How to Apply to Engineering at UConn: Fifteen College of Engineering Majors, Admission Decided by Undergraduate Admissions, and Space-Limited Internal Transfer for Majors Such as Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering, with Admission Routes and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At the University of Connecticut (UConn), undergraduate engineering is offered by the College of Engineering, based on the main Storrs campus. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on UConn’s website, for U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants (including applicants from China) and transfer students.

1. Majors

• Fifteen majors: biomedical, chemical, civil, computer engineering, computer science, computer science and engineering, data science and engineering, electrical, engineering physics, environmental, Management and Engineering for Manufacturing (MEM, awarded jointly with the School of Business), materials science and engineering, mechanical, multidisciplinary and robotics engineering. Computing majors have their own guide on this site. The college reports an average SAT of 1355 for incoming students.
• Accreditation: the college’s accreditation page lists each major’s details and notes that Data Science and Engineering was not accredited as of spring 2025. Check that page for the other majors.
• Hands-on work: the college runs a First Year Design Expo, Senior Design Demonstration Day, internships and co-ops, and international engineering programs.

2. Admission

• Decided by Admissions: the College of Engineering states that it does not select the students offered undergraduate admission; UConn’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions does. Prospective students who want a different major submit a major appeal through the admissions portal, reviewed by Admissions. The pages we read do not say whether first-years are admitted directly to a specific engineering major; ask Admissions.
• Changing into engineering as a current UConn student is competitive, through request.engr.uconn.edu. The college says new criteria apply from the spring 2026 review cycle, but they sit in collapsed tabs we could not read. The previous criteria (for fall 2025 and earlier) visible on the page were:
  • reviews twice a year, in January and June, with applications by 25 December (spring) or 25 May (fall), listing a first and second choice;
  • minimums: enrollment in or completion of a lab science related to the major (such as CHEM 1127Q) and MATH 1131Q or higher at UConn; C or better in recent STEM classes; a 2.7 cumulative GPA; full-time status; AP and transfer credits are not considered;
  • space-constrained majors: biomedical, the computing majors and mechanical engineering. The previous semester’s standards were at least a 3.2 GPA with 12+ STEM credits and a B/B+ STEM average for biomedical, and at least a 3.2 GPA with no STEM grade below C for mechanical. The page says these vary by semester and are not a guarantee.

3. High school preparation

• All first-year applicants: 4 units of English, 3 of math, 2 of social science or history, 2 of a single foreign language (3 strongly recommended), 2 of laboratory science and 3 electives.
• Engineering applicants: two pages differ. The first-year requirements page says College of Engineering applicants need high school chemistry or physics; the international first-year page says applicants to engineering must have taken physics and chemistry. Both appear on UConn’s website, so check with Admissions.

4. Dates and materials (fall 2027)

• Early Decision: 1 November, with decisions from mid-December.
• Merit and Honors priority: 1 December.
• Storrs Regular Decision: 15 January, with decisions from early March; regional campuses 1 May, rolling. All documents must arrive by the deadline; late files are reviewed on a space-available basis.
• Spring entry: 1 October.
• Applications: Common App or Coalition; $80 fee; personal essay of 250 to 650 words; recommendations optional but preferred.
• Testing: UConn is test-optional for the foreseeable future. The middle 50% of fall 2026 Storrs admits who submitted scores was SAT 1320–1460 and ACT 29–34.

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• 2026-27 Storrs tuition: $17,010 for Connecticut residents, $39,678 out-of-state and $26,028 New England Regional; university and student fees $4,564. See Admissions’ New England Regional Student Program page for who qualifies for the regional rate.
• Estimated total expenses (with housing, food, books, transport and personal costs): $44,230 in-state, $67,108 out-of-state and $53,458 New England Regional. The cost page does not list an engineering surcharge.
• Scholarships:
  • Most merit awards are considered automatically, with priority for applications by 1 December: the Academic Excellence Scholarship, Husky Achievement Award and Leadership Scholarship for in-state and out-of-state applicants, and a STEM Scholarship for Storrs applicants choosing a STEM major with extraordinary STEM involvement.
  • The Nutmeg and Day of Pride Scholarships are for Connecticut residents (20 recipients each statewide, full cost); the Stamps Scholarship is open to all Storrs applicants (full cost plus a one-time $12,000 award). These three need a supplemental application and you may apply for only one; the Nutmeg and Stamps entries say to apply by 1 November and submit the supplement by 8 November.
• Financial aid: the FAFSA deadline is 15 February; Early Decision applicants who file the FAFSA by 1 November get aid offers from mid-December.

6. International applicants

• Courses: college preparatory English (if offered), math, physical science and social science; engineering applicants must have taken physics and chemistry. International students who completed all four years of high school in the U.S. follow domestic requirements.
• English (required for non-native speakers, minimums): TOEFL 4.5 on the new scale (79 on the old), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 110, LanguageCert Academic 70 or PTE 60. Waivers include at least two years of U.S. secondary school (excluding ESL).
• Costs: the cost page lists in-state, out-of-state and New England Regional figures but no international column (the out-of-state estimate totals $67,108); ask Admissions about international costs.
• Scholarships: the Global Excellence, Global Distinction and Global Leader Awards are for international applicants at all campuses, renewable for four years, with priority by 1 December; the Stamps Scholarship is also open to international applicants.
• Visa: after admission, the I-20 requires a financial statement and proof of funds covering the first year.

7. Applicants from China

• Chinese national curriculum: submit grade 10 and 11 transcripts with grade 12 courses in progress when applying, then the full three-year transcript and graduation certificate after graduating, with official English translations.
• Physics and chemistry: the international page says engineering applicants must have taken both, so make sure they appear on your transcript.
• Gaokao: whether and how it is used is not published; ask UConn international admissions.

8. Transfer

• Decisions: the College of Engineering states that transfer admission is decided by Undergraduate Admissions, with advising at orientation.
• Engineering is a restricted program: transfers need at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale) and completed calculus, chemistry and physics prerequisites. The engineering fall deadline is 1 April, after which applications are reviewed on a space-available basis; international students cannot apply for spring entry.
• Credit: only courses from regionally accredited institutions, comparable to UConn courses and passed with a C or better, transfer; online lab science and language courses, pass/fail courses, and co-op or internship credit do not.
• CT State community college: the College of Technology (COT) Pathway guarantees admission but not graduation within two years; the college notes that the A.S. in Engineering Science is not currently one of the three degrees eligible for Block Transfer.

9. Engineering scholarships

• The college uses one application on CommunityForce to match students to many funds. The continuing-student application opens in late October and closes on 30 January at noon; incoming first-year forms open in late spring or early summer, depending on the fund. The page does not say whether international students can apply.

Checklist

• Take physics and chemistry in high school (the international page requires both), plus strong math
• Apply by 1 December for merit priority; if applying for Nutmeg, Day of Pride or Stamps, follow the supplemental application deadlines
• Complete your Storrs application by 15 January
• International applicants: prepare TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores and translate documents
• Current UConn students: take a lab science and MATH 1131Q, and confirm the latest internal criteria with the college
• Transfers: apply by 1 April for fall, with calculus, chemistry and physics completed

Sources: University of Connecticut, College of Engineering undergraduate programs; Engineering majors; Accreditation; Internal admission criteria; Engineering transfer students; Engineering scholarships; First-year applicants; First-year requirements; Fall 2027 dates and deadlines; International first-year applicants; Merit scholarships; Restricted transfer programs; 2026-27 cost of attendance. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures); check UConn for the latest details.