How to apply for engineering at Auburn University: start in Pre-Engineering and enter a major after a C or better in calculus, physics and set courses within four semesters, with ACT/SAT required; admission routes and prerequisites for domestic, international (including Chinese) and transfer students

Engineering degrees at Auburn University in Alabama are offered by the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. This guide covers U.S. domestic students, international students (with a separate section for applicants from China) and transfer students. Computer science and software engineering are also in the college and have their own guide on this site; here we list only their entry requirements.

1. Majors

• Bachelor’s degrees: aerospace, biosystems (with bioprocess, ecological and forest engineering options), chemical, civil, computer, electrical, industrial and systems, materials, mechanical and wireless engineering, plus computer science and software engineering.
• ABET: the 2026-2027 Bulletin lists aerospace, biosystems, chemical, civil, electrical, industrial and systems, materials, mechanical, polymer and fiber, and software engineering as accredited by the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission, and computer science by the Computing Accreditation Commission. Computer engineering and wireless engineering are not in that paragraph; check the program pages or ask the college.
• Co-op: cooperative education is available in every engineering curriculum.
• Graduation: a 2.0 GPA on all Auburn work and a 2.0 GPA on major courses (those in bold on the curriculum model).

2. Admission: Pre-Engineering, then a major

• Freshman admission: the Bulletin says freshman eligibility is determined by the university admissions office.
• Pre-Engineering: a freshman program that helps students choose a curriculum; students move into a major once they complete its requirements. The pages we read do not say whether every new student starts in Pre-Engineering; ask the college.
• Time limit: the minimum requirements must be met within four resident semesters, not counting the summer between the freshman and sophomore years.
• Entry requirements by major (unadjusted cumulative Auburn GPA of 2.0, and a C or better in each course):
  • Aerospace, biosystems, materials and mechanical: Calculus I and II (MATH 1610, 1620), chemistry (CHEM 1030 or 1110), engineering physics (PHYS 1600), Introduction to Engineering (ENGR 1110), Engineering Orientation (ENGR 1100) and Introduction to Computing: MATLAB (COMP 1230).
  • Civil, industrial and systems, and electrical: the same, with Python (COMP 1220) as the computing course.
  • Chemical: Calculus I and II, Chemistry I and II with labs, ENGR 1110 and 1100; no physics or computing course.
  • Computer engineering: as aerospace, with Java (COMP 1210) as the computing course.
  • Computer science and software engineering: Calculus I, Discrete Structures (COMP 2240), an approved lab science, ENGR 1100 and 1110, and COMP 1210.
• Space limits: the Bulletin describes students as eligible to move into a major once requirements are met; it does not mention caps.
• Internal transfer: moving into engineering from another Auburn college needs the college’s approval under the same requirements.

3. High school preparation and exam credit

• Recommended minimum: 4 units of English; 4 of math including algebra, geometry and trigonometry; 1 of chemistry; 2–3 of history, literature and social science. Calculus, physics and a foreign language are recommended but not required.
• AP credit (the college’s July 2025 table): Calculus AB 3+ gives MATH 1130 and 1610 (7 hours); Calculus BC 4 or 5 gives MATH 1130, 1610 and 1620 (11 hours); Chemistry 4 gives CHEM 1030/1031 and 5 adds 1040/1041; Physics C Mechanics 4 or 5 gives PHYS 1600; Computer Science A 4 or 5 gives COMP 1210.
• IB credit: the same table covers IB, for example HL Chemistry for CHEM 1030 and 1040 with labs and Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches for MATH 1610; see the table for score levels.
• Math placement: a placement assessment decides your first math course.

