How to Apply to Economics at Ohio State: BA and BS Degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences, Naming Economics as Your Intended Major at Application, a Calculus-Based BS With More Econometrics, for Domestic and International (Including Chinese) Applicants and Transfer Students

Economics at The Ohio State University is taught by the Department of Economics in the College of Arts and Sciences. The department’s website says it is located in Arts and Sciences, not in the business college; business has its own guide on this site and is not covered here. This guide follows Ohio State’s website and is organised for U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students.

1. Economics degrees and options

• Two degrees: the department offers a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Bachelor of Science (BS) in economics. It says the BS has a stronger quantitative component, valuable for graduate work in economics or more analytical areas of government and business, and the BA is less quantitative and broader. The BA core uses algebra-based intermediate micro and macro plus one elementary econometrics course; the BS core uses calculus-based intermediate courses and adds mathematics, statistics and econometrics.
• Minor: 15 to 17 credit hours—ECON 2001, ECON 2002, one intermediate theory course or elementary econometrics, and two further economics courses at the 3000 level or above; the minor must differ from the major.
• Honors: the department says it has an honors program with six honors courses and that “almost all honors students take the B.S. degree.” It also mentions an Honors Contract, undergraduate research scholarships and senior honors theses; contact the economics honors advisor.
• STEM designation: not stated on the pages we read.
• Research and internships: the department says many faculty hire undergraduates for data collection and analysis, and students have held Washington Center internships and internships at Federal Reserve banks and local firms. The economics internship course ECON 4191 is open only to students with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher and junior standing; contact an advisor.

2. Admission and entering the major

• University first, then the major: the admissions page says that once you are admissible, your record is reviewed for enrollment in your intended major’s college; some colleges have standards above the university’s, and students who do not qualify begin in a pre-major program or University Exploration (international students cannot be enrolled in University Exploration).
• Is economics direct enrollment? For Arts and Sciences “social and behavioral sciences,” the page says admitted students are enrolled directly except those in international studies and neuroscience, who are enrolled as competitive pre-majors. It does not name economics, and we do not assign it to that group ourselves; ask the Office of Undergraduate Admissions or an economics advisor.
• Declaring: the advising page says declaring the economics major requires meeting with an economics advisor (askascadvising@osu.edu, 614-292-6961).
• GPA and capacity: the department pages we read state no GPA threshold or enrollment cap for entering the major.

3. Prerequisites and course sequence

• High school: the department says high school economics is not a prerequisite, but students should have a good background in math, and statistics and logic help develop analytical thinking.
• University minimum high school units: English 4; math 3 (4 recommended); natural science with significant lab experience 3; social science 2 (3 recommended); the same foreign language 2 (3 recommended); visual or performing arts 1; plus 1 additional unit in any of the above. Ohio State says most admitted students exceed these minimums.
• Major prerequisites: ECON 2001.01 (principles of microeconomics); mathematics—MATH 1130 or 1148 (or higher) for the BA, MATH 1151 (or higher) for the BS; statistics—STAT 1450 or ECON 3400 (or higher) for the BA, STAT 2450 (or higher) for the BS.
• Core: ECON 2002.01 Principles of Macroeconomics; ECON 4001 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory and ECON 4002 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory (.01 sections are algebra-based for BA students, .02 sections calculus-based for BS students); ECON 4400 Elementary Econometrics for the BA, or ECON 5410 and 5420 (Econometrics 1 and 2) for the BS. The department warns that 4400 and 5410 are similar but not identical, credit cannot be earned for both, the BA requirement is typically met with 4400 but could be met with 5410, and students who expect to take Econometrics 2 should choose Econometrics 1.
• Electives and writing: nine credits (three courses) of ECON electives at the 3000 level or above, excluding 3400 and 4400; six credits (two courses) at the 5000 level excluding 5410 and 5420; and one writing/thought course, ECON 2367.02, ECON 5130 or ECON 5140. General education follows the College of Arts and Sciences list.
• AP, IB and credit: the transfer page says Ohio State offers credit for AP, CLEP, IB and DSST exams; the pages we read do not say which scores replace economics courses, so check the university’s credit-by-exam page.

4. Deadlines, materials and fees (first-year, Columbus campus)

• Platform: the Common Application.
• Timelines: for autumn 2027, early action (non-binding) is November 1, 2026, with decisions on December 11 for Ohio residents and January 22 for non-residents and international applicants; regular decision is January 15, 2027, with decisions on March 5; the acceptance fee is due May 1, 2027. Ohio State says early action is needed to be considered for university merit scholarships, Honors and Scholars programs and engineering majors. The financial aid priority date is February 1. Spring 2027 entry closes November 1, 2026 (October 1 for international applicants).
• Testing: first-year applicants to the Columbus campus must submit the SAT or ACT (applicants who will have been out of high school for two years or more are exempt). Ohio State superscores both; the ACT science section and the essay are not required. Codes: ACT 3312, SAT 1592. The middle 50% of admitted students scored 27–33 on the ACT and 1280–1470 on the SAT; the page says there are no minimum scores or GPA.
• Materials: a high school transcript including senior-year courses; official ACT or SAT scores; letters of recommendation are optional (up to two); the review also considers a personal essay (listed as “Personal essay” in what is reviewed); and English proficiency scores for non-native speakers (Section 6).
• Application fee: the first-year pages we read do not state an amount (the transfer page states $60).
• Interview: not described on the pages we read.

