What Are The Most Popular AP Classes for 2026-2027?
- Stephen Turban
- Jul 22
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 23
If you’re a high schooler looking to pick an AP class (or more!), you should know what the most “popular” offerings out there are.
Popularity here is not the same thing as "easiest" or "best for you." It mostly reflects which subjects are widely offered, commonly required or recommended early on, and broadly appealing across different academic interests.
Key takeaways
Among the class of 2025, AP English Language and Composition, AP World History: Modern, AP Human Geography, AP United States History, and AP Psychology saw the largest number of first-time exam takers, according to College Board's own data.
Over 1.3 million students in the class of 2025 took more than 4.8 million AP exams in U.S. public high schools alone.
Popularity is shaped heavily by which subjects are widely offered and commonly recommended for underclassmen, not just by student preference.
A class being popular does not mean it is the right one for you. Fit with your interests and intended major matters more than a subject's overall enrollment numbers.
Which AP classes actually have the most test takers?
According to College Board's own newsroom reporting on the class of 2025, AP English Language and Composition, AP World History: Modern, AP Human Geography, AP United States History, and AP Psychology saw the largest number of first-time exam takers among that graduating class. These five show up again and again on popularity lists because they sit at the intersection of two things: they are widely offered at schools across the country, and they are commonly recommended as accessible entry points into AP coursework.
Why are these particular classes so popular?
A few patterns explain most of it. AP Human Geography is frequently recommended as a first AP class for 9th graders, since it does not require heavy prerequisites and introduces students to AP-level reading and writing demands gradually. AP World History and AP European History fill a similar role for 10th graders at many schools. AP English Language and Composition often gets folded into a school's standard junior-year English curriculum, which means huge numbers of students end up taking it almost by default rather than by deliberate choice. AP Psychology and AP U.S. History are broadly appealing because they connect to a wide range of intended majors and do not require a specific math or science background to succeed.
How big is AP participation overall?
The scale is genuinely large. Over 1.3 million students in the class of 2025 took more than 4.8 million AP exams in U.S. public high schools, and 37.0% of that graduating class took at least one AP exam during high school. Looking at all schools and all grade levels combined, more than 6.1 million AP exams were administered across roughly 3.2 million students in the May 2025 exam cycle. Participation grew in 36 of the 40 AP subjects offered that year, showing the growth is broad-based rather than concentrated in just a few popular classes.
Does "most popular" mean "easiest"?
Not necessarily, and this is worth separating clearly. Based on College Board's 2026 score distributions, AP Human Geography actually posted one of the lower pass rates among all AP subjects that year, at 66%. This is largely because it is disproportionately taken by 9th graders sitting their very first AP exam, not because the content is unusually difficult. Popularity and difficulty measure two different things entirely.
Should you take a popular AP class just because it's popular?
Not automatically. A class being widely taken says more about typical school offerings and scheduling patterns than about whether it fits your interests or intended major. If a popular subject also genuinely connects to what you want to study or explore, it is a perfectly reasonable choice. If it does not, a less commonly taken but more personally relevant AP class, or an honors or dual enrollment alternative where your school offers one, may serve you better than following the crowd.
Choosing beyond what's popular
Popular AP classes are popular partly because they are broadly accessible entry points, not because they are the deepest or most personally meaningful option for every student. If a subject genuinely excites you but isn't offered, or you want to go further than a single AP course allows, independent research is one way to pursue that depth on your own terms.
Programs like the Lumiere Research Scholar Program pair students with a PhD mentor to build an original project in almost any subject area, well beyond what any single popular AP class can cover.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular AP class in the U.S.?
Based on first-time exam takers in the class of 2025, AP English Language and Composition, AP World History: Modern, AP Human Geography, AP United States History, and AP Psychology were the five most commonly taken, according to College Board's own data.
Why is AP Human Geography so popular?
It is frequently recommended as an accessible first AP class for 9th graders, since it has no heavy prerequisites, which is why it appears consistently among the most-taken AP exams nationally.
Are popular AP classes easier than less popular ones?
Not necessarily. AP Human Geography, despite being one of the most popular AP classes, posted one of the lower national pass rates in 2026, largely because it is taken heavily by first-time 9th grade test takers.
How many students take AP exams each year?
Over 1.3 million students in the class of 2025 took more than 4.8 million AP exams in U.S. public high schools, with more than 6.1 million total exams administered across all grade levels and school types that year.
Should I take a popular AP class if it doesn't interest me?
Not necessarily. Popularity mostly reflects broad availability and common scheduling patterns rather than fit. A less common AP class, or a different way of demonstrating rigor entirely, may serve your specific goals better.
Resources
Official AP resources
Class of 2025 Builds on a Decade of Gains in AP Participation and Performance, College Board's official participation data.
2026 AP Score Distributions, official pass rates by subject.
AP Courses and Exams, the full current list of all 42 AP subjects.
More from the Lumiere blog
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a graduate of Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. in Statistics. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.