How to Apply to Engineering at the University of Rochester: Biomedical, Chemical, Electrical and Computer, Mechanical, Optical and Audio and Music Engineering in the Hajim School, With No Admission by Major and Majors Declared With the Department, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The University of Rochester is in Rochester, New York, and its undergraduate engineering programs are in the Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on the University’s official information, organised for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students.

1. Undergraduate engineering majors

• How many: the school’s undergraduate page lists 14 undergraduate majors and nine minors. The full list loads through site search, so this guide works from each department’s undergraduate page.
• ABET-accredited engineering BS degrees: biomedical engineering, chemical engineering (in the Department of Chemical and Sustainability Engineering), electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering, optical engineering, and audio and music engineering. Each department page states accreditation by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
• Related degrees: the Institute of Optics also offers a BS in optics (the ABET statement covers optical engineering); mechanical engineering offers a BS in geomechanics with Earth and Environmental Sciences; and the audio and music engineering department also offers a BA in audio, arts and technology.
• Computing in the same school: computer science and data science are also in Hajim. Computer science has its own guide on this site.
• Experience: the biomedical engineering page mentions the Hajim School Co-Op program, internships and study abroad.
• Equipment fees: all undergraduates with a Hajim major pay four equipment fees, normally two each in the junior and senior years; the amount is on the Bursar’s schedule (not read for this guide).

2. Admission: declare with the department after entry

• Not admitted by major: first-year students apply to the University through the Common App or Coalition; the Hajim page says the Office of Admissions handles the process.
• Declaring: the University’s declaration guidance says you apply to the department of your chosen major and need its official approval, and you declare your clusters at the same time. The steps are: review the department’s requirements, prepare a course plan, follow the department’s advice (often a meeting with a faculty member) and submit the online declaration form. The departments page says each department has its own admission criteria; the pages read for this guide give no GPA threshold or cap for declaring.
• Mechanical engineering, for example: at least 128 credits and a 2.0 GPA in mechanical engineering courses and overall. Many required courses run once a year, so the department asks all students to follow its program schedule from the first year.

3. Prerequisites

• High school courses: the admissions pages read for this guide do not list engineering-specific high school math or science requirements; ask the Office of Admissions.
• Foundation courses after entry (mechanical engineering): eight courses: MATH 161 and 162 (calculus), MATH 164 (multidimensional calculus), MATH 165 (linear algebra and differential equations), PHYS 121 (mechanics), PHYS 122 (electricity and magnetism), CHEM 137 (chemical principles for engineers) and OPT 210 (circuits).
• AP and IB: the mechanical engineering page says AP, IB or transfer credit cannot meet the technical elective unless the offering department grants equivalency. Which engineering foundation courses AP or IB can replace was not checked for this guide.

4. Deadlines and materials

• Early Decision I (binding): 1 November; decisions in mid-December.
• Early Decision II and Regular Decision: both 5 January; ED II decisions in early February.
• Priority scholarship: send all materials by 1 December for the highest scholarship consideration.
• Supporting materials: ED I by 1 December, ED II by 1 February and RD by 15 February. The deadlines page shows no year.
• Application fee: $50, with a waiver available.
• Materials: school transcript, one teacher recommendation (up to three), school report and counselor recommendation, and the Rochester supplement and essay. An interview is highly recommended.
• Testing is optional: not sending scores is no disadvantage, including for scholarships. You can also apply test-flexible with AP, IB, A-Level or national exams instead of the SAT or ACT.

5. US domestic applicants

• Tuition: Rochester is private, and full-time undergraduates pay a flat tuition rate with no in-state or out-of-state difference.
• Aid: US citizens and eligible non-citizens submit the FAFSA (federal aid) and CSS Profile (University aid). Rochester commits to meeting the full demonstrated need of all admitted students.
• Merit scholarships: every applicant is considered, with no extra documents.

6. International applicants

• English: if English is not your native language and you attend school in a non-English-speaking country, you must take the Duolingo, IELTS or TOEFL. Recommended scores: Duolingo 130, IELTS 7.5, TOEFL 100 (former scale) or 5 (new scale). MyBest scores are not accepted and sub-scores are not combined across sittings. Applicants below these scores can still apply and may be admitted through the two-semester English for Academic Purposes Program (EAPP).
• English waiver: available to native speakers and to students who completed at least three years of high school taught mainly in English; request it by your application deadline.
• Financial documents: applicants who do not need aid submit the International Financial Support Form (IFSF); those who need aid submit the CSS Profile. Applicants who cannot show they can cover costs cannot be admitted.
• Aid: Rochester commits to meeting full need for all admitted students regardless of citizenship, but financial need is a factor for international applicants, admission is highly selective for those with need, and only a small number qualify. Merit scholarships are open to international applicants.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: on the testing page’s country list for the test-flexible option, China’s entry is the Gaokao, with a score verification report available through CHESICC. Applying without tests is also possible.
• English: non-native speakers at schools in China submit English scores as in section 6, unless they qualify for a waiver after three years at an English-medium high school.
• Transcripts: the international page read for this guide gives no China-specific transcript format; email international@ur.rochester.edu to confirm.

8. Costs

• 2026-27 estimate for residential students (US$): tuition 71,750, mandatory fees 1,622, housing 12,822, food 8,506, transportation 300 and personal expenses 1,022, about 96,022 in total. Textbooks and select course materials are included in tuition.
• Hajim equipment fees: four in the junior and senior years (see section 1).

9. Transfer students

• Hajim: the school accepts transfer students for fall and spring, reviewed on a rolling basis.
• Deadline: 15 March for fall priority consideration, with decisions from late March and then every three to four weeks.
• Eligibility: at least 8 college credits after high school makes you a transfer applicant; the most competitive have completed a year of college. Rochester says the average transfer GPA is above 3.3, with a typical admitted median of 3.5.
• Credit: comparable courses with a C or better can transfer; university work outside the US needs a course-by-course evaluation from WES or ECE.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Apply by 1 November (ED I), 1 December (priority scholarship) or 5 January (ED II, RD)
• Submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile if you want aid

International applicants (including China):

• Recommended English scores: Duolingo 130, IELTS 7.5 or TOEFL 5 (new scale); three years at an English-medium high school allows a waiver request
• Submit the IFSF or CSS Profile; needing aid affects admission
• Applicants from China can decide whether to send the Gaokao under test-flexible, verified through CHESICC; an interview is highly recommended

After entry:

• Follow your major’s schedule of calculus, physics and chemistry in the first year, then declare with the department

Transfer students:

• Apply by 15 March for fall priority; get a WES or ECE course-by-course evaluation for university work outside the US

Sources: University of Rochester, Hajim School undergraduate; Departments and institutes; Mechanical engineering major requirements; Hajim apply page; Hajim equipment fees; Declaring a major; Dates and deadlines; First-year students; International students; Testing policies; Transfer students; Tuition and expenses. Information is for fall 2027 entry; check the University of Rochester’s website for the latest.