How to apply to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln for engineering: more than a dozen ABET-accredited engineering majors, the Explore Center route if you do not meet College of Engineering requirements, and admission paths and prerequisites for U.S., international (including Chinese) and transfer students

At the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL), undergraduate engineering is offered by the College of Engineering, which operates in both Lincoln and Omaha; this guide covers applying to the Lincoln campus. It follows UNL’s website for fall 2027 entry and covers U.S. students, international students and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Computer science is covered in a separate guide.

1. Majors and ABET accreditation

• Undergraduate majors (majors page): agricultural engineering, architectural engineering, biological systems engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering (offered by both the School of Computing and Electrical and Computer Engineering), computer science, construction engineering, construction management, data science, electrical engineering, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, robotics engineering and software engineering. The catalog says architectural engineering is Omaha only. There is no separate aerospace or biomedical degree; the catalog advises students interested in these to talk to Engineering Student Services or a faculty advisor.
• ABET: the catalog lists agricultural, biological systems, chemical, civil, computer (Lincoln and Omaha), construction, electrical, environmental, mechanical and software engineering as accredited by ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission; robotics engineering is “seeking accreditation”; computer science and construction management are accredited by ABET’s computing and applied and natural science commissions.

2. Admission: college first, then Professional Admission

The catalog says students must meet both the university and College of Engineering entrance requirements. It works in three steps:

• 1. Direct admission to the college: meet the course requirements below and one of ACT composite 24, SAT 1180, ACT math 24, SAT math 580 or a 3.5 cumulative high school GPA.
• 2. If you do not meet them: domestic first-year students admitted to UNL go through College Review, where a committee considers factors beyond test scores; those not admitted through review start in Pre-Engineering (PENG) in the Explore Center. With a 2.5 cumulative GPA in at least 12 graded credit hours and all entrance deficiencies removed, they are admitted to the College of Engineering. Missing courses can be made up by independent study, summer courses or first- and second-semester classes. The catalog also says a composite ACT of 28 or higher (or equivalent SAT) admits a student even if one of trigonometry, chemistry or physics is missing.
• 3. Professional Admission is required for graduation. New students (including those from the Explore Center or other schools) are first “pre-professionally admitted” for at least one semester (12 credits), typically one to four semesters. After at least 43 credit hours within the intended degree program, the major’s department reviews the academic record against criteria for that program. A student can be reviewed twice for a major; after a second rejection the student cannot continue in it, may choose another engineering major under its criteria, and if rejected again is dismissed from the college. A professionally admitted student changing majors must re-apply for Professional Admission in the new major.
• The specific Professional Admission standards (GPA, required courses, places) are on each major’s catalog page and were not checked one by one here.

3. Prerequisites and credit

• University core courses: 16 units: English 4; mathematics 4 (Algebra I, Algebra II, geometry and one course building on Algebra II); natural sciences 3; social sciences 3; two units of one world language.
• Extra for Engineering (first-year page): mathematics 4, with the fourth being pre-calculus/trigonometry or calculus/advanced math; natural sciences 3: one chemistry, one physics, one biology or earth science. Inconsistent wording: the catalog says the chemistry requirement is waived for construction management, computer science, computer engineering, data science and software engineering; the first-year page does not mention this. Students with ACT English of 19 or lower, or lower than a B in high school English, must take ENGL 150 or 151.
• Math readiness: transfer students must be “calculus-ready”; a placement test is not described on the pages we read, so ask Engineering Student Services.
• AP credit (credit evaluation site): Calculus AB 3-5 earns MATH 106 (5 credits); Calculus BC 3-5 earns MATH 106 and 107 (9); Precalculus 4-5 earns MATH 103 (5); Physics C Mechanics 4-5 earns PHYS 211 and Electricity & Magnetism earns PHYS 212; Physics 1 earns PHYS 141; Chemistry 3 earns CHEM 105A/105L and 4-5 earns CHEM 109A/109L.
• IB: Mathematics AA SL 5-7 earns MATH 106 (5 credits), HL 5-7 earns MATH 106 and 107 (9); Physics HL 5-7 earns PHYS 115 plus 200-level physics credit; Chemistry HL 5-7 earns CHEM 109A/109L and 110A/110L. A-Level: Math C earns MATH 106 (5), Physics C earns PHYS 211 and 212 (8), Chemistry C earns CHEM 109 and 110. Whether credit counts toward a major’s required courses depends on the program.

