RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Data shows Virginia is one of the country’s leaders in Advanced Placement exams.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports The College Board, the group that manages the AP program, released data on AP results for last year’s graduating class Wednesday.

More than a quarter of Virginia’s 2017 graduates qualify for college credit on AP exams, meaning the state has the sixth-highest percentage in the United States.

The more than 28 percent of seniors who earned a three or higher on at least one AP test is about six percentage points higher than the nationwide rate.

Massachusetts led the nation for the second year in a row with 32 percent of 2017 graduates having qualifying AP scores.

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Information from: Richmond Times-Dispatch, http://www.richmond.com