College Board Research

This one-page summary distills evidence from research published by Beard, Hsu, Ewing, and Godfrey (2019) in the journal Education Measurement: Issues and Practice. The research demonstrates that the largest predicted increase in college grades and on-time degree completion are associated with students taking their first or second AP Exam and accruing their first or second AP Exam score of 3 or higher and that these effects on college outcomes level off after five APs.

This research examines high school seniors’ sentiment toward the value of college before, during, and after the pandemic. Substantial declines in favorable views about the value of college during the pandemic are not explained by similarly timed changes in costs and benefits associated with college. Students who express less favorable views of college after the pandemic are more likely to enroll than similar pre-pandemic students, suggesting a change in the connection between student sentiment and actions.