4. How and when to apply (first-years, fall 2027)

• Application: the Common App or Nebraska’s own application; $45 fee, with waivers for free/reduced lunch participants and military families.
• Dates: applications open 1 August; 1 November is the priority date (scholarship notices on 11 February); 1 May is the fall deadline, with the enrollment deposit; later applications may be waitlisted. Spring entry: 1 December.
• Testing: the university does not require the SAT or ACT but encourages scores for full scholarship consideration. The engineering standard includes ACT/SAT options, but a 3.5 GPA also meets it, so applicants without scores can qualify on GPA.
• Transcripts, recommendations, essays: you self-report grades on the application and upload an unofficial transcript. Recommendation letters and an engineering-specific essay are not mentioned on the pages we read.

5. U.S. students: costs and scholarships

• Cost estimates (cost page, 15 credits a semester, no year stated): Nebraska residents $11,472 a year in tuition and fees ($303 per credit hour), non-residents $31,542 ($972 per credit hour); housing and food $13,950, books $1,128, personal $2,324. The page notes that Engineering, Business and Architecture courses carry differential tuition; the engineering amount is not on the pages we read, so check the Student Accounts tuition page.
• University scholarships for first-years (considered automatically, using GPA or GPA plus ACT/SAT): for Nebraska residents the President’s Scholarship (full cost of attendance for up to four years plus $5,000 a year), Regents Scholar (full tuition), Chancellor’s (up to $8,000 a year), David Distinguished ($4,000 a year) and others; for non-residents the Chancellor’s (waiver of the non-resident tuition portion, estimated at $19,230, plus $4,000 a year), New Nebraskan ($15,000-$20,000), Husker Salute Pledge (up to $18,000) and others. The supplemental scholarship application opens 1 October and closes 1 February and adds departmental, leadership and service scholarships.
• College of Engineering scholarships: considered automatically once admitted to a major, with the supplemental application recommended; the college awards about $2 million a year and students reapply annually. Also Kiewit Scholars (full tuition plus an internship; 10 a year; Lincoln City Campus only; due 15 November), the Peter Kiewit Engineering Academy (40 a year; due 15 January) and the MEP and WIE community scholars (due 1 March). An Engineering Honors Academy launches in 2027 with a first cohort of 20.
• Nebraska residents: much lower tuition (above) and resident-only scholarships. The college says it has a particular mandate to Nebraskans as the state’s only engineering college, but it does not state guaranteed admission for residents.
• Co-op and internships: the catalog strongly recommends an internship or equivalent practical experience for future practicing engineers and links to co-op and internship resources; details of any co-op program and whether it is paid are not on the pages we read. Every undergraduate completes an Experiential Learning course, and the capstone in each engineering program counts.

