How to Apply to Engineering at Kansas State University: 15 Undergraduate Degrees in the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering, Direct Admission with a 3.00 High School GPA and No Enrollment Cap, with Admission Routes and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At Kansas State University (K-State), undergraduate engineering is offered by the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering. Here is what you need to know, based on K-State’s website, for domestic applicants, international applicants (including students at high schools in China) and transfer students. Computer science (and cybersecurity) are also degrees in the college; this site has a separate computer science guide, so they are not covered in depth here.

1. Undergraduate degrees

• The college says it has eight departments and 15 undergraduate degree programs with several formal options. Listed degrees: architectural engineering, biological systems engineering, biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, computer science, construction science and management, cybersecurity, electrical engineering, engineering technology management, environmental engineering, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering and nuclear engineering.
• The engineering undecided page refers to “14 degree programs”, which does not match the 15 on the undergraduate degrees page; confirm with the college.
• The pages read do not mention ABET accreditation, so that is not published there; check each department’s page or ask the college (engineering@k-state.edu).

2. How admission works: straight into a degree, or engineering undecided first

• The college’s admission page says a first-year student with a 3.00 high school GPA (weighted or unweighted) can be admitted directly into one of the 15 degree programs or engineering undecided.
• Students who have not chosen a degree are placed in engineering undecided, part of the general engineering program: they take DEN 160 (Engineering Orientation) and DEN 161 (Engineering Problem Solving), receive dedicated advising, and then move into their chosen degree in step with their peers. The GPA or grade conditions for moving from engineering undecided into a specific degree are not stated on the pages read; ask a college advisor.
• The college reviews applications weekly. Students admitted to K-State who do not meet the engineering GPA are reviewed individually; those not admitted directly are placed in their secondary choice of degree on the application.
• Capacity: the college’s admission page says admission does not require ACT/SAT scores and “there is no cap on the number of students admitted to any of the degree programs.” The Office of Admissions’ table of majors with different requirements, however, says engineering admission for domestic freshmen or transfer students is selective based on academic performance and space availability. The two statements differ; keep both in mind.
• Admission is contingent on final official transcripts; if a qualifying GPA is not maintained, the college can rescind its admission (university admission and enrollment may still occur).
• Internal transfer: current K-State students need at least 12 completed K-State credit hours, a 2.50 K-State GPA, and a C or better in the first calculus course of the math sequence for their degree.
• Military-connected and non-traditional students (out of high school more than a year and not enrolled elsewhere) get a holistic review.

3. Prerequisites

• The college’s admission page does not state specific high school course requirements, only the GPA condition.
• The university’s recommended pre-college curriculum (Kansas Scholars Curriculum): 4 years of math (Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry and one unit of advanced math such as analytic geometry, trigonometry, advanced algebra, probability and statistics, functions or calculus); 3 years of science (biology, chemistry and physics, each with about one lab period a week); 4 years of English; 3 of social studies; 2 of one foreign language. These are recommendations, not requirements.
• Engineering Launch is a free two-week online program that prepares students for Calculus I or Calculus II and builds time-management and study skills. The website says it is open to students admitted for fall 2026 who registered for New Student Orientation; the 2026 summer application has closed. Arrangements for fall 2027 are not published.
• Exam credit: K-State accepts credit from AP, IB and Cambridge A/AS Levels; use the test credit search to see which engineering course each score replaces (not listed here).
• Grades: the college does not use courses with a grade of D toward degree requirements; courses in engineering degrees must be graded A, B or C.

4. Dates, fee and materials

• Application: the K-State application or Common App; USD 80 non-refundable fee (international step-by-step guide).
• Priority dates (no year is stated; verify the dates for fall 2027 entry): international freshmen and transfers, May 1 for fall and December 1 for spring; domestic freshmen, December 1 for both fall and spring; domestic transfers, May 1 for fall and December 1 for spring. To be considered for scholarships, apply for admission by the priority date.
• College essay and recommendations: the pages read do not mention an engineering supplement or recommendation letters; confirm with admissions (apply@k-state.edu).
• Testing: K-State is test-optional and the college says it does not require ACT/SAT scores, but some freshman scholarships require them; superscores are accepted and neither test is preferred.

5. Domestic applicants

• Admission: the 3.00 GPA direct-admission condition is above. The pages read do not describe any priority or guarantee for Kansas residents in engineering admission; not published.
• Tuition: for 2026-27 on the Manhattan campus, estimated tuition and mandatory fees are USD 13,132 for Kansas residents and USD 31,446 for non-residents (see costs below).
• Scholarships: applying for admission triggers automatic review for university scholarships, provided you apply by the priority date and report your latest GPA (test scores recommended). To be considered for an upgrade, send updated transcripts and official ACT/SAT scores by April 1. The college adds its own first-year awards (section 8).

