Earn Credit in High School

Get a jump start on your college education

You can earn college credit while you are still in high school by participating in the following:

• Advanced Placement (AP) courses
• International Baccalaureate (IB) programs
• High school dual credit classes

Talk to your high school counselor early on to see how you can get a jump start on college credits before you even graduate. Most of the colleges you are interested in attending will have information on their websites about how college credit from high school will transfer.

Advanced Placement (AP)

Most colleges and universities will grant credit for College Board Advanced Placement Examinations. The needed score on each AP exam in order to earn credit is determined by each college. MSU offers several opportunities for college credit through AP exams.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

If you are enrolled in an International Baccalaureate (IB) program, you may earn college credit by achieving certain scores on IB exams in academic subject areas. At MSU, we offer a variety of opportunities for students who have participated in the rigorous course work of an IB program.

High school dual credit

Many high schools offer the opportunity to take college courses that also count toward a high school diploma. This is a great way for you to prepare for and get a head start on your college degree.

At MSU, we award credit for most college-level classes taken as dual credit if the class is posted on an official college transcript from a regionally accredited college or university. We will not award credit for college work that involves remedial or highly technical content.

Policies regarding transferring high school dual credit classes will vary by college. At MSU, there is no limit to the number of dual credit classes a student can transfer. Just keep in mind that the grades you earn in dual credit classes may count toward your college GPA. Check out the dual credit page for more information on how your those classes transfer.