How to apply to Syracuse University for engineering: eight engineering B.S. degrees in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, four years of math and a STEM teacher recommendation; admission and prerequisites for U.S. students, international students (including applicants from China) and transfers

At Syracuse University (in Syracuse, New York), undergraduate engineering is taught by the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS), and every degree is a Bachelor of Science. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on official Syracuse and ECS information, for U.S. students, international students and applicants from China, followed by transfer students.

1. Engineering majors

• Four departments: Biomedical and Chemical Engineering; Civil and Environmental Engineering; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
• Eight engineering B.S. degrees: aerospace, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, environmental and mechanical engineering. The college’s program page also lists B.S. degrees in Computer Science and AI Science (computer science has its own guide on this site and is not covered here).
• ABET: the undergraduate programs page states that Syracuse’s engineering programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET; the mechanical engineering page states this for its program too.
• Paid experience and combined degrees: the mechanical engineering page says you can do paid professional work in your field and still graduate in four years. Every ECS undergraduate program has a combined bachelor’s/master’s pathway, and any ECS major can pair with an Engineering Management master’s. Mechanical engineering also has a five-year Engineering/MBA program with the Whitman School.
• Advising: every student has a success advisor, a career advisor and a faculty advisor. First-semester students take ECS 101, and fundamental math and science courses are supported by one-credit Academic Excellence Workshops and peer office hours.

2. How admission works, and prerequisites

• Admission: you apply to ECS on the Common App or Coalition (Scoir). How students settle on a specific major after enrolling, and whether changing majors has a GPA bar or limited spaces, is not published; ask ECS admissions (contacts on the undergraduate admissions page). The university checklist says you may apply to several schools and colleges as undecided, but does not say whether ECS is one of them.
• Prerequisites (worded differently on two pages; both are given):
  • The ECS undergraduate admissions page lists these as “application requirements”: four years of high school math including precalculus and/or calculus; four years of high school science (physics strongly recommended but not required); and one recommendation from a math, science or engineering teacher or professor.
  • The university’s college-specific requirements page lists them as ECS’s “recommended high school coursework”: four years of college-preparatory math (including precalculus and/or calculus), laboratory science (physics strongly recommended but not required), plus one academic recommendation from a STEM teacher.
• AP/IB credit and math placement: the pages we read do not say which AP or IB results count toward engineering requirements; not published.
• Interviews: not required. ECS runs online information sessions on Tuesday evenings and offers 1:1 Zoom chats, which the page says are not admissions interviews.

3. Dates and application materials

• Deadlines (the same on the ECS page and the university deadline page; no year is shown, so confirm for fall 2027): Early Action and Early Decision I November 1; Early Decision II and Regular Decision January 5. Regular Decision results go out weekly from mid-March. Early Decision is binding.
• Platform and fee: Common App or Coalition Application (Scoir); the fee is $85, and waivers are available if you qualify.
• Materials: high school transcript, counselor evaluation and one academic recommendation (ECS asks for a STEM teacher).
• Testing: the college-specific requirements page says SAT/ACT is not required for fall 2026, spring 2027, fall 2027 or spring 2028 entry; not submitting will not disadvantage you, and you remain eligible for merit scholarships. The first-year checklist still mentions only up to spring 2027; the newer requirements page covers fall 2027.

4. U.S. students

• Tuition: Syracuse is private, so there is no in-state/out-of-state difference. Tuition for 2026-27 is $69,180; the on-campus cost of attendance is $95,676, or $98,544 with health insurance. The university says costs vary by program because of special fees; whether ECS charges an extra program fee is not listed on the pages we read (see the Bursar’s Tuition, Fees and Related Policies Bulletin).
• Financial aid: Syracuse says more than 81% of students receive aid, mostly grants and scholarships that do not need to be repaid. File all aid materials by the financial aid office’s deadlines; the cost page refers to the CSS Profile.
• Merit scholarships: students who apply without test scores remain eligible.

5. International students

• English: applicants living outside the U.S. whose first language is not English must submit English results. Preferred scores for ECS: TOEFL 85+ (4.5 on the scale used from January 21, 2026), IELTS 6.5+, Cambridge 176+, Duolingo 125+, or SAT EBRW 600 / ACT English 27. Meeting them does not guarantee admission.
• Waiver: first-year applicants who attended and graduated from an in-person U.S. high school for three full years (grades 10-12) can be considered; the admissions committee decides and approval is not guaranteed. Students in bilingual or non-English curricula must submit proof of English.
• Credentials: send official transcripts and diplomas with English translations from a reputable translation and evaluation service, plus a key to the grading scale.
• Proof of funds: F-1 applicants complete the Visa/Financial Support Information Form and upload a bank statement or letter covering one academic year. The page currently gives $96,747 (the 2025-26 estimate) for fall 2026 entry; check your applicant portal for the fall 2027 amount. The 2026-27 international on-campus cost of attendance is $100,526 (tuition $69,180, including a $1,000 program and technology fee and $2,868 health insurance, among other items).
• Scholarships: international applicants are considered for merit scholarships, chosen by the Office of Admissions on academic credentials and announced with the admission decision.
• Conditional admission: students who meet the academic bar but lack English or funding may be admitted conditionally; only TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge or PTE Academic scores count for this.

6. Applicants from China

• Credentials: the country table asks for the Upper Middle School Graduation Certificate and, if taken, a copy of Gaokao results with superior scores; no university credit is given. No Gaokao cut-off is published.
• Transcripts: send official transcripts with English translations; Syracuse does not translate documents.
• Interviews (optional): applicants in Asia can arrange a Vericant interview, and Syracuse also accepts InitialView interviews to show English skills; neither is required.
• Testing: SAT/ACT is not required for students outside the U.S. at schools that do not follow the American system.
• How Chinese high school courses map to ECS’s math and science expectations is not published; ask orange@syr.edu.

7. Transfer students

• Who counts: you are a transfer student if you have completed at least 12 credits in a degree program at another college; with fewer than 12 you apply as a first-year student. Transfers are evaluated mainly on college work.
• ECS expectations: a strong math and science background, preferably precalculus or calculus, chemistry and/or calculus-based physics. A GPA threshold for ECS is not published.
• Deadlines: the ECS page gives July 1 for fall and November 15 for spring; the university deadline page gives December 1 for spring with a November 15 preferred deadline. Fall transfers are admitted on a rolling basis from late February and some programs have limited space, so apply early.
• Credit: the Orange Transfer Credit Navigator shows how courses from some institutions may apply.
• English waiver for international transfers: at least 24 credits completed in person at a U.S. college with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (excluding ESL).

8. Checklist

• Apply to ECS on the Common App or Coalition by November 1 (EA/ED I) or January 5 (ED II/Regular); the fee is $85
• Take math through precalculus or calculus, and physics if you can
• Ask a math, science or engineering teacher for your recommendation
• International: TOEFL 85 / new 4.5, IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 125; prepare proof of funds
• Applicants from China: graduation certificate, Gaokao results if taken, and translated transcripts
• Transfers: 12+ credits, with calculus, chemistry and physics in place

Sources: Syracuse University, ECS undergraduate admissions; Undergraduate programs; B.S. in Mechanical Engineering; Student success advising; College-specific requirements and test policy; Dates and deadlines; First-year application checklist; International undergraduate requirements; International credentials; International costs; Undergraduate costs; Financial aid and scholarships; Transfer admission; Transfer application checklist. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are for 2026-27); check Syracuse’s website for the latest.