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• Cost (2026–27, first-year, Columbus): tuition including instructional and general fees is $14,050 for Ohio residents and $44,271 for non-residents (including an out-of-state surcharge); housing and food is $15,738 for the most common program. Ohio residents’ tuition, general fees, and housing and food are held steady for four years under the Ohio State Tuition Guarantee. Non-residents may qualify for the National Buckeye Scholarship. Tuition varies by mode of instruction and program of study; the pages we read list no separate economics fee.
• Scholarships and aid: university merit scholarships generally cannot be combined (except the National Buckeye); applying by November 1 automatically considers you for most; the FAFSA priority date is February 1. The President’s Ohio Scholarship is for Ohio residents with a perfect single-sitting score.
• In-state preference: we did not read the Ohio Guaranteed Admission Program or similar pages, and the first-year pages we read describe no admission preference for residents.
• Housing: most incoming first-years on the Columbus campus are required to live on campus for their first two years.

6. International applicants

• Process: international first-year applicants use the same Common App and deadlines, with their own instructions. Ohio State strongly recommends meeting the November 1 early action deadline for consideration for engineering majors, College of Nursing Direct Enrollment and Honors and Scholars programs. Spring entry closes October 1.
• Testing: the SAT or ACT is required for international applicants too.
• English: non-native speakers must submit one of: TOEFL iBT 79+ (tests before January 21, 2026) or 4.0+ (after); IELTS 6.5+; ACT English 21+; Duolingo 120+; or SAT—the general first-year page says “27 or higher on the Reading Test” while the international page says “EBRW 550+,” so the two pages differ. You are exempt with three full years at a U.S. regionally accredited high school, or if you are a citizen of, or hold a bachelor’s degree from, one of the listed countries (Australia, Canada except Quebec, England, Ireland, Scotland, Singapore, the United States and others; China is not listed). Ohio State’s American Language Program is a separate application and does not give conditional admission.
• Document language: foreign-language documents must be translated into English by the issuing institution, an authorized translator or a teacher of the language.
• Proof of funds: after you are admitted and pay the acceptance fee ($100, non-refundable, per the international post-admission page), you submit the Visa Request Form and supporting documents to receive the I-20 or DS-2019. The amount required is not stated on the pages we read.
• Cost (2026–27): international undergraduate tuition $47,374 (including an annual International Undergraduate Student Fee of $3,103), housing and food $15,630, books $1,020, health insurance $4,108 and personal expenses $4,046.
• Scholarships: the merit scholarship page says international students are not eligible for those awards; a separate page for international scholarships was not read.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the admissions pages we read do not mention the Gaokao and we found no China-specific page; the SAT or ACT is required. Ask the Office of Undergraduate Admissions whether Gaokao results may be sent as supplementary information.
• Transcripts: the international page says your school should send transcripts, documents and official copies of examination certificates for grades 9–12, uploaded by the counselor through the Common App, Naviance or a similar service, or emailed to ugdocs@osu.edu; faxes are not accepted. Non-English documents need translation. The pages name no credential-evaluation agency.
• English: China is not on the exemption list; follow Section 6.

8. Transfer students

• Basis of decision: for the Columbus campus, applicants with 30 or more semester hours (45 quarter hours) earned after high school are reviewed on cumulative college GPA across all institutions, and “a cumulative 2.5 or better is typically competitive,” with grade trends and key major courses considered. Those with fewer than 30 hours get a holistic review including the high school record and test scores if required. The page warns that some programs require a higher GPA, prerequisites or a secondary application.
• Deadlines: Columbus—spring 2027 entry November 1, 2026; autumn 2027 entry March 1, 2027; summer 2027 entry May 15, 2027. International transfer applicants: spring October 1, 2026; autumn March 1, 2027.
• Materials: the transfer application; a $60 non-refundable fee (waivers available, including for Pell Grant recipients); official transcripts from every college; a high school transcript if you have fewer than 30 semester hours; test scores are not required of applicants who earned graded college credit after high school; English scores for non-native speakers. A personal statement is required for applicants with interruptions in education and optional for others.
• Credit: courses from regionally accredited institutions that are non-remedial with a C- or better transfer; a D or D+ transfers in a few cases. Economics transfer credit is evaluated by economics advisors: send syllabi (with textbook name and author) and your transfer credit report; allow up to four weeks; non-English syllabi need the original and a certified translation.
• Scholarships: transfer students are not eligible for the university’s new-student merit awards.

Checklist

U.S. domestic applicants:

• Apply through the Common App by November 1 (early action) or January 15 (regular); the SAT or ACT is required; complete the university’s minimum high school units, including three of math
• Choose economics at application, noting the different math and statistics prerequisites for the BA and BS; meet an economics advisor to declare
• File the FAFSA by February 1

International applicants (including China):

• Same timeline as domestic applicants; the SAT or ACT is required; English scores per Section 6; translate non-English documents; ask admissions how the Gaokao may be used
• After admission and the acceptance fee, submit the Visa Request Form for the I-20

Transfer students:

• Aim for 30 or more semester hours and a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better; apply by March 1, 2027 for autumn entry; send syllabi to the economics advisor for credit evaluation

Sources: The Ohio State University, Economics: degree options; Economics: major and minor requirements; Economics: majors and minors; Economics: honors program; Economics: undergraduate advising; Economics: econometrics courses; Admissions: first-year applicants; First-year step-by-step; Who gets in; Enrollment criteria; International first-year applicants; International first-year step-by-step; International students after admission; Transfer applicants; Transfer admission criteria; Transfer step-by-step; International transfer; Costs; Merit scholarships. The deadline pages give dates for spring 2027 and autumn 2027 entry, and the cost page is labeled for 2026–2027; check Ohio State’s website for any changes.