How to Apply to Engineering at the University of Kansas: 12 Undergraduate Degrees, Direct First-Year Admission with a 3.0 GPA and Math Readiness, a Pre-Engineering Route, Admission Routes and Prerequisites for U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The University of Kansas (KU) in Lawrence teaches undergraduate engineering in its School of Engineering. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on KU’s website, for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Computer science is also in the School of Engineering; it has its own guide on this site and is not covered in detail here.

1. Programs and structure

• 12 undergraduate degrees (2026-27 catalog): aerospace engineering, applied computing, architectural engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, computer science, cybersecurity engineering, electrical engineering, engineering physics, mechanical engineering and petroleum engineering. A biomedical engineering minor is open to all engineering undergraduates.
• Common courses: the catalog says undergraduates usually enroll in engineering in their first year, and the first few semesters of all curricula share many courses. With advising, students may delay choosing a field for one or two semesters, but choosing a major by the start of the third semester is strongly encouraged so the recommended schedule can be followed.
• Graduation requirements: a GPA of at least 2.0 in courses applied to the degree and in all courses taken in the school, and the last 30 hours at KU while enrolled in the school. Mechanical engineering, for example, requires 128 hours, and courses such as Calculus I and II need a C- or better before later courses can be taken.
• ABET accreditation: this guide did not check each program’s accreditation; see the departmental pages.

2. Getting into the School of Engineering

• Direct first-year admission (all three):
  • be admissible to KU by assured admission or individual review;
  • a high school GPA of 3.0 or above;
  • math readiness by one of: a math ACT of 22+ (or SAT math 540+); a B or better in college algebra or a more advanced math course; a C or better in high school calculus; IB or AP credit for those courses under KU’s placement rules; or a qualifying ALEKS score for MATH 104.
• If not admitted directly: students admissible to KU can start in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as pre-engineering students and apply to the school once they meet the current-student requirements.
• Current KU students: a KU GPA of 2.5+, a C- or better in Calculus I (MATH 125 or equivalent), a C or better in all math, science and engineering courses, and a Change of School form. The school says these forms are processed up to the 20th day of classes each semester; later ones take effect the following semester.

3. High school preparation

• The school’s advice: the catalog recommends math through at least trigonometry (calculus preferred) and at least a year each of chemistry and physics, with a sound background in English, history, economics and social studies, preferably including some computing and programming.
• Math readiness: see section 2; ACT/SAT math, calculus grades, AP/IB credit or ALEKS all count.

4. U.S. applicants

• Applying and assured admission: KU is test-optional. First-year students who submit a transcript and meet one of these are assured admission to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: a cumulative high school GPA (weighted or unweighted) of 3.25+, or an ACT of 21 / SAT of 1060 with at least a 2.0 GPA. Others are reviewed individually. Engineering also requires the standards in section 2. The domestic first-year application fee is $40.
• Deadlines (no year stated on the page): freshman scholarships 1 December; FAFSA priority 1 February.
• 2026-27 estimated costs: tuition $11,844 for Kansas residents and $30,779 for out-of-state students, plus $1,065 in student and wellness fees. These figures are for 30 hours in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; other programs may add course fees, and the engineering course fee is not published.
• KU scholarships: the engineering page says KU’s renewable institutional scholarships, based on GPA alone, total up to $40,000 for Kansas freshmen and up to $69,000 for domestic out-of-state freshmen.
• Engineering scholarships (fall 2027):
  • Kansas residents can receive a renewable Dean’s Scholarship and domestic out-of-state students a First-Year School of Engineering Scholarship. Both use the same table of high school GPA and ACT/SAT: a GPA of 3.95+ with an ACT of 34–36 (SAT 1490–1600) earns $5,000 a year; the lowest band, a GPA of 3.50–3.69, earns $1,000 a year.
  • Requirements: apply with an engineering major by 1 December (with a transcript), take the ACT or SAT by 31 December and send scores (single-date scores, no superscoring), and enroll full time in the fall and spring right after high school.
  • Dean’s Scholarship renewal needs at least 12 hours a semester and a cumulative KU GPA of 3.5 at the end of each year.
  • Conflicting information: the engineering scholarship page says $1,000–$5,000 a year with applications by 1 December; the 2026-27 catalog says $1,000–$4,000 with applications typically by 1 November. Both are listed here; follow the scholarship page’s 2027 terms and confirm with the school.

