How to apply to the University of Houston for engineering: Cullen College admits you directly to a major, with automatic admission for the top 10%, a 3.8 GPA or SAT 1400, plus admission routes and prerequisites for U.S., international (including Chinese) and transfer students

At the University of Houston (UH, in Houston, Texas), undergraduate engineering is offered by the Cullen College of Engineering. Here is what you need to know, based on official UH information, for U.S. students, international students and applicants from China, followed by transfer students.

1. Engineering majors

• Eleven engineering degrees: the college’s ABET page says it offers eleven undergraduate engineering degrees: biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, industrial, mechanical and petroleum engineering, plus the newer Computer Engineering and Analytics (BSCEA), Construction Engineering (BSConE) and Systems Engineering (BSSysE). The undergraduate programs page also lists a BS in Multidisciplinary Engineering (BSMDE), described as a flexible degree combining components from the college’s majors.
• Katy instructional site: the programs page says Computer Engineering and Analytics, Construction Engineering and Systems Engineering are taught at UH at Katy, Texas; the admissions PDF also marks these three as Katy only.
• ABET: the site says biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, industrial, mechanical and petroleum engineering are accredited by ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission, and that the three newest programs will seek accreditation after the first graduating class, expected in 2027. Computer Information Systems is accredited by ABET’s Computing Accreditation Commission.
• Technology programs: the college also offers technology degrees such as biotechnology, computer engineering technology, mechanical engineering technology, electrical power engineering technology and supply chain and logistics technology, with different admission criteria (see section 2). Computer science is covered in a separate guide.

2. Admission: you apply to a major

• Direct admission to the major: the college’s admission requirements page lists the freshman criteria by major, and they are the same for all 11 engineering degrees. You are admitted automatically if you meet any one of: top 10% of your class; a 3.8 or higher GPA; or an SAT of 1400+ / ACT of 32+ with at least a 3.0 GPA. Others go through holistic review.
• How GPA is calculated: UH recalculates it on a 4.0 scale from your English, math, science and social studies grades; extracurricular classes are excluded.
• Test optional: freshmen may apply with or without SAT/ACT scores; UH says this holds through 1 June 2030 (all terms through fall 2030) and that applying without scores is not a disadvantage. The additional-requirements PDF says the college follows the university’s standard requirements and adds the criteria above for the listed majors.
• Undecided or changing into engineering: the college rules say pre-engineering students are advised by the Dean’s Office until they choose one of the degree programs, and that current UH students wanting an engineering major must petition by 1 May (summer), 1 August (fall) or 1 December (spring), allowing 2–3 weeks after grades post. The rules ask students to review the criteria for a major change, but the link goes to the admissions requirements page, which lists only freshman and transfer criteria; a separate internal-transfer GPA is not published there, so ask the Dean’s Office or an academic advisor.
• Academic rules once in the major: a C- or better in math, science and engineering courses for credit and as prerequisites; engineering courses may be attempted twice and math or science courses three times (later attempts need a petition); a 2.00 GPA in UH courses and in the major is needed to graduate.

3. Prerequisites

• High school courses: the additional-requirements PDF lists specific high school units for colleges such as Natural Sciences and Mathematics and Nursing, but the engineering entry gives only the GPA/rank/SAT criteria above, with no required high school math or physics units. UH’s page also notes that Texas law requires college-readiness standards for admission to Texas public four-year institutions. The site does not say that calculus or pre-calculus is required; ask admissions.
• Math placement and AP/IB credit: the engineering and admissions pages we read do not say; not published there (we did not find it). Check UH admissions or ask an engineering advisor.
• Preferred courses for transfers: Calculus I, Calculus II, General Chemistry I and calculus-based Physics I (AP credit may count) are preferred but not required.

4. How and when to apply (freshmen)

• Application: the Common App or ApplyTexas; $75 fee ($90 for international students), with fee waivers available.
• Essay and resume: every applicant submits a short essay (Common App prompt 1, 2, 3 or 5) and lists activities; UH says none of these can be added after you submit. Applicants without test scores also submit a resume within the application.
• Transcript: after applying, you self-report your English, math, science and social studies grades in my.uh.edu. The pages we read do not mention a separate engineering recommendation letter.
• Dates (U.S. freshmen): fall 2027 scholarship priority deadline 2 November 2026 (supporting information 9 November); fall 2027 application deadline 31 May 2027 (supporting information 7 June); spring application 1 December 2026 (supporting information 11 December); summer 3 May 2027 (10 May). Supporting information means the application fee, self-reported transcript and test scores if any.