6. International students

• Admission: UNL says it admits applicants who meet the core coursework requirements and show English proficiency; to be considered for academic scholarships you must be fully admitted. International core coursework: upper-level mathematics 4, natural sciences 3, social sciences 3, a broad selection of English and native-language courses 4. A minimum GPA is not stated for international applicants. The engineering course and performance standards in section 2 apply to entering the college.
• Testing: the international page says ACT/SAT are not required for general admission but “may be required” for the College of Engineering, with an ACT English subscore of 22 for Engineering. This differs from the first-year page, where a 3.5 GPA also meets the engineering standard; confirm with UNL admissions.
• English: IELTS 6.5 (6.0 per section); TOEFL iBT new scale 4.0 (4.0 per section), old scale 79 (18), 80 for Engineering, paper-based 550; Duolingo 110 (105); SAT Digital Reading and Writing 520 or ACT English 20 (22 for Engineering); UNL’s own English test (ELT) 80. Waived with a U.S. high school diploma or 30 transferable semester hours at a U.S. college. Those who fall short are conditionally admitted to the Intensive English Program. English scores for fall are due by 15 July.
• Dates: applications open 1 August; 1 November priority date (scholarship results 11 February); 1 May is the final fall deadline with a $250 enrollment deposit and the deadline for all materials for scholarship consideration; spring is 1 December. Late applications may be waitlisted. The fee is $45; apply with the Common App or UNL’s application.
• Documents: final secondary transcript signed and stamped by a principal, the diploma, and English scores. For an I-20 you need a bank statement of at least $53,922 (including scholarships) and your passport page. Before enrolling: health form, proof of two MMR doses and a tuberculosis test.
• Cost (no year stated): tuition and fees $31,942, housing and food $13,950, health insurance $4,578, books $1,128, travel $1,094, personal $1,230; total $53,922 a year.
• International scholarships: Global Laureate (up to $15,000 a year), Global Ambassador (up to $10,000), Global Delegate (up to $4,000) and International Scholarship Program Agreements (up to $15,000), evaluated with your application; processes differ by award, so use the site’s scholarship finder. Whether the college’s Kiewit programs are open to international students is not published.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the UNL pages we read do not mention it, or any China-specific page, interview or credential-evaluation body, so how it is used is not published; ask UNL international admissions.
• Documents: final secondary transcript signed and stamped by a principal, diploma and English scores; whether non-English transcripts need translation is not stated.
• English: Gaokao English is not listed; submit IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo, ELT or another listed test.
• Courses: the international page sets 14 core units (English 4, upper-level mathematics 4, natural sciences 3, social sciences 3), while the engineering standard needs four years of math including pre-calculus or calculus plus a year each of chemistry and physics. A-Level, IB and AP students can use the credit tables in section 3.

8. Transfer students

• UNL transfer admission: a 2.0 cumulative GPA on all college work and a 2.0 for the most recent term; SAT/ACT not required. With fewer than 24 semester credits you must also meet the 16-unit core course requirements.
• Into engineering: domestic transfers need a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5, the college’s first-year entrance course requirements and to be calculus-ready; otherwise they start in the Explore Center or another college. Transfers from UNO, UNL or UNK must be in good standing. After entry they are pre-professionally admitted and then go through Professional Admission.
• Credit: the college accepts transfer courses with a C or better from schools outside the NU system; C- and D grades from UNK and UNO are accepted by the college, but not all majors take them, and repeating courses at C- or lower is encouraged. At least 30 of the last 36 credit hours must be completed at UNL or UNO in the College of Engineering.
• Dates: fall 2027 transfer applications open 1 August and close 1 May; scholarship deadlines are 1 March (in-state) and 1 May (out-of-state); spring 1 December (in-state scholarships 1 October). The fee is $45. International transfers apply with UNL’s application.
• 2+2 partner programs: pre-engineering programs with the University of Nebraska at Kearney and Wayne State College: two years there, then two at the UNL College of Engineering.
• Scholarships: for example the Transfer Chancellor Tuition Commitment for in-state students (up to $8,000 a year), New Nebraskan for out-of-state transfers ($4,000-$15,000) and the Husker Salute Pledge (up to $18,000); international transfers can apply for the Global scholarships.

Checklist

U.S. students:

• Apply by 1 November (priority); supplemental scholarship application and FAFSA by 1 February; 1 May is the final deadline
• 16 core units plus pre-calculus or calculus, chemistry and physics; ACT 24, SAT 1180 or a 3.5 GPA (or another listed option)

International students (including applicants from China):

• Apply by 1 November (priority); 1 May final; $45 fee and $250 deposit
• IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 4.0 (new scale); ask UNL how the Gaokao is used; show $53,922 for the I-20

Transfer students:

• 2.5 cumulative GPA and calculus-ready for direct entry to engineering; 1 May deadline

Sources: University of Nebraska–Lincoln, College of Engineering majors; Engineering scholarships; 2026-2027 Catalog: College of Engineering; First-year requirements; Transfer requirements; International requirements; First-year dates; Transfer dates; International dates; Cost; Scholarships; AP credit; IB credit; A-Level credit. Dates are for fall 2027 entry; the cost page does not state a year. Check UNL’s website for the latest.