5. International applicants

• Applying: international applications are handled by International Admissions; the fee is $90 and cannot be waived.
• Deadlines (no year stated): applicants outside the U.S., fall admission and fall scholarships 1 May, spring 15 November; applicants inside the U.S., fall 25 July (scholarships 1 May), spring 1 December.
• Engineering standards: as for domestic students, a high school GPA of 3.0+ and math readiness.
• English: full proficiency is not an admission requirement; students below the level can be admitted and take Applied English Center courses first or alongside. One English score must be sent with the application. Scores for full-time degree study include TOEFL iBT 79 (18 per section) or 4.5 on the new scale from 21 January 2026 (4 per section), IELTS 6.5 (6.0 per band) and PTE 53 (48 per section).
• Costs (no year stated): international undergraduate tuition and fees about $33,854 (30 hours) plus $18,424 living costs, about $52,278 in total; KU says costs vary by program.
• International freshman scholarships: based on high school GPA alone and renewable, up to $16,000 a year (GPA 3.95–4.00) down to $8,000 a year (GPA 3.25–3.49); apply to KU by 1 May. The engineering scholarship page lists its Dean’s and First-Year awards for Kansas residents and domestic out-of-state students.

6. Applicants from China

• Documents: sealed transcripts for grades 10–12 (senior secondary years 1–3), Huikao (academic proficiency test) results, a school-certified copy of the graduation certificate with an English translation, or a school letter stating the expected graduation date.
• Grades: the international credentials page says an average of 75% on the Chinese scale is expected for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and that programs such as engineering require more; the exact figure is not published.
• Gaokao: the China entry does not mention the Gaokao, so how it is used is not published; ask KU International Admissions.
• Math readiness: applicants from China also need one of the routes above, such as ACT/SAT math, AP credit or the ALEKS placement exam.

7. Transfer students

• Transferring into engineering: be admissible to KU, have a cumulative transferable GPA of 2.5+, a C- or better in Calculus I (MATH 125 or equivalent) and a C or better in math, science and engineering courses that apply to the degree; reviewed case by case, with the last 30 hours at KU.
• University assured admission: transfer students with 24+ transferable hours and a 2.5 GPA are assured admission to KU; with fewer than 24 hours they must also meet a freshman assured standard. The fall transfer scholarship deadline is 1 August.
• Credit: the school does not routinely accept credit from foreign institutions or U.S. vocational-technical programs without validation, such as by examination or a C or better in a follow-on KU course; engineering credit from ABET-accredited and articulation-agreement institutions is applied as appropriate to each curriculum.
• International transfers: a 2.5 GPA in all previous coursework.

Checklist

U.S. applicants

• Apply with an engineering major by 1 December for university and engineering scholarships
• Hold a 3.0+ GPA and show math readiness with ACT/SAT math, calculus, AP/IB or ALEKS
• For engineering scholarships, take the ACT or SAT by 31 December and send scores

International applicants (including China)

• Apply by 1 May for fall; the fee is $90
• Prepare transcripts, Huikao results, graduation proof and one English score
• Meet the 3.0 GPA and math readiness standards; ask International Admissions about the Gaokao

Transfer students

• A 2.5 transferable GPA, C- or better in Calculus I and C or better in math, science and engineering courses

Sources: University of Kansas, 2026-27 Catalog: School of Engineering; BS in Mechanical Engineering; Engineering admission requirements; Engineering undergraduate scholarships (fall 2027); Apply and assured admission; Costs; International applicants; International credentials; English proficiency; International costs; International scholarships. Some deadline pages do not state a year; costs are 2026-27 estimates. Check KU’s website for the latest.