How to apply to Washington State University for engineering: admission to WSU first, then entry to Voiland College engineering majors through ALEKS math placement or calculus, with admission routes and prerequisites for U.S., international (including Chinese) and transfer students

At Washington State University (WSU, main campus in Pullman), undergraduate engineering is offered by the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture (VCEA). Here is what you need to know, based on official WSU information, for U.S. students, international students and applicants from China, followed by transfer students.

1. Engineering majors

• Undergraduate majors: bioengineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, computer science, construction management, cybersecurity, data analytics, electrical engineering, materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering and software engineering, plus architectural studies, interior design and landscape architecture. Civil engineering has environmental, infrastructure, structural and water resource specializations. Computer science is covered in a separate guide.
• ABET: the college’s ABET page says civil, electrical and mechanical engineering were first accredited in 1936 and that the cybersecurity undergraduate program is not currently accredited; details for other programs are on individual program pages, which we did not check one by one.
• Size: the college lists 4,364 undergraduates enrolled in fall 2025.

2. Admission: WSU first, then the major

The college says that after admission to WSU, students may be admitted to a Voiland major if they meet the catalog criteria for that major, and must then keep good standing by completing required benchmarks. Requirements differ by major:

• Math for new first-years (one of these for civil, computer, electrical, materials, mechanical, bioengineering and chemical engineering): 83% or higher on the ALEKS math placement test; WSU enrollment in Math 171 (or equivalent credit with a C or higher); or an AP Calculus AB or BC score of 2 or higher. Computer science and software engineering also accept IB math HL 5 or CLEP 50.
• Bioengineering and chemical engineering also need WSU enrollment in Chemistry 105 or equivalent credit with a C or higher. To stay in the major: a C or better in all required courses and a 2.00 term GPA every semester.
• Civil: to stay in the major, a C or better in Math 171 and 172, CE 211 and Physics 201, with a 2.50 cumulative GPA when these are done.
• Electrical and computer engineering: a C or better in Math 171, 172, 220 and 273, CptS 121 or 131 and Physics 201 (plus EE 214 for computer engineering), with a 2.50 cumulative GPA when these are done.
• Mechanical and materials science: keep a 2.60 GPA in the engineering, physics, chemistry and math courses required for the degree, earn a C or better in all required courses, and repeat any ME or MSE course no more than once.
• Current WSU students changing in: a longer course list first. For example, civil needs Math 171 and 172, Physics 201 and CE 211 with a C or better and a 2.50 cumulative GPA; electrical needs Math 171, 172, 220, 273 and 315, EE 261 and 262, Physics 201 and 202, CptS 121 or 131, English 101 or 105 and Chem 105, with a 2.50 GPA. No further benchmarks apply to students admitted this way.
• The page does not mention enrollment limits for engineering majors; the design majors (architecture, interior design, landscape architecture) have their own limits and a 3.3 GPA threshold and are outside this guide.

3. How and when to apply (first-years)

• Application: the WSU application or the Common App; $70 fee, waivers available.
• Testing: WSU does not require the SAT or ACT and does not use them in admission decisions.
• High school courses: meet Washington’s College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADR). For engineering math readiness, see the major criteria in section 2.
• Dates (page labelled 2026-2027): applications and scholarship applications open 3 August; 31 January is the priority date for the WSU General Scholarship Application, FAFSA or WASFA, and Top Scholars consideration; 31 March is the fall priority date for first-years, and students who want automatic university waivers should complete their application and documents by then (later applications depend on space); confirm enrollment by 1 May.

4. U.S. students: costs and scholarships

• Tuition: full-time tuition covers 10 to 18 credits at the same price; mandatory and program fees vary by campus and degree (Pullman undergraduates pay per-semester fees such as a $266 health fee and a $201 rec center fee, plus a $636 S&A fee). The resident and non-resident tuition figures sit in a chart on the cost page that we could not read; use WSU’s cost estimator. The page says program fees vary by degree; we did not find the amount for engineering.
• Washington resident recruitment awards (automatic, no application, tiered by unweighted high school GPA): 0.0–2.99 $500 a year; 3.0–3.29 $2,000; 3.3–3.74 $3,000; 3.75–4.0 $4,000; two years at Pullman, four years at branch campuses.
• Non-resident recruitment awards (automatic, four years): GPA 3.75–4.0 $15,000 a year (WUE Distinguished); 3.3–3.74 $12,000 (WUE); 2.0–3.29 $5,000 (Cougar Advantage). Recruitment awards cannot be combined.
• Inconsistent wording: the “Washington State Scholarships” page lists a WSU Crimson Award ($500 to $4,000 a year, two or four years, same tiers) but gives eligibility as “Non-Washington State Resident”, which conflicts with the main scholarship page listing these tiers for residents. We give both; follow what WSU tells you.
• Awards that need an application: Regents Scholars ($4,000 to full tuition, four years, high school nomination, student application by 1 December), National Merit (full tuition), and the Glenn Terrell Presidential Award (residents, $4,000 a year, General Scholarship Application). Voiland College also awards scholarships for engineering, architecture and construction management students through the General Scholarship Application.

