels and prerequisites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Irvine families often ask: how many AP courses does Crean Lutheran High School offer?
28. The Crean Lutheran High School 2026-2027 School Profile and the 2026-27 Course Offerings both list 28 AP courses, matching the 28 registered on the UC A-G list for 2026-27, and all of them are UC-approved honors courses. The Academics page of the website still states 26 and the admissions page states 27; these are outdated figures. The 28 courses include AP Precalculus, AP Cybersecurity, AP Seminar and AP Research, and AP Chinese Language and Culture.
Irvine families want to know: what is the AP pass rate at Crean Lutheran High School?
According to the Crean Lutheran High School 2026-2027 School Profile, 573 students took 1,472 AP exams in 2026, with an average score of 4.0 and 92% scoring 3 or higher; this rate is calculated per exam taken. The school also lists results for 16 subjects: AP Chemistry, AP Chinese Language and Culture, AP Physics C: Mechanics, AP Seminar, and AP 2D Art and Design all had every exam at 3 or higher, and AP Calculus BC was at 89%. Twelve subjects, including AP Calculus AB, AP Statistics, and AP Psychology, are not listed separately.
Can students take AP courses in grade 9 at Crean Lutheran High School?
Yes, two of them. The Crean Lutheran High School course catalog states that AP Human Geography and AP Computer Science Principles are open to grades 9 through 12. The school recommends that new students who pass the English honors placement test also take AP Human Geography. A score of 3 or higher in AP Human Geography qualifies a student for AP Seminar in grade 10. Note that UC does not count grade 9 grades, so ninth-grade AP courses do not affect the UC GPA.
Irvine families should note: which AP courses does Crean Lutheran High School not offer?
According to the UC A-G list for 2026-27 and the school course catalog, Crean Lutheran High School does not offer AP Computer Science A, AP Physics 2, AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, AP Microeconomics, AP European History, or AP Comparative Government and Politics, and its only world language AP courses are Chinese and Spanish. Of these, AP Computer Science A and AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism have the greatest effect on students headed for science and engineering.
Must students in AP courses at Crean Lutheran High School take the exam, and what are the benefits of a high score?
In principle, yes. Crean Lutheran High School requires every student in an AP course to take the AP exam in May; only students who have permission from both the teacher and the counselor and whose course grade is 75% or lower may be excused. Each AP course also carries a $110 course fee. The school has one more rule: a score of 5 on the AP exam raises the transcript grade for the course by one letter grade (up to an A), and a score of 4 raises it by one step (up to an A-).
Irvine families often ask: can AP courses at Crean Lutheran High School also earn college credit?
Some can. Crean Lutheran High School offers dual-credit courses in partnership with Concordia University Nebraska. In 2026-27 these include AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP English Literature and Composition, AP US Government and Politics, AP Macroeconomics, AP Psychology, AP Music Theory, AP Chinese Language and Culture, and AP Spanish Language and Culture, each worth 3 to 6 college credits. Students choose to pay for the college credit, and dual-credit students must still take the AP exam. College transcripts must be requested from Concordia.
