AP test rankings: See how New York, Long Island fared

More Long Island schools were named to the Advanced Placement honor roll for 2025, and the number of schools that earned the highest ranking rose by one-third, according to the College Board, which administers the tests.

In Nassau and Suffolk, 110 schools received either platinum, gold, silver or bronze awards — up from 107 in 2024. Eight earned spots on the honor roll for the first time.

And of the 110 on the list, 23 schools notched platinum awards, compared with 17 the year prior, according to a Newsday analysis.

The local gains come amid a nationwide surge in participation in AP classes, with more students taking and passing AP exams across the country compared to a decade ago, according to the College Board.

Some Island educators said they have expanded course offerings and sought to make classes more accessible for all students. They argued that the advanced coursework remains relevant, despite a move away from standardized testing — with the state poised to drop its Regents graduation requirement in 2027, and many colleges making SAT and ACT scores optional for admission. AP exams, they said, offer students a less expensive way to potentially earn college credit, while the rigorous coursework prepares them for higher learning.

Studies have found that taking AP coursework helps students excel at four-year colleges.

“We find that early AP course participation leads to higher scores on state exit exams, greater enrollment in early college credit courses, and increased college attendance and completion rates, particularly at four-year institutions,” researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio, who looked at early AP enrollment for students who were not considered academically prepared, wrote in a 2025 report.   

But some advocates complained the program focuses heavily on test preparation at the expense of deeper learning. Education experts also note that, despite strides in AP participation, inequities still persist. They said low-income students and students of color are not equally represented in the program and questioned whether the college-level work offered long-term benefits. 

“When you look at children that are in low-income school districts, they have less access to advanced coursework, they have lower per-pupil funding, and that all goes into how many AP courses are offered," said Allison Roda, a Molloy University professor who has studied inequality in advanced learning programs.

Providing opportunity for all

The College Board revamped its award system in 2023. Evaluations are based on three benchmarks: 40% or more of graduating students must take AP exams, 25% or more must earn a passing exam score of at least 3 on a scale of 1 to 5, and at least 2% must take five or more exams throughout their high school years, according to the College Board. While 3 is the lowest score to qualify for college credit, neither the score nor the courses are universally accepted.

Statewide, 34.4% of graduates passed one exam in 2025, a 3.7 percentage point increase from the year prior. That's the second highest overall percentage in the nation behind Massachusetts' 35.8%.

Uniondale High School earned a spot on the College Board's honor roll for the first time in 2025, with school leaders saying AP participation has increased significantly. This academic year, 600 students were enrolled in AP classes compared with 295 during the 2021-22 school year, according to Stacie M. Reid, the district's director of guidance.

The school currently offers 24 AP courses and will be adding two more next fall: cybersecurity and business with personal finance.

A majority of the school's students are low-income and either Hispanic or Black. Reid said educators strive to ensure coursework is open to all students. “This reflects our commitment to academic excellence and ensuring that we provide equity and opportunity for all students,” she said in a phone interview.

David Hollander, the district's social studies director, told Newsday in a phone interview that students who complete AP coursework "show greater resilience and greater ability to succeed when they get into college. … So for us, it really shows that commitment and a belief that all of our students are capable of achieving at high levels."

Randolph Gonzalez, 18, a senior at Uniondale High School, said in a recent phone interview he was currently taking three AP courses and will graduate with nine under his belt.

“This is really giving me a lot more confidence for my future,” said Gonzalez, an AP ambassador at the school who is heading to Boston University. He said that even if the exposure is challenging for some students, overall, “It's a decent motivator for them to start excelling and getting on track for college.”

'Access, participation and outcomes'

Sachem High School East also was newly added to the AP honors list. The district, which has two high schools, now offers 25 AP classes with 1,256 students enrolled, compared with 1,093 enrolled in 22 classes in 2021, according to the district’s spokesperson. The schools administered 2,518 exams in 2025, up from 1,867 in 2021.

Superintendent Patti Trombetta said in a statement the “real value” is “less about the test itself and more about access, participation and outcomes.” The school allows all students to participate and has also made courses available to students in ninth grade.

Roberta A. Gerold, superintendent of Middle Country Central and home to Centereach High School, which was newly honored, said the district's two high schools offer many paths for students to succeed — including through vocations and the arts. She said Centereach High offers 21 AP classes with 697 students enrolled, and courses are open to everyone.

"What made us so proud here was how important the students thought their studies were, and how important this particular achievement is for them,” Gerold said.

Bellport High, in the South Country school district, made its debut on the honor roll with silver status — the third-highest ranking, above bronze.

Superintendent Antonio Santana, in an interview before he resigned earlier this month, said the district has added more AP courses and is also offering pre-AP classes.

The College Board ranking, he said, is important because "it reflects the work happening inside of classrooms, the expectations we have for our students, and the support systems that help students rise to those expectation."

Equity concerns

Roda, of Molloy University, said that despite increased enrollment in AP classes, inequities continue in schools serving communities with diverse populations.

"I think AP, IB gifted, accelerated or honors classes all follow the same pattern of racial and socioeconomic underrepresentation for Black, Latinx, Native American and low-income students, compared to Asian and white students and middle class students," said Roda, author of two books, including "Making School Integration Work: Lessons from Morris."

Fewer AP courses, she said, can have "long-term consequences" in terms of college acceptance as well as "transferring those courses to get credit for college."

Some research supports this, including a 2025 study published by Stephanie Owen in the peer-reviewed academic journal Education Finance and Policy. Based on administrative data from high schools in Michigan, Owen found that "students from non-economically disadvantaged families, White and Asian students, and higher-achieving students are more likely to take advantage of additional AP courses when they are offered, thus widening existing gaps in course-taking," according to the report's abstract. 

In a statement, a College Board spokesperson said while the company remains concerned about AP participation, the number of Black and Hispanic students taking exams increased in the last 10 years. 

Five of the Island schools added to the honor roll in 2025 are in low-income districts where more than 40% of the students were considered economically disadvantaged and more than 50% of the school population were students of color.

Jeanette Deutermann, founder of the group Long Island Opt-Out, has also raised concerns about the AP exams. She said in 2021 her son took AP French as a senior at a Nassau high school, and she felt the course taught to the test rather than providing substantial learning. 

"Over the last decade, AP has gone test-centric. The whole premise was it was supposed to offer higher level coursework for kids that had strong passions and interests ... and it's become more of a money-making scheme," she said.

Each AP exam costs $99. The College Board offers up to a $37 fee reduction per exam for those showing financial need and has provided more than $54 million in fee reductions for exams in 2025, according to company spokesperson Sara Sympson. 

Despite the scrutiny, the AP honor roll was still viewed as a hallmark of success by many districts. 

Jordan F. Cox, superintendent of the Commack schools, hailed the news that his district's high school had made the list in 2025.  

"This recognition reflects the broader work happening across our schools to support all students in finding the right path and being prepared for what comes next," he said.