5. U.S. students: costs and scholarships

• Tuition (the page is labelled Academic Year 2027, fall 2026 to summer 2027): the four-year fixed rate for the 2027 cohort of first-time students in Architecture, Business, Engineering and Engineering-Technology is $6,528.78 per fall/spring term for residents and $14,602.87 for non-residents, and $2,176.26 / $4,867.62 per summer term; for transfer students the fixed rate is $6,589.32 / $14,666.44. This is tuition plus consolidated fees and excludes required fees such as the student services fee ($260), recreation and wellness center fee ($121) and UC fee ($135) per semester. The page also lists engineering at $420.57 (resident) and $976.11 (non-resident) per semester credit hour for tuition and consolidated fees. Rates for fall 2027 entrants are not yet shown.
• Texas residents: UH’s freshman criteria do not distinguish Texas residents from others, and the pages describe no residency-based priority or guarantee. They do note that under Texas law, applicants from schools that do not rank (including home schools) can use SAT/ACT scores for the top 10% automatic route.
• University scholarships for freshmen: students entering in the fall right after high school are considered automatically if they complete their application and materials by the priority deadline (usually early November): the Academic Excellence Scholarship (amounts vary, renewable for four years), the Distinguished Scholarship (a select group of admitted applicants is invited to apply), the Cullen Leadership Scholarship ($1,000 a year for up to four years, chosen by a committee from admitted applicants, no separate application; UH does not say whether it is limited to engineering), the National Merit Finalist award (tuition and required fees for four years) and the Tier One Scholarship (tuition and required fees for four years, two years of on-campus housing and meals, a one-time $1,000 research stipend and $2,000 study abroad stipend; for fall 2027 entry, submit the Tier One application and the admission application by 2 November 2026 with a letter of recommendation; top applicants are invited to virtual interviews on 16–18 December).
• College scholarships: the Cullen College Dean’s Office scholarships are for current engineering majors and need a 3.0 UH cumulative and major GPA plus ENGI 1100, ENGI 1331 and one required course in the major; one application covers all Dean’s Office scholarships.

6. International students

• Who applies as an international freshman: citizens of other countries with no college coursework (or fewer than 15 transferable credits). The application fee is $90.
• Academic criteria: the international freshman page says that if you meet the English requirement and any one of top 10%, a 3.5 GPA or SAT 1250+ / ACT 26+, you are admitted automatically. The same page says some majors have additional requirements including SAT/ACT, and the additional-requirements PDF (written for freshmen) lists top 10% / 3.8 GPA / SAT 1400 or ACT 32 with a 3.0 GPA for engineering. The PDF does not separate international students, so which tier applies to international engineering applicants is not stated; ask admissions.
• English (any one): TOEFL iBT 4.0, IELTS overall 6.5 or Duolingo 105 (scores valid two years; the figures on UH’s page); a diploma or degree from an accredited U.S. school or university; the equivalent of a high school education or U.S. bachelor’s in a listed English-speaking country (the list includes Australia, Canada except Quebec, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and South Africa); or Level 6 of UH’s Intensive English Program. A GED does not satisfy the requirement.
• Academic records: official transcripts, mark sheets, external exam results and certificates for years 9–12 (or equivalent), in the original language with a certified literal English translation. You may upload a copy of official records to complete the application; official final records are required if admitted.
• Dates: fall 2027 scholarship priority deadline 2 November 2026 (supporting information 9 November); fall 2027 application 3 May 2027 (10 May); spring 2 November 2026 / 9 November; summer 2 April 2027 / 9 April. The application opens 1 August 2026.
• Financial documents: for the I-20 after admission, a statement of financial support (signed within six months), a bank statement under six months old with a minimum balance of USD 43,110 or equivalent, a passport photo page and an international address form.
• International scholarships: UH’s international scholarship flyer says international undergraduates are considered by completing the application and documents by the deadline: the Academic Excellence Scholarship (competitive, renewable, priority 2 November 2026), Tier One (full tuition and fees up to four years, two years of on-campus housing with a meal plan, priority 2 November 2026), the Cullen Leadership Scholarship ($1,000 a year, up to four years) and the Transfer Excellence Scholarship (only for transfers from American institutions, $1,000–$2,000 a year, deadline 15 January before the academic year). Some are marked as possibly giving in-state tuition eligibility, with conditions “apply”.