6. International applicants

• Materials: transcripts for all previous academic work (secondary school and any university, college, vocational or technical coursework); non-English transcripts need an English translation in addition to the original. Failing to submit all transcripts can lead to denial of admission or dismissal. Also a copy of your passport and, for the I-20, an Affidavit of Financial Support and a bank statement showing funds for one academic year. Send PDFs to international@k-state.edu.
• Review time: about two weeks.
• Grade requirements for international applicants: the college’s admission page only points international students to the international undergraduate admissions page; no GPA threshold for international freshmen is published there. The majors table words the engineering row for domestic students, so ask admissions how international applicants are reviewed.
• English: you can be admitted without proving English proficiency and then join the English Language Program (ELP). To waive English classes, submit scores no more than 2 years old before you enroll: IELTS 6.5; TOEFL 79 (tests before January 21, 2026) or 4.5 (on or after); Duolingo 110; PTE 53; SAT EBRW 460; ACT English 21; Cambridge B2 First grade A or C1 Advanced A–C; AS/A-Level English Language C; IB Group 1 English A at 4 or English B HL at 6; or four years of English at a U.S. high school with C or higher. Otherwise placement is by the WildCAT English Test or the EPT on campus, into basic, intermediate or advanced English courses. The page says that, depending on your major, English classes may count toward degree requirements; whether that applies in engineering is not published.
• Scholarships: international students are also reviewed automatically for university scholarships, and the K-State Scholarship Network (KSN) deadline for international students is March 15. The college’s first-year and transfer scholarships are stated for domestic students (section 8).

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages read do not say how Gaokao results are used, and there is no China-specific page, interview or accreditation-body requirement; not published. Ask admissions (apply@k-state.edu, 785-532-1521).
• Transcripts: submit your high school transcript under the international rules above, with an English translation if it is not in English. Whether materials from the high school graduation exam (huikao) are needed is not published.
• Exam credit: AP, IB and Cambridge A/AS Level credit can be converted, and A-Level English Language C or the IB English scores above can waive English classes; whether Gaokao results earn credit is not published.
• English: waive English classes with IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo and similar scores, or take the placement test after arrival.

8. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-27 Manhattan campus estimate (15 hours per semester): tuition and mandatory fees USD 13,132 (Kansas resident) or USD 31,446 (non-resident); on-campus housing and food USD 13,216 (first-year students must live on campus; the estimate uses the median); total on campus USD 30,638 (resident) or USD 48,952 (non-resident). The cost page does not list a separate engineering differential tuition or college fee; not published there. See the university’s comprehensive fee schedule. 2027-28 figures were not yet published when read.
• College first-year scholarships (stated for domestic students who applied by the priority date; no separate application; enroll by July 1; full-time, at least 12 hours): amounts depend on high school GPA and ACT, for example USD 5,000 for GPA 3.95+ with ACT 34–36 and USD 2,500 for every ACT band at GPA 3.70–3.84; see the college table for the rest. They stack on university awards.
• Robert E. Campbell Scholarship – Engineering Scholar: competitive, USD 10,000 per year including the Campbell award and a college supplement, stacked on the university award, renewable up to four years with a 3.50 K-State GPA; applications due December 15 (you must apply for the university-level Campbell Scholarship first). K-State’s competitive scholarship application is also due December 15: the college page says all incoming first-year students may apply, while the university scholarship page says incoming domestic freshmen only. The two differ, so international applicants should ask K-State.
• Others: Project Lead The Way (at least two one-time USD 500 awards) and FIRST Robotics (up to three one-time USD 1,000 awards), both due March 31; after the first year, engineering merit scholarships of USD 3,000 per year (GPA 3.50+) or USD 1,000 per year (3.00–3.49).
• Co-op: the college pages read do not describe a co-op program; not published.

9. Transfer students

• Direct admission to a degree or engineering undecided: a 2.75 cumulative GPA on all transfer coursework (college admission page). University-wide transfer rules: at least a 2.0 GPA on all transfer work, and with fewer than 24 transferable hours also a 3.25 high school GPA or ACT 21 (SAT 1060). Applicants with 24 or more college credit hours are transfer students and do not need high school transcripts.
• The majors table says engineering admits domestic transfers selectively based on academic performance and space.
• Grades and credit: courses graded D do not count toward engineering degrees. K-State’s transfer page says up to half of the hours required for a bachelor’s degree can be taken at a two-year college. The Guaranteed Engineering Transfer list names community college courses by degree (Calculus I–III, differential equations, engineering physics, chemistry and others), with suggested totals from 34 to 59 credit hours (for example civil 46, mechanical 51, electrical 51, chemical 55, biomedical 59). It advises prioritizing math, since most engineering degrees require several semesters of math as prerequisites.
• Transfer scholarship: USD 3,000 for first-year transfers with a 3.50+ GPA; international students, former K-State students and those with a bachelor’s degree are not eligible. University priority dates for transfers and international students are May 1 (fall) and December 1 (spring).
• The college also runs Engineering Jump Start for transfers; the pages read do not give details.

Checklist

Domestic applicants:

• 3.00 high school GPA; domestic freshman priority date December 1
• Update grades and scores by April 1; final transcript by July 1

International applicants (including China):

• Apply by May 1 for fall; send all transcripts (with translations), passport copy, affidavit and bank statement
• Prepare IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 79/4.5 to waive English classes
• Ask admissions how international freshmen are reviewed for engineering
• Apply in KSN by March 15

Transfer students:

• 2.75 transfer GPA; complete the calculus, physics and chemistry sequences first

Sources: Kansas State University, Undergraduate engineering degrees; Engineering undecided (general engineering); College of Engineering admission; Guaranteed Engineering Transfer; Engineering Launch; College scholarships; Majors with different requirements; International undergraduate admissions; International step-by-step guide; Transcripts; English proficiency; Advanced standing credit; Tests and pre-college curriculum; Transfer requirements; Future student scholarships; Scholarship priority dates; Undergraduate costs. Priority dates do not state a year; costs are 2026-27 estimates, and 2027-28 figures were not yet published when read. Check K-State’s website for the latest.