Saturday, October 17, 2026
The Baldwin Union Free School District announced that 303 Baldwin High School students earned Advanced Placement Scholar Awards in recognition of their performance on AP exams during the 2025-2026 school year.
To qualify for an AP Scholar Award, students must score 3 or higher on at least three AP exams.
“We are incredibly proud of our AP Scholars and the students who earned the AP Capstone Diploma and AP Seminar and Research Certificate,” Superintendent Anthony Mignella said. “These accomplishments reflect not only the talent of our students, but also their willingness to challenge themselves, work hard, and take advantage of the rigorous opportunities available to them.”
Mignella said the accomplishments also reflect the dedication of Baldwin’s teachers, administrators, as well as the support of students’ families. He added that as participation in the AP program continues to grow, the district remains committed to expanding opportunities that challenge students and help prepare them for college, careers and beyond.
The College Board’s AP program provides students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while in high school to potentially earn college credit, advanced placement, or both. Most four-year colleges provide credit for qualifying AP exam scores.
Baldwin High School offers numerous AP courses, as well as an AP Capstone Diploma program – a College Board academic distinction based on two yearlong courses: AP Seminar and AP Research.
AP courses are open to all Baldwin students in grades nine through 12. In May, Baldwin students took a total of 1,304 exams, with more than 80 percent of students earning a score of 3 or higher. The district said the number of students earning scores of 3 or above has increased steadily over the past five years.
In addition to more than 30 AP courses, including the new AP Cybersecurity and AP Business with Personal Finance courses, the district offers more than 30 dual-enrollment courses, allowing students to earn college credit before graduating high school. Baldwin High School’s current graduation rate is 99 percent.
The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on a student’s performance on AP Exams.
Of the 303 Baldwin AP Scholars, 99 students qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award. Students earn the distinction by achieving an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on at least five exams.
Another 50 students earned the AP Scholar with Honor Award, by earning an average score of 3.25 across all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on at least four exams.
The district also had 38 AP Capstone Diploma recipients. To earn the diploma, students must score 3 or higher on AP Seminar, AP Research, and four additional AP exams. Students who earn scores of 3 or higher on AP Seminar and AP Research but do not meet the additional exam requirements receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate. This year, three Baldwin High School students earned the certificate.
