At North Buncombe High School, our goal is that all of our students have an opportunity to pursue rigorous and engaging courses that prepare them for college and/or a career of their choice. To that end, our Advanced Placement program is a leader among all Western North Carolina schools. Our Advanced Placement program boasts nearly 15 AP courses, allowing students to challenge themselves in college-level courses, with the possibility of earning 45 college hours of coursework. In addition, we offer even more AP courses through the North Carolina Virtual Public School.

We offer AP courses across our departments including science, math, English, history/social science, and visual and performing arts. We also offer numerous honors courses that help prepare students for the demands of AP classes. Last year, NBHS students took 374 AP exams. With almost 320 (a third of our student body) students in our AP courses this year, we've built an AP program to be proud of, and our students are a great source of that pride.

NCVPS AP Courses:

AP Art History, AP Computer Science, AP European History, AP Human Geography, AP Chinese Language and Culture, and AP Psychology

Don’t take it from us, listen to our students…

"Of all the courses a student can choose from at North Buncombe HS, the AP curriculum is exemplary in preparing students for any life path they take. No other classes serve to stimulate a student's mind or demand collaboration like AP courses do. Though the material is beneficial, it is really the quality and style of instruction that mirror individual thinking which is paramount at a university level. On a personal note, I was able to enter my undergraduate career at UNC-Chapel Hill with 51 credit hours and a thorough understanding of how to learn, think critically, and problem solve thanks to the AP program. Taking AP courses at NBHS was without a doubt the best decision I made during that time of my life, and I would recommend them to anyone."

- Travis Broadhurst (NBHS, Class of 2014) is a Morehead Scholar. He is completing his degree in Geophysical Science at UNC-Chapel Hill.

"The AP classes at NBHS not only provided me with a strong foundational knowledge in a variety of subjects but also prepared me for the challenges of studying and preparing for classes in college. Taking AP classes in high school gave me the opportunity to take college-level courses with my closest friends, receive individualized attention when I needed help, and allowed me to place out of large, introductory-level courses in college. The AP teachers at NBHS are passionate about the subjects they teach and it’s an amazing and fun opportunity to learn from them. I am grateful to the teachers at NBHS because their help and guidance allowed me to excel in college and graduate school."

• Ariel Jenu (NBHS Class of 2009) graduated from Harvard University in 2014, with a BA degree in Biology and a minor in Government. She recently graduated with a Master’s degree in Animal Science from Cornell University:

Due to recent school closings because of Coronavirus (COVID-19), the format for

Spring 2020 National AP testing has changed.

This includes new testing dates, and an online testing format.

Please follow this link directly to College Board to learn of the updated changes, and contact Jessica Graham, or your AP teacher, with further questions.