5. International students

• Education and GPA: at least 12 years of schooling with a secondary diploma or external exam results, covering humanities, math, basic sciences and social sciences; a minimum 2.70 GPA (4.00 scale), converted by WSU.
• English (direct admission): IELTS 6.5, TOEFL iBT 4 (new scale), Duolingo 105, PTE 58, or options such as SAT Reading and Writing 500 or ACT English 17 plus Reading 19, less than two years old. Slightly lower scores can lead to the Undergraduate Foundation program.
• Waivers: three years at a U.S. or U.S.-accredited international high school; study at an English-medium school with a letter from the school; or citizenship of a listed country (including Canada, the UK, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland).
• Dates: fall applications by 15 June, documents and response (the $500 enrollment and orientation fee) by 1 July; spring 15 November / 1 December; summer 15 March / 1 April.
• Costs and scholarships: the international office’s undergraduate estimate (fall and spring, no year stated) totals $59,207. The International Academic Award is considered automatically at admission: $4,000 a year off tuition for a 3.60+ GPA and $2,000 for 3.0–3.59 (renewable for four years in total for first-years).
• Engineering majors: as for U.S. students, enter the major under the criteria in section 2, for example through ALEKS or AP Calculus.

6. Applicants from China

• Credentials: apply with your secondary diploma and grades; WSU converts your GPA (minimum 2.70). Whether and how the overall Gaokao score is used is not published; ask international@wsu.edu.
• Gaokao English: the English test table lists Gaokao English, with 125 meeting direct admission and 105 leading to the foundation program.
• Documents: English transcripts are preferred, otherwise send translations with the originals; unofficial transcripts are used for review and official ones are due before enrollment.
• Math for engineering: 83% on the ALEKS placement test after admission, or an AP Calculus score of 2+, opens most engineering majors.

7. Transfer students

• Domestic transfers: the admissions page sets no minimum credits or course requirements. The college strongly recommends contacting its transfer coordinator before transferring to check how your courses apply.
• Entering the major: transfers to computer, electrical, materials and mechanical engineering use the same math criteria as first-years; civil transfers need Math 171 and 172, Physics 201 and CE 211 with a C or better and a 2.50 GPA (transfer GPA if there is no WSU GPA); bioengineering and chemical engineering transfers need Math 171 and Chemistry 105 with a C or better.
• International transfers: at least 27 semester credits or one full year of college, with a GPA of at least 2.50.
• Scholarship: the Crimson Transfer Award (Pullman, residents and non-residents, $2,000 a year for three years) needs a 3.2 unweighted GPA with 27+ semester credits, or a 3.4 high school GPA plus a 3.2 transfer GPA with fewer; it cannot be combined with other recruitment awards.

Checklist

U.S. students:

• Apply by 31 March (priority date, which matters for automatic waivers); General Scholarship Application and FAFSA or WASFA by 31 January
• No SAT/ACT; enter engineering with ALEKS 83%, Math 171, or AP Calculus 2+

International students (including applicants from China):

• Apply by 15 June for fall; GPA 2.70+; IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 105 or Gaokao English 125
• Gaokao use beyond English is not published; ask international admissions

Transfer students:

• Contact the Voiland College transfer coordinator; check each major’s transfer criteria for civil, bioengineering and chemical engineering

Sources: Washington State University, Voiland College undergraduate studies; Admission to Voiland College majors; ABET accreditation; Voiland College transfer students; First-year students; Dates and deadlines (2026-2027); Transfer students; Tuition and expenses; Scholarships; Washington State scholarships; International undergraduate requirements; International deadlines; International tuition and fees; International scholarships. The dates page is labelled 2026-2027 and the international cost page does not state a year. Check WSU’s website for the latest.