How to Apply to Economics at Cornell: A Major in the College of Arts & Sciences, Entered by Applying to the College First and Then to the Major After Prerequisites and Grade Minimums, for U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The Economics major at Cornell University is taught by the Department of Economics for students in the College of Arts & Sciences (A&S). The department page says the department is shared by A&S and the ILR School: A&S students take the Economics Major, and ILR students take an Economics Minor. At Cornell you apply directly to one college. The pages I read do not publish a separate admission standard for A&S. This guide follows Cornell’s own pages for fall 2027 entry and speaks to U.S. applicants, international applicants (including applicants from China) and transfer applicants.

1. What the programs are

• Economics Major (A&S): the department lists one major. It does not split it into a BA and a BS or into named tracks. The department page says the A&S Economics Major “is considered a STEM field”. That is the department’s own wording. The pages I read do not point to an official designation list.
• Economics Minor (ILR students): the pages I read say only that ILR students take the minor. I did not read its requirements. Check the department site.
• Related programs elsewhere: the department notes that economics is often confused with business at Cornell. The business major, Applied Economics and Management (AEM), is in the Dyson School, which is shared by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the SC Johnson College of Business. Graduation requirements differ. A&S students who want both can pair the Economics major with the Business minor. This site has separate business guides, so I do not go further.
• Multiple majors: the department says many economics majors add a second major. Math, computer science, statistics, psychology and government are named as natural pairings, and unrelated majors are common too.
• Honors: the economics pages I read do not describe an honors program. This is not published in the pages I read. Check the department site.

2. How admission works: apply to the college, then apply into the major

• At application: the A&S first-year page says you may list up to two areas of interest and do not need to declare a major until the end of sophomore year. A&S offers more than 40 majors.
• Conditions to enter the Economics major (department page): before applying you must complete ECON 1110 Introductory Microeconomics, ECON 1120 Introductory Macroeconomics (or equivalents) and MATH 1110 Calculus I. ECON 1110 and 1120 need B- or better; MATH 1110 needs C or better. You then fill in an online form. The department can see your Cornell transcript, so you do not send one.
• Outcome: the department says it contacts you about 7 to 10 days after you apply to confirm acceptance and name your advisor. The form lets you state advisor preferences; the department says it will try but cannot promise a top choice because advisees are spread across the faculty.
• Capacity: the pages I read give only the conditions above and do not mention a cap or a competitive selection. This is not published in the pages I read. Ask the Director of Undergraduate Studies (the page gives econdus@cornell.edu).
• When to declare: you may declare once the conditions are met. Some students declare in the second semester of first year, and many at the end of sophomore year, often after one or two intermediate core courses. A&S requires you to declare at least one major and finish the paperwork by the end of sophomore year; a second major can be declared later.
• Internal transfer into A&S: the A&S page says internal transfer is selective. You need good standing in your home college, a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a 3.0 in 12 academic credits in the semester you apply. The earliest you can apply is the end of your second semester and the latest is the end of your first semester as a junior, with a course plan showing on-time graduation. The page lists “next application deadline” as May 1, 2026, which is already past. Confirm the current date on the A&S site.

3. Prerequisites and course sequence

• High school courses (A&S): 4 units of English, 3 units of math (including pre-calculus), 3 units of science and 3 units of one world language, with an additional unit of advanced math and of advanced science recommended. The A&S page lists no economics-specific high school course.
• Calculus: the major’s math gate is MATH 1110 with a C or better. If MATH 1110 is not on your transcript or you earned below a C, a C or better in a later calculus course also works: MATH 1120, 1910, 1920, 2220 or 2240. MATH 1106 cannot be used.
• Major requirements: 12 economics courses, each C– or better, with no S/U grades:
  • Introductory: ECON 1110 and ECON 1120.
  • Core: ECON 3030 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory, ECON 3040 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory, ECON 3110 Applied Probability and Statistics or ECON 3130 Probability and Statistics, and ECON 3120 Applied Econometrics or ECON 3140 Econometrics.
  • Electives: at least 3 at the 4000 level; up to 1 course numbered 2400–2999; the rest at the 3000 or 4000 level, or from the approved list of graduate economics courses.
• Two statistics sequences: ECON 3110/3120 is more applied, and the department expects most majors to take it. ECON 3130/3140 is more theoretical, for students with stronger math or those planning graduate study, and it needs MATH 1120. ECON 3130 is offered only in the fall and ECON 3140 only in the spring.
• Core courses must be taken at Cornell: during Cornell regular, summer or winter sessions or Cornell in Washington. Courses taken on study abroad do not count as taken at Cornell.
• Rules for the introductory courses: ECON 1110 and 1120 count toward the major only if you receive credit with a B- or better. A one-semester “Principles of Economics” course from another school covering both micro and macro will not be approved as ECON 1110 or 1120.
• Recommended math: not required, but the department says math through multivariable calculus deepens understanding (MATH 1120, then MATH 2210 and 2220, or MATH 1920).
• Advice for new students: take ECON 1110 and/or 1120 and a math course in the first semester. The department generally advises against intermediate micro, intermediate macro, probability and statistics or econometrics in the first semester and suggests waiting until at least the second.
• Class sizes: the department says introductory lectures average 400–450 students and core methodology lectures average 90–150.

