How to Apply to Engineering at Utah State University: Automatic Entry to the College of Engineering, the Engineering Foundations First-Year Program and GPA Gates for the Pre-Professional and Professional Programs, for Local, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Utah State University (USU) offers undergraduate engineering through its College of Engineering on the main campus in Logan, Utah. Here is a guide based on USU’s website for US students, international students, applicants from China and transfer students. Computer Science is also in the college; we cover it in a separate guide.

1. Majors

• Listed undergraduate degrees: Biological, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Energy and Mechanical Engineering (with an optional Aerospace emphasis), plus Computer Science. The sample four-year plans also list Environmental Engineering.
• ABET: the college says it has six programs accredited by the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission, listed as Biological, Civil, Environmental, Computer, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, and Computer Science accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission. Chemical and Energy Engineering are not on that list; their status is not published.
• Chemical Engineering: a 120-credit program focused on upcycling, sustainability and data-driven process modeling, in the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering.

2. Admission: three stages

• Entry to the college: the engineering FAQ says any student admitted to USU who declares an engineering major is automatically accepted into the College of Engineering. You choose a major on the USU application; if unsure, pick the one that sounds most interesting and change later.
• Year 1: Engineering Foundations First-Year Program: all incoming engineering freshmen take Calculus I and II, chemistry, physics, Engineering Exploration (ENGR 1010), Programming for Engineers (ENGR 1400, in Python with MATLAB, Excel and Arduino) and general education. To complete it you need a 2.80 Engineering Foundations GPA and a C- or better in all math, science and engineering courses; you then receive a certificate of completion.
• Major Confirmation Application: students then apply to enter the Pre-Professional Program. The form says that to be authorized to add Pre-Professional courses by priority registration week, it must be submitted by November 1 for fall semester and April 1 for spring semester; students who do not pass prerequisites or meet requirements are dropped from those courses.
• Professional Program admission: complete your major’s Pre-Professional courses and meet:
  • Biological: 2.3 Pre-Professional Engineering GPA;
  • Civil, Environmental: 2.5;
  • Computer, Electrical, Mechanical: 2.8;
  • C- or better in all Pre-Professional courses, with no more than 2 repeats per course; a third attempt requires advisor intervention.
• Taking Professional courses early: allowed with 10 or fewer Pre-Professional credits left, a GPA 0.2 above the admission standard (Biological 2.5; Computer, Electrical, Mechanical 3.0; Civil, Environmental 2.7) and enrollment in the remaining courses.
• Two lists of majors: the first-year FAQ lists five engineering majors (Biological, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Mechanical), while the programs page adds Chemical and Energy Engineering. Ask engineering advising (engineering.advising@usu.edu) how the three stages apply to those two.

3. High school preparation and math placement

• Your math starting point shapes year 1: the Calculus Pathway starts in Calculus I; the Precalculus Pathway starts in algebra and trigonometry, with Calculus II and Physics moved to summer; students starting lower get a personal plan from an advisor.
• Recommended by the Mechanical Engineering page: AP Calculus AB/BC, AP Chemistry, AP Physics C (Mechanics; Electricity and Magnetism) and AP English Language, plus breadth courses. The Chemical Engineering page also suggests AP Statistics and programming fundamentals.
• AP and CLEP credit: the engineering FAQ refers to the general catalog (catalog.usu.edu); we did not check specific equivalencies.

4. Dates, documents and testing

• First-year (Logan): fall priority deadline March 1, final August 1; spring priority October 1, final December 15. The page shows no year; check before applying. Priority is the last day to be admitted before priority registration; students admitted after the final deadline may be deferred.
• Documents: application, official high school transcript, ACT/SAT (optional) and concurrent enrollment transcripts.
• Testing: USU is test-optional; scores are considered if submitted.
• GPA: 2.8 or higher is admitted in good standing; 2.0–2.79 is considered for Earned Admission, with earlier deadlines.

5. US students

• Application fee: waived for Utah residents; $50 for nonresidents.
• Tuition (2026-27, Logan, per full-time semester of 12+ credits, tuition and fees): $4,532 for Utah residents and $13,255 for nonresidents.
• Engineering differential tuition: charged per credit on engineering courses; in 2025-26, $2.09 for lower-division and $50.32 for upper-division courses.
• Academic scholarships (automatic review when you apply):
  • Utah resident freshmen: Presidential (by index; four years of full tuition and student body fees, also covering differential tuition), Deans ($7,500 a year), and by high school GPA Scholar $5,000, Merit $3,500, Land Grant $2,500 and Trustee $1,500, each for four years.
  • Nonresident freshmen: Presidential (four years of full tuition and fees) and Deans; with a 3.7+ GPA you can take WUE+ (150% of resident tuition minus $3,500 a year for four years), with 3.0–3.69 WUE (150% of resident tuition), or instead a one-year award while establishing Utah residency. WUE is only for residents of participating western states, and WUE students cannot establish Utah residency for tuition.
  • Priority deadlines for fall 2027: resident freshmen December 1, 2026 (some GPA awards to April 1, 2027); nonresident GPA awards to August 1, 2027.
• Other: Utah State Promise can cover tuition and fees for up to four years for qualifying Utah residents; federal aid requires the FAFSA.