4. U.S. domestic students

• ACT/SAT required: a complete application must include ACT or SAT scores sent by the testing agency; Auburn accepts the ACT superscore and superscores the SAT itself.
• Comprehensive review: grades, rigor and trends, plus engagement and service; as a land-grant university Auburn considers the mix of in-state and out-of-state students. Fall 2025 entering students (middle 50%): Alabama residents ACT 25–31 and SAT 1250–1450; non-residents ACT 28–32 and SAT 1280–1370; GPA 3.87–4.33 for both; overall acceptance rate 50%.
• Summer and fall 2027 dates: non-binding early action in four rounds, with materials due 15 September, 15 October, 15 November and 1 December 2026 and decisions from mid-October to early February; regular decision by 1 February 2027, with decisions in early March. For scholarship consideration, complete your file by an early action round.
• Applying: Auburn’s application or the Common App; the fee is $50, with waivers for eligible students.
• 2026-2027 costs: tuition and fees $13,572 for Alabama residents and $37,596 for non-residents; on-campus totals of about $39,516 and $63,540.
• Engineering professional fee: on top of tuition, $495 per semester for freshmen and $865 per semester for sophomores to seniors in 2026-2027.
• Scholarships: apply each year in AUSOM for university and engineering awards. General engineering scholarships are open to all majors but may be limited by state or county of residence and financial need; departmental awards go to students who listed that major on their application.

5. International students

• Dates: the application opens 1 August; final early action closes 1 December and regular decision 1 February; the enrollment deposit is due 1 May (or within 15 days of admission). The international page does not state a year.
• Documents: $60 fee; SAT or ACT required; TOEFL, IELTS or PTE; high school transcripts evaluated by an independent credential service and converted to a U.S. GPA (WES preferred, NACES members recommended); a financial guarantee and bank statement.
• English: TOEFL iBT 79, IELTS 6.5 or PTE 53; or English Composition I and II at a recognized U.S. institution with a C or better; or graduation from a U.S. high school. Students needing more English support can apply through Auburn Global.
• Admission: competitive; Auburn does not publish GPA or test cut-offs for international freshmen.
• 2026-2027 international estimate: tuition and fees $36,246, living costs $15,000, health insurance $2,013, total $53,259; the engineering professional fee is extra.
• Scholarships: the pages we read do not describe scholarships specifically for international students, or whether engineering scholarships are open to them; ask the college.

6. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages we read do not mention the Gaokao, so whether it is used is not published; ask admissions.
• Transcripts: Chinese high school records must be evaluated by a credential service such as WES.
• SAT/ACT: required, as for all international freshmen.
• AP and IB: can count toward pre-engineering calculus, chemistry and physics through the college’s table (section 3). The pages we read do not cover A-Level credit.

7. Transfer students

• Applying: transfers apply through the university admissions office; course placement is set by the college after reviewing transcripts.
• Credit: courses matching Auburn courses in time and content with satisfactory grades can transfer; Auburn 3000-level and higher courses are generally not transferable from junior colleges. Many engineering courses are specialized, so contact the college early. After transfer you still need the major-entry courses and GPA in section 2.
• International transfer: with fewer than 24 semester credits, at least one core course, a 2.5 college GPA, a 3.0 final high school GPA and ACT 22 or SAT 1100; with 24 or more, a 2.5 college GPA and two required core courses. Deadlines are 1 July for fall and 1 May for summer.
• U.S. transfer: we did not check the domestic transfer GPA and deadlines; see Auburn’s transfer admissions page.

8. Checklist

• Take four years of math including trigonometry and a year of chemistry, ideally with calculus and physics
• Sit the ACT or SAT (required for U.S. and international freshmen)
• U.S. students: complete an early action round by 1 December 2026 and apply for scholarships in AUSOM
• International students: apply by 1 December, have transcripts evaluated by WES or similar, and reach TOEFL 79 or IELTS 6.5
• After enrolling, finish your major’s pre-engineering courses with a C or better and a 2.0 GPA within four resident semesters

Sources: Auburn University, Engineering programs; 2026-2027 Bulletin: Samuel Ginn College of Engineering; Future engineering students; Engineering AP/IB credit tables; Engineering scholarships; Freshman admissions; International admissions; 2026-2027 cost of attendance; Program fees; International cost estimate. Freshman dates are for summer and fall 2027; costs are 2026-2027 estimates. Check Auburn for the latest details.