Research by the University of New Hampshire says rural students have far less access to Advanced Placement classes than suburban or urban students. The AP program allows students in their final years of high school to take college-level courses and earn credit toward a degree. “We find less AP access in smaller districts and in districts located farther from urbanized areas,” says a paper by the Carsey School of Public Policy. And among schools that offer the classes, “rural students are far less likely to take AP coursework than their urban and suburban peers,” said the report. “These findings have worrisome implications regarding equal access to educational opportunity, as some studies have documented the academic benefits of simply engaging in such rigorous coursework,” says a UNH statement.