The Illinois State Board of Education announced that Illinois students’ Advanced Placement (AP) performance and participation not only continues to rebound from the pandemic but has outpaced all other states in the nation. Between 2012 and 2022, Illinois had the largest increase of any state in its percentage of high school graduates scoring a 3 or higher on an AP Exam, according to data released by the College Board. The number of high school students taking dual credit courses has also notably surged 30 percent since 2018 – leaping from approximately 61,500 in 2018 to approximately 90,000 in 2022. Among the class of 2022, more than one in four Illinois public high school graduates scored a 3 or higher on an AP exam. A score of 3 or higher on an AP exam qualifies for free college credit at all public colleges and universities in Illinois, thanks to Public Act 99-0358, passed in 2015. Participation numbers have continued to grow in part thanks to $3 million in supplemental funding from the state reducing exam costs to only $7 for low-income students and providing grant opportunities for districts seeking to expand AP offerings, with priority given to districts that do not currently offer any AP courses. Additionally, Illinois has expanded student access and diversity in computer science courses, with 40 institutions earning the AP Computer Science Access and Female Diversity Award in the 2021-22 school year.