AP vs IB vs Honors vs Dual Enrollment: Which Advanced Classes to Take

Reviewed and updated October 2026 against the College Board’s AP course, fee and score pages, the International Baccalaureate’s Diploma Programme passing criteria and NCES data on dual enrollment.

If your school’s course guide is full of letters (AP, IB, HL, SL, H, DE) and you are trying to decide which advanced classes to take, this guide explains each option, compares them in pairs the way students and parents actually ask, and ends with a way to decide. Figures come from the College Board, the International Baccalaureate and the National Center for Education Statistics.

The four options at a glance

What are honors classes?

Honors classes are faster or deeper versions of a school’s regular courses: honors English, honors chemistry and so on. There is no national honors curriculum and no external exam, so what “honors” means depends on your school. They are often the step before AP or IB, especially in ninth and tenth grade.

Many schools weight honors grades, adding extra points when calculating a weighted GPA. Our guide to weighted vs unweighted GPA explains how that works and how colleges recalculate it.

What are AP classes?

Advanced Placement (AP) is run by the College Board, which offers courses and exams in 42 subjects, from calculus and biology to art history and computer science principles. AP courses follow a college-level curriculum, and in May you can sit a standardized AP Exam.

Exams are scored on a five-point scale. According to the College Board’s score table, a 5 means extremely well qualified (roughly an A or A+ in the college course), a 4 very well qualified (A-, B+ or B), a 3 qualified (B-, C+ or C), a 2 possibly qualified and a 1 no recommendation. Each college decides which scores, if any, earn credit or placement.

The exam fee is $99 per exam in the U.S., U.S. territories, Canada and DoDEA schools and $129 elsewhere. Students with significant financial need can get a $37 College Board fee reduction per exam, and some states add more. Ordering late or not taking an exam that was ordered can add a $40 fee.

What is IB?

The International Baccalaureate’s Diploma Programme (DP) is a two-year program for students aged 16 to 19 at schools authorized to offer it. Students take six subjects from different subject groups, some at higher level (HL) and some at standard level (SL), plus a three-part core:

• Theory of knowledge (TOK): a course on how we know what we claim to know.
• The extended essay (EE): an independent research paper.
• Creativity, activity, service (CAS): a range of activities alongside academic work.

Under the IB’s passing criteria, each subject is graded 1 to 7 and TOK and the extended essay together add up to 3 points, for a maximum of 45. To earn the diploma you need at least 24 points and must meet further conditions, including completing CAS, scoring at least 12 points across your higher-level subjects and 9 across standard level, and avoiding too many low grades. Standard and higher level subjects count equally toward the total. Many IB schools also let students take individual IB courses without the full diploma.

What is dual enrollment?

Dual enrollment (also called concurrent enrollment or dual credit) means taking a college course while you are in high school. You usually earn high school credit and college credit at the same time, and the grade goes on a college transcript. The course may be taught at your high school by an approved teacher, on a nearby college campus or online.

It is common. An NCES study of students who started high school in fall 2009 found that 34% took at least one course for college credit. Most of those courses (80%) were taken at the student’s own high school, 17% on a college campus and 8% online. Participation was higher among students whose parents had a bachelor’s degree (42%) than among those whose parents had not finished high school (26%).

Cost depends on your state and the college. Many states and districts reduce or cover tuition for dual enrollment, while others charge per credit. Ask your school counselor what you would pay for tuition, fees and books.

AP vs IB: which is better?

The biggest difference is structure. AP is a menu: you choose the subjects you are strongest in or most interested in, and each one stands alone with its own exam. IB is usually a package: the full diploma asks you to work across six subject areas and complete the essay, TOK and CAS, which builds research and writing skills AP does not formally require.

Choose AP if you want to go deep in a few subjects, keep flexibility in your schedule, or your school offers a wide AP catalog. Choose the IB Diploma if you want a broad, demanding program with a research essay, and you are comfortable committing to two years of it. Colleges know both well; they mainly want to see that you took the most rigorous program available to you and did well in it.

Honors vs AP: what is the difference?

Honors is a school-level label; AP is a national program. An AP course follows the College Board’s curriculum and ends in a standardized exam that colleges can compare across schools. An honors course follows your school’s curriculum with more depth or speed, and its difficulty varies from school to school.

• Difficulty: AP is generally harder, because it is designed to match an introductory college course.
• Credit: AP can earn college credit with a high enough score; honors cannot.
• GPA: many schools weight both, often giving AP more weight than honors.
• When: honors is often a stepping stone in earlier grades, with AP in eleventh and twelfth grade.

AP vs dual enrollment: which counts more?

Both are college-level, but they prove it in different ways. AP relies on a common national exam. The College Board’s position is that dual enrollment programs “don’t offer a standard way to measure whether students have mastered college-level work,” which makes them harder for admissions officers to compare. That is the AP organization’s view, so weigh it accordingly. Dual enrollment’s advantage is that you earn an actual college grade and transcript, with no single exam day deciding the credit.

A practical rule: if you plan to attend a public college in your own state, dual enrollment credit often transfers cleanly and can save tuition. If you are aiming at selective or out-of-state colleges, AP scores are easier for them to interpret. Either way, look up the credit policies of the colleges on your list before you choose.

IB vs dual enrollment

These rarely compete directly. IB Diploma students usually have little room in their schedule for college courses, and IB credit is decided by each university based on your IB grades. Dual enrollment suits students who are not in an IB program, or who want college credit in a subject their school does not offer. If your school is not an IB World School, only the dual enrollment route is open to you.