4. AP, IB and A-Level credit, and the placement exam

• To use advanced placement for ECON 1110 or 1120 toward the major, you need one of AP Micro/Macro 5, GCE A-Level Economics grade A, or IB Higher Level Economics 7, and you must pass the department’s placement exam.
• The placement exam page applies to students who first matriculated as full-time college students after May 1, 2026. The exam carries no credit. It decides whether existing AP/IB/A-Level credit can count in the major and can satisfy the prerequisite for ECON 3030/3040. There are no retakes, and once you take a 3000-level economics course at Cornell you can no longer sit it. The August 2026 exams were in person, with 40 multiple-choice questions in 100 minutes for each of micro and macro, graded Pass or No Pass. The pages I read do not give dates for students entering in 2027. Check the department site.
• Students who are not economics majors get the AP/IB/A-Level credit whether or not they take the placement exam.
• For calculus, MATH 1110 credit can come from a Cornell course, an approved outside course or placement credit; the conversion tables are on the math department site and were not in the pages I read.

5. Rounds, deadlines and materials (fall 2027 entry)

• Early Decision (binding): November 1 for the application and fee; November 13 for the remaining materials; decisions in mid-December. If admitted you must withdraw all other applications.
• Regular Decision (non-binding): January 2 for the application and fee; January 19 for the remaining materials; decisions in late March.
• Application fee: $85, with a fee waiver for those who qualify.
• Materials: Common Application, official high school transcript (with mid-year grades when available), school report, counselor recommendation, two teacher recommendations and the Cornell supplement. The A&S supplement is capped at 650 words and asks you to describe an intellectual passion, question or idea and how you would use A&S’s liberal arts curriculum. A&S does not require or offer interviews.
• Testing: SAT or ACT is required. You may self-report first, but official scores are needed before enrolling or the offer can be revoked. Cornell uses the highest section scores for the SAT and the ACT-provided superscore; the ACT science section is not required. SAT code 2098, ACT code 2726.

6. By reader

U.S. applicants

• The process, courses and testing are the same as above. Cornell’s admission for U.S. students is need-blind. “U.S. students” include citizens, dual citizens and certain eligible non-citizens.
• In-state versus out-of-state tuition: Cornell says the New York State contract-college rate applies only to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Dyson School, the College of Human Ecology and the Brooks School’s bachelor of science programs. A&S is on the list of endowed colleges, so the contract-college rate for New York residents does not apply to it. Whether applying from New York gives any admissions preference is not published in the pages I read.
• Aid: Cornell says it meets 100% of demonstrated need for admitted students with Cornell grants, work-study and reasonable loans. Domestic priority aid dates are November 15 for ED and February 15 for RD.

International applicants

• English proficiency: waived for U.S. citizens and permanent residents, native English speakers, and those whose primary language of instruction was English for the past four years. Others submit a test. Cornell’s scores to be most competitive: TOEFL taken before January 2026, 100; TOEFL taken January 2026 or later, 5.0 (5.5 recommended); IELTS 7.5; Duolingo 130; Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency, 191. You can self-report, and enrolling students send official scores.
• Credential evaluation: the first-year and A&S pages do not describe a procedure for evaluating foreign secondary credentials. This is not published in the pages I read. For transfers, the page says non-English documents need an official translation and accepts translations by a teacher or school official.
• Admission and aid: admission for international students is need-aware, so interest in aid is one factor among many. If you expect to need aid at any point, you must apply when you apply for admission; if you miss the deadline you cannot apply for aid at any time as an undergraduate. To be considered for Cornell grants or scholarships you submit the CSS Profile (code 2098). International aid dates are November 1 (ED), January 2 (RD) and March 15 (transfer). Cornell says it meets 100% of demonstrated need for admitted international students.
• International scholarships: the page describes the Levitan Family Scholarships, which support five students a year who attended secondary school outside the U.S. and have significant need, with a 3.0 GPA to keep the award. The Tata scholarship is limited to students who attended secondary school in India.

Applicants from China

• The first-year page, the A&S page and the international aid page do not say whether the gaokao is considered, what school-exam records to send, or give any China-specific note. This is not published in the pages I read. Ask Undergraduate Admissions (engage@admissions.cornell.edu).
• Cornell says about 10% of its students come from more than 125 countries. The process, testing (SAT or ACT required), English requirement and materials are the same as the international section above.