6. International students

• Deadlines: fall priority application March 1 and deposit April 1; spring October 1 and November 1. Late applications may move to the next semester.
• Fee and deposit: $50, nonrefundable and not waivable; a $200 enrollment deposit after admission before the I-20 is issued.
• Grades: transcripts for the last three years with certified English translations; minimum GPA 2.7, higher for some majors. The international FAQ says engineering and computer science applicants do not need official ACT or SAT scores.
• English (within two years, one of): TOEFL 71 (4.0 on the new scale for tests from January 21, 2026), IELTS 6.0 with no band below 5.0, Duolingo 105, and others; or at least three years of high school in English with English courses completed.
• Costs: for fall 2026 and spring 2027 at Logan, about $29,222 in tuition and fees and about $46,062 in total, which is also the funding to prove for the I-20; engineering courses add differential tuition.
• Scholarships: the Afton B. Tew International Student Scholarship (automatic review with an evaluated GPA of 3.85+, $1,000 a year for up to four years) and the Kim Nam Kyun Scholarship ($2,000 a year, apply after admission). USU says it has no full scholarships for international students.

7. Applicants from China

• Documents: official transcripts for the last three years of high school in Chinese and English; minimum GPA 2.7.
• Gaokao: USU does not say how Gaokao scores are used; ask International Undergraduate Admissions (usuintl@usu.edu).
• Math: year 1 depends on math placement; students who start in Calculus I can finish Calculus I and II, chemistry and physics in the first year.
• English, deadlines and costs are as in section 6.

8. Transfer students

• University requirements (US transfers): minimum GPA 2.0, though many majors require more; applicants who do not meet their major’s requirements, with at least a 2.0 and fewer than 60 transfer credits, may be offered an Exploratory major. Send transcripts from all colleges; with fewer than 24 post-high school credits, also send your high school transcript.
• General education: an AA or AS from a regionally accredited institution (or completed general education) can satisfy most of it, with some USU-specific requirements still to meet.
• International transfers: transcripts from all colleges, minimum GPA 2.7; with 24+ English-taught credits from an accredited US college, no high school transcript is needed.
• Engineering courses: prerequisites taken elsewhere or by AP or concurrent enrollment must be posted to your USU record before engineering advisors can authorize courses. Transfers still meet the Pre-Professional and Professional Program gates in section 2; a separate engineering transfer GPA is not published, so check the college’s transfer tables or ask advising.
• Deadlines: the same as first-year (fall priority March 1, final August 1).

9. Engineering scholarships

• The college awards about $500,000 a year, mostly to juniors and seniors, so it encourages new freshmen to apply for university scholarships.
• Some college scholarships are reserved for incoming freshmen and offered by invitation based on your admissions application. The application for current and transfer students is open January 1–31 each year.

Checklist

US students:

• Choose an engineering major and apply by the March 1 priority deadline; resident scholarships have a December 1, 2026 priority deadline
• Nonresidents from western states: check WUE / WUE+ (GPA 3.0 / 3.7 and up)
• In year 1, keep a 2.80 Engineering Foundations GPA and C- or better in math, science and engineering

International students (including from China):

• Apply by March 1 for fall; $50 fee; GPA 2.7+, TOEFL 4.0 (new scale) / IELTS 6.0 / Duolingo 105
• No ACT/SAT needed for engineering; ask admissions how the Gaokao is used
• Plan for your major’s Pre-Professional GPA (Biological 2.3; Civil/Environmental 2.5; Computer/Electrical/Mechanical 2.8)

Transfer students:

• Send prerequisite transcripts to USU early; the Professional Program GPA gates still apply

Sources: Utah State University, College of Engineering undergraduate programs; Engineering Foundations First-Year Program; Major Confirmation Application; Pre-Professional Program requirements; ABET accreditation; Mechanical Engineering overview; Differential tuition; Engineering scholarships; Engineering advising FAQ; Admissions requirements and deadlines; 2026-27 tuition and cost of attendance; Future Aggie scholarships; International undergraduate admissions; International English requirements; International undergraduate costs; International undergraduate FAQ. Check USU’s website for the latest.