Honors vs IB

Honors and IB sit at different levels. Honors is a harder version of your school’s own course, while an IB course follows an international syllabus with external assessment, and the full IB Diploma adds the extended essay, TOK and CAS. In schools that offer IB, honors classes in ninth and tenth grade are often the preparation for the IB Diploma in eleventh and twelfth. If your school offers IB, an IB course will usually carry more weight with colleges than the honors version of the same subject.

Can you combine AP, IB and dual enrollment?

Yes, within limits. Plenty of students take honors classes early, then a mix of AP and dual enrollment later. AP Exams are not limited to students in an AP class, so some IB students also sit AP Exams in subjects they have studied, which can help with credit at colleges that favor AP. What usually limits combinations is time: the IB Diploma takes up most of a schedule, and a college course brings its own calendar and workload.

How many AP classes should you take?

There is no magic number, and more is not automatically better. A useful way to think about it:

• Match your school. Colleges compare you with what your school offers. Taking several AP classes at a school with twenty matters differently from taking several at a school with five.
• Protect your grades. A schedule you cannot do well in hurts more than it helps, both for your GPA and for the exam scores that earn credit.
• Build up. One or two AP classes in tenth or eleventh grade, adding more in twelfth grade once you know the workload, is a common and sensible path.
• Pick subjects with a purpose. Courses linked to your intended major, or that satisfy general education requirements at the colleges you are considering, give the most value.

The same thinking applies to dual enrollment: one college course a semester is a manageable start, and it lets you see how college grading works before you take more.

How colleges see advanced classes

Admissions offices read your transcript in the context of your school. They know which advanced courses your school offers because schools send a profile with your application, so taking the most demanding options available to you matters more than which label they carry. Strong grades in a rigorous schedule beat a long list of advanced classes with weak results.

Credit is a separate question from admission. A college may admit you happily and still give no credit for a particular AP score, IB grade or dual enrollment course. Each college publishes its own credit policy, usually on the registrar’s or admissions website.

How to choose the right advanced classes

• Start with what your school offers. Few schools offer all four; your options are your counselor’s course guide.
• Play to your strengths. A few advanced classes in subjects you are good at beat many in subjects you are not.
• Think about your likely colleges. In-state public colleges often reward dual enrollment; selective and out-of-state colleges read AP and IB scores easily.
• Watch the workload. Several AP classes, the IB Diploma or a college course each add hours of work a week. Leave room to sleep and to do well.
• Check the costs. AP exams are $99 each in the U.S.; ask about fee reductions and what dual enrollment tuition and books cost in your state.
• Use honors as a stepping stone. Honors in ninth and tenth grade is a good way to prepare for AP, IB or college courses later.

Related questions often come up at the same time: how your GPA is weighted, what Latin honors mean once you get to college, and the difference between a college and a university.

Frequently asked questions

What is dual enrollment?

Dual enrollment means taking a real college course while you are still in high school, usually earning both high school credit and college credit at once. The course might be taught at your high school by an approved teacher, on a college campus or online. NCES found that 34% of students who started high school in 2009 took at least one course for college credit.

Is AP or IB better?

Neither is better everywhere. AP lets you pick individual subjects and take a single exam for each, which suits students who want a few advanced classes. The IB Diploma is a full two-year program across six subjects plus an essay, a theory of knowledge course and service requirements, which suits students who want a demanding, broad curriculum. Colleges respect both; what matters most is taking the hardest program your school offers that you can do well in.

Is honors or AP harder?

AP is usually harder, because it follows a college-level curriculum that ends in a national exam scored 1 to 5. Honors classes are advanced versions of regular high school courses, and how demanding they are depends entirely on your school, since there is no national honors standard.

Do colleges prefer AP or dual enrollment?

Many colleges accept both, but credit policies differ by college. AP has the advantage of a standard national exam, a point the College Board itself makes. Dual enrollment gives you a college transcript grade, which transfers most reliably to public colleges in your own state. Check the credit policy of the colleges you are considering.

Does dual enrollment count for college credit?

Usually, at the college that runs the course and often at other public colleges in the same state. Private and out-of-state colleges set their own rules, and some accept dual enrollment credit only as electives or not at all. Keep the college transcript and ask each college you apply to.

Can ninth graders take AP classes?

It depends on the school. The College Board does not set a minimum grade, so schools decide who can enroll. Some offer one or two AP courses, such as AP Human Geography, to ninth or tenth graders, while others keep AP for eleventh and twelfth grade and use honors classes first. Ask your counselor what your school allows.

What happens if you fail a dual enrollment class?

The grade goes on your college transcript as well as your high school one, so it can follow you when you apply to college and may affect later financial aid eligibility at that college. Talk to your counselor early if you are struggling, and ask about withdrawal deadlines, which work the way college deadlines do.

How much does an AP exam cost?

The College Board charges $99 per exam in the United States, U.S. territories, Canada and DoDEA schools, and $129 elsewhere. Students with significant financial need can get a $37 fee reduction per exam, and some states add further help. Schools may add their own fees.

What is a good IB score?

Each IB subject is graded 1 to 7, the core adds up to 3 points, and the maximum is 45. You need at least 24 points, plus several minimum conditions, to earn the diploma. Selective universities often look for well above the 24-point minimum.

Do honors classes help your GPA?

Often, if your school weights grades. Many schools add extra grade points for honors and more for AP, IB or dual enrollment, so an A in an honors class can count for more than an A in a regular class on a weighted GPA. The rules vary by school, so check your school’s profile or handbook.