7. Costs

• The cost-to-attend page’s “Endowed Colleges” table, which covers A&S: tuition $73,946, mandatory fees $1,024, housing $13,744, food $7,604, books $1,234, personal $2,182, transportation varies. Billed subtotal $96,318; total estimate $99,734. The page headline says 2026-27, and the same page has another heading that says 2025-26. The tables do not label each year, so confirm on the site.
• No separate college surcharge for the Economics major is listed in the pages I read.

8. Internships and research

• The department says faculty and PhD students involve undergraduates in research, such as gathering and analyzing data, literature surveys and coding. Many positions require the core courses first, and Stata, R and Python help. Positions in the department are limited and competitive.
• Channels listed: the department’s Hatfield Undergraduate Research Assistant Program, the A&S Nexus Scholars program (8 weeks full-time in summer, applications open each fall), the Labor Dynamics Institute, the Economics Education Lab and Cornell in Washington.
• The department surveyed its December 2024, May 2025 and August 2025 graduates: 154 of 171 responded, and 74.7% said they were employed or in further schooling. Among respondents the largest categories were finance 32.2%, consulting 18.3% and banking 17.4%. This is the department’s own survey.

9. Transfer

• Fall entry only: application and fee March 15; remaining materials April 15; decisions late April through June. Apply with the Transfer Common Application.
• Eligibility: you have earned at least 12 semester hours of college credit after high school (not counting AP and similar exams) and are enrolled full time elsewhere. Students who already hold a bachelor’s degree cannot enroll for a second.
• Materials: high school transcripts for grades 9–12, all college transcripts, the College Report, an academic evaluation from instructors, the mid-term report and a transfer writing supplement of 250 to 650 words. SAT or ACT is neither required nor expected. International applicants must meet the English requirement.
• Transfer into A&S: at least 60 credits at Cornell and four semesters in residence in A&S; to enter as a junior you need the prerequisite coursework for your intended major, which is on each department’s site. The A&S page states no general transfer GPA threshold.
• Transfer Option: A&S extends this to a select group of first-year applicants as an invitation to apply for sophomore-year transfer after a year of full-time study elsewhere. It is not an offer of admission and cannot be deferred. The page’s “competitive” standard: two semesters of full-time study at a regionally accredited, degree-granting institution (summer does not count), mostly liberal arts and sciences rather than business, engineering or other pre-professional programs, and a 3.5 GPA each semester with no grade below B-, especially in courses related to the intended major. A&S says it cannot review or pre-approve your planned courses, and a significant shift toward a more selective or sequential program may affect competitiveness.
• Transfer into the Economics major: the same requirements apply, but some economics courses taken at a previous school may count toward the 12, including core courses. After arrival you meet the Director of Undergraduate Studies with transcripts and syllabi (and sometimes problem sets, exams and slides). In addition, at least 6 of the 12 courses must be taken at Cornell.
• The department page contradicts itself: the major page says earlier economics courses can count toward the 12, “including core courses”, while its footnote says the four core courses must be taken at Cornell. Rely on the Director of Undergraduate Studies’ assessment of which core courses can transfer.
• Aid: the international transfer aid deadline is also March 15, and international transfer admission is also need-aware.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Apply to A&S; SAT or ACT required; ED November 1 or RD January 2
• After enrolling, complete ECON 1110, 1120 (B- or better) and MATH 1110 (C or better), then apply online into the major
• If you need aid, use the domestic dates (November 15 / February 15 priority)

International applicants (including China):

• Apply to A&S; SAT or ACT required; English scores at the minimums above unless waived
• If you need aid, file the CSS Profile with your application; ED November 1 / RD January 2
• China: gaokao and school-exam requirements are not published; ask admissions
• With AP/IB/A-Level economics scores, you also need to pass the department placement exam to count them in the major

Transfer applicants:

• Fall entry, March 15; no SAT or ACT; the Transfer Option’s competitive standard is a 3.5 each semester with no grade below B-
• After enrolling, meet the Director of Undergraduate Studies; at least 6 of the 12 major courses must be taken at Cornell

Sources: Cornell University, Economics: undergraduate program; The Economics major (A&S); Declaring the major; Curriculum overview; Credit policies; Placement exams; Advice for incoming students; Information for prospective students; Research opportunities; First-year applicants; First-year Arts & Sciences applicants; Testing and English requirements; Transfer applicants; A&S requirements and transfer; Cost to attend; International financial aid. Most deadline pages do not print a year; the international aid page lists November 1, 2026, January 2, 2027 and March 15, 2027 for fall 2027 entry. Check Cornell for the latest details and confirm the entry year.