7. Applicants from China

• Records: UH’s table of required records lists the Senior Secondary School Graduation Certificate (会考/高中毕业证书) for China, with transcripts from junior middle year 3 and senior middle years 1–2 for current students, and years 1–3 for graduates; non-English records need a certified literal English translation.
• Gaokao: whether and how the overall Gaokao score is used is not published; the English requirements page also does not list Gaokao English, so prepare TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores.
• Other: UH’s pages do not mention interviews or specific credential evaluation agencies for Chinese applicants; ask international admissions.
• Test scores: you may apply with or without SAT/ACT; see sections 2 and 6 for the numbers.

8. Paid work experience (co-op)

• The UH Cooperative Education Program (CO-OP) is a paid internship program recorded on the transcript. UH says students become eligible after at least two semesters of college in the United States, including F-1 international students, must be in good academic standing, and must be enrolled full-time the long semester before (and after, if not graduating).
• There is a $215 non-refundable fee each semester (the college fee page also lists “Cullen College Cooperative Education Program $215”). For 2027, spring applications open 9 November and summer applications open 5 April. Full-time (21+ hours a week) co-ops cannot be done back to back in fall and spring.

9. Transfer students

• Who is a transfer: students with 15 or more transferable college credit hours earned after high school; fewer than 15 apply under freshman criteria.
• College criteria: the same for all 11 engineering degrees, with holistic review. Recommended GPAs: 3.25 on all college work attempted, 3.00 in math, 3.00 in science, 2.50 in English and 3.00 in engineering (all attempts at every institution are counted, even repeated courses). Preferred but not required: Calculus I and II, General Chemistry I, calculus-based Physics I.
• University level: a 2.50 cumulative GPA is assured admission and 2.25–2.49 is individual review; there are no fee waivers for transfer applications.
• Dates: fall 2027 application 21 June 2027 (supporting information 28 June); spring 1 December 2026 / 18 December; summer 3 May 2027 / 10 May. International transfers: fall 3 May 2027 / 10 May; spring 2 November 2026 / 9 November; summer 2 April / 9 April, with TOEFL 4.0, IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 105 (waived with 30+ U.S. credits including ENGL 1301 and 1302 at C or better).
• Credit: the college requires written approval before taking engineering courses elsewhere (deadlines 1 December, 1 May, 1 August); at most 66 semester hours of freshman and sophomore courses (C- or better) apply to the degree; the last 30 hours must be completed at UH and at least 30 hours of engineering courses in residence. UH has a transfer credit estimator.

Checklist

U.S. students:

• Apply by 2 November 2026 for scholarship priority and send materials by 9 November; otherwise by 31 May 2027
• Top 10% / 3.8 GPA / SAT 1400 or ACT 32 with a 3.0 GPA gives automatic admission; SAT/ACT optional, short essay required

International students (including applicants from China):

• Apply by 2 November 2026 for scholarship priority, no later than 3 May 2027; TOEFL 4.0, IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 105
• Gaokao use is not published; grade 9–12 records plus the graduation certificate, with certified English translations

Transfer students:

• 15+ transferable hours and the recommended GPAs; Calculus I and II, Chemistry I and Physics I preferred; apply by 21 June for fall

Sources: University of Houston, Cullen College undergraduate programs; Engineering admissions requirements; ABET accreditation; Engineering academic rules; Engineering transfer credit policy; Engineering scholarships; Cooperative Education program; Incoming freshman; Freshman admissions process; Majors with additional requirements (PDF); International freshman; International freshman process; Required secondary academic records; English language requirements; International undergraduate scholarships (PDF); Transfer students; International transfer; Tuition; College fees; University fees; Scholarships. The tuition page is labelled Academic Year 2027 (fall 2026 to summer 2027), so rates for fall 2027 entrants are not yet shown, and the general scholarship application page refers to 2026-27. Check UH’s website for the latest.