Excel Academy High School Reaches New AP Results Peak

Every spring, Excel Academy high school students take on college-level coursework through Advanced Placement (AP) courses and exams. In the 2025-26 school year, Excel students recorded the highest number of tests taken and the highest scores achieved in the history of the school. These results are part of the work placing Excel Academy Charter High School among the top 3% of public high schools in the nation.

“This data proves that college-level coursework belongs to every student in East Boston and Chelsea, not just some.

– Sarah Stuntz
Head of School, Excel Academy Charter Public High School

Universal Access: 99% of the Class of 2026 took at least one AP exam while they attended Excel Academy Charter High School.

We are committed to ensuring that college-level academics are accessible to every Excel student who’s ready for the challenge, not just a select few. While holding strong to this commitment of universal accessibility, more Excel students are passing than ever before: 61% of all AP exams taken scored a 3 or higher, the score most colleges recognize for credit. That’s the highest pass rate in our high school’s history.

Doubling Pass Rates With Real, Sustained Growth

This didn’t happen overnight. Four years ago, our pass rate stood at 32%. Since then, it has climbed steadily each year to virtually double. Just as important, students are taking roughly the same number of exams as in past years. This growth reflects stronger preparation and deeper learning, not an artificial inflation of pass rates by restricting who can take tests, which tells us our instruction and support are working for students at every grade level.

Matching the Nation’s Best

The achievement is spread across disciplines. In two courses, AP World History and AP Pre-Calculus, our students performed at or above the national average passing rate. Our students are rising to engage with challenging coursework at the same level as peers nationwide, a clear sign that rigorous, college-level learning belongs in every classroom at Excel.

Making College Accessible and Affordable

The CAPS team focuses on supporting students to forge a post-secondary pathway that is both accessible and affordable. Perhaps the most exciting number of all: one-third of the Class of 2026 graduated having passed five or more AP exams, roughly the equivalent of a full semester of college credit at a school like UMass.

A semester’s worth of coursework completed in high school is a semester of tuition, housing, and fees a family does not have to pay. It also opens doors: students who arrive with credits can move sooner into their major, take on a second field of study or an internship, or finish early. Our goal is not simply to get students into college, but to get them into high-quality options they can afford, so that the years after Excel are defined by opportunity rather than by what they owe.

The Work Behind the Numbers

None of this happens by accident. It’s the result of students showing up ready to be challenged, teachers pushing for rigor and providing real support, and a school community that believes every student deserves to succeed at the highest level, day after day, class after class, year after year.

We’ll share more data and deeper stories from this year’s results in the fall. For now, we simply wanted to celebrate this milestone with the students, families, and educators who made it possible, and to say thank you for being part of an Excel community that keeps raising the bar.