New AP Courses, New Pathways to Help More Students Succeed

As schools and districts across the country consider whether—and how—to expand their existing AP^® course offerings, the question that remains top of mind is: Which AP courses are the right fit for my students?

At the 2026 A Dream Deferred™: The Future of African American Education and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Conferences, a session brought together AP Program leaders and educators to help answer that question. The interactive conversation focused on helping educators build clarity and confidence about expanding AP access through four courses: English 10: AP Seminar, AP Precalculus, AP Business with Personal Finance, and AP Cybersecurity. 

Expanding AP Benefits to More Students

With the launch of AP Business with Personal Finance and AP Cybersecurity, the AP Program continues to evolve in response to student needs and interests. Today’s students—all of them digital natives—are looking for learning experiences that feel relevant, hands-on, and connected to real-world opportunities. “We are listening to students, we are pivoting, and we are updating some courses so that we’re responding to kids’ needs,” Elvey said. 

This pivot is in response to Gen Z’s academic expectations. In a 2024 Gallup survey, fewer than half of high school students said their coursework challenges them or gives them the opportunity to do their best. The solution? According to students, they’re inspired by topics they want to learn about, they want more hands-on learning opportunities, and they want to explore topics they can use in everyday life or a career.

To demonstrate the benefits of AP courses and their impact on student success, Elvey shared powerful research on the effects of offering these courses. AP students are not only more likely to enroll in college but also to perform better in college and complete a degree. This trend is most noticeable between students who haven’t taken an AP Exam and those who have taken just one, showing a positive correlation between AP success and degree completion.  

The Fastest Growing AP Courses to Offer

The session spotlighted four of the fastest growing AP courses that offer flexible entry points for schools that want to expand opportunity.

English 10: AP Seminar

Elvey explained that while English 10: AP Seminar develops the same core academic skills of an English class—reading, writing, speaking, and listening—this course goes a step further, expanding skill sets and adding student-driven inquiry. “Now, students are conducting their own research. ... They're investigating topics that they're interested in, building their arguments, and presenting their ideas,” Elvey elaborated.

AP Precalculus

Claire Lorenz, a senior director for AP School Excellence, explained that AP Precalculus is designed to provide students with a way to prepare for college-level math and postsecondary pathways—no matter what that may be. Lorenz emphasized that the course focuses on conceptual depth, not just covering content, so that “students develop quantitative skills that would help them no matter what avenue they pursue after high school.” What’s more, AP Precalculus isn’t just for students going into STEM-related fields. 

AP Business with Personal Finance 

Launching in the 2026-27 school year, AP Business with Personal Finance is a project-based course that introduces students to foundational business concepts alongside personal finance literacy—preparing them for a wide range of pathways after high school, including two-year and four-year degrees, the workforce, or entrepreneurship. For students who want to start their own business, this course provides a solid foundation in developing basic business and professional skills that are applicable across multiple careers.

For educators, there is flexibility in where this course could fit into preexisting business programs. Whether it’s offered as a standalone elective, satisfies graduation requirements, or provides an opportunity to gain college credit, AP Business with Personal Finance can fit into a variety of study programs.

AP Cybersecurity

For schools looking to connect students to high-demand careers, AP Cybersecurity introduces both technical and durable skills in a rapidly growing field, as Andy Tucker, senior director of AP Access, explained. “Some of you might be wondering ‘why cybersecurity?’ Well, computers are everywhere.” Tucker said, noting how many places peoples’ personal data is stored.  

In AP Cybersecurity, students prepare for emerging digital and workforce demands. The course emphasizes relevant skills, like analyzing and mitigating risks and detecting cyberattacks, as well as durable skills like communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Designed for broad participation, AP Cybersecurity has no prerequisites, and no prior coding knowledge is required.

Endorsed by over 100 major companies around the world, AP Cybersecurity can be tailored to fit into existing career and technical education (CTE) programs of study. The course also prepares students for whatever path they choose after high school. “There are 500,000 cybersecurity-related jobs at any given time, ... and this course prepares them for all kinds of opportunities,” Tucker noted.

Empowering Educators to Take the Next Step

The session closed with an interactive Q&A, where AP Program experts and educators shared real-world insights on planning and implementing these new courses.

Participants walked away with clear next steps, course-specific resources, professional learning opportunities, and access to one-on-one support—including the opportunity to schedule a personalized conversation with a content expert at no cost.

Together, these tools equip educators to make informed decisions and confidently expand AP opportunities for their students.