Massachusetts maintained its national lead in the percent of high school graduates passing an Advanced Placement (AP) exam in 2023, according to College Board data released Tuesday, and made sizable gains in terms of Hispanic/Latino and Black students taking the college-level exams.

“I’m thrilled to see such strong results for Massachusetts AP students,” Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler said in a DESE release, encouraging all students to explore AP courses, Early College programs, Innovation Career Pathways and other options. … “Successfully completing an AP course and taking the test is an accomplishment, and I’m especially proud to see such a diverse range of students doing so.”

In Massachusetts, 31.3% of high school graduates scored a passing grade or higher on an AP exam in high school, well above the national average, 21.7%, according to College Board data on 2023 graduates. The state also took the top spot in 2022.

Trailing by over 2%, the next highest states were New York, New Jersey and Florida. Mississippi, 7.9%, Kansas, 9.7% and Oklahoma, 9.8%, had the lowest percentages of 2023 graduates with passing AP exam scores.

AP exams require a 3 out of 5 or higher for a student to pass, and the student may receive credit in college for their scores.

In the Commonwealth, 45.2% of 2023 graduates took an AP Exam during high school, an 8.6% increase from 2013, according to the data.

The state had the third highest uptick in Black graduates taking an AP exam in the last 10 years, from 22.7% in 2013 to 32.2% in 2023, College Board reported. The percent in 2023 was the third highest in the country.

For Hispanic/Latino graduates, AP exam participation shot up from 22% in 2013 to 38.2% in 2023, the fourth largest increase in the country and the tenth highest 2023 percentage.

“These results are encouraging, but they also show that there are gaps in who signs up for AP exams, said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley. “We’ll continue to work with districts, schools and partners to make sure that students know that advanced coursework is an option for them.”

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Latinos for Education founder Amanda Fernández called the results a “step in the right direction” but said they show “we can’t slow our efforts until all our students have equitable access to AP exams.”

Currently, about 90% of Massachusetts public high schools offer at least one AP course. The state has in recent years offered programs to subsidize exam fees for low-income students; expand schools offering science, technology, engineering and math AP classes with the STEM AP Access Expansion Opportunity; and formed partnerships with education organizations involved with the tests.

“Our administration will continue working hard to give our school districts the resources they need to help more students take advantage of advanced coursework that will help prepare them for college and careers,” said Gov. Maura Healey.