How to Apply to Economics at Washington University in St. Louis: Economics Is in Arts & Sciences, You Pick the School When You Apply and Declare the Major in Your Second Year, AP Micro and Macro Do Not Count Toward the Major, with Admission Routes and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Economics at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is taught by the Department of Economics in the College of Arts & Sciences. You choose one of five undergraduate schools (Architecture, Art, Arts & Sciences, Business, Engineering) when you apply, and for economics that is Arts & Sciences; see our business guide for the Olin Business School. The application also asks for a primary academic interest, but you do not formally declare a major until your second year. Here is what the official pages say for fall 2027 entry, for US domestic applicants, international applicants (including those from China) and transfer applicants.

1. Degrees and options

• Economics major (BA): 37 to 39 units; every course in the major (including MATH and SDS courses) must be taken for a letter grade with at least a C- in each.
• Economics and Computer Science major: 54 units, developed by Arts & Sciences and the McKelvey School of Engineering; Arts & Sciences students earn a BA, and Engineering students fulfill the BS in Applied Science requirements.
• Mathematics and Economics major: 57 units.
• Financial Economics Specialization: majors (prime or second) earn it by completing an additional set of electives; Economics plus the specialization totals 40 to 42 units.
• Minors: General Economics and Applied Microeconomics.
• STEM: the department page states that the Economics, Economics & Computer Science and Mathematics & Economics majors all carry STEM classification with CIP code 45.0603.
• Honors: two Latin Honors tracks (thesis or coursework), each requiring a GPA of at least 3.65 and nine units of coursework beyond the major, plus departmental English Honors distinctions.
• Accelerated MA: the department page says qualified undergraduates may complete a Master of Arts in one year after the BA; see the department for the conditions.

2. How admission works: choose Arts & Sciences, declare in the second year

• You must select one undergraduate school as your “home base”; for economics, Arts & Sciences. You can change later, but enrolling first-year students must wait one full semester before requesting a change of school, and a change is not guaranteed.
• You pick a “primary academic interest” on the application and need not formally declare until your second year; the FAQ says you have until the latter half of your sophomore year to decide.
• The pages I read do not say whether economics has its own admission line, an internal application or GPA conditions to enter the major, or a cap on places; this is not published there, so ask the department’s Academic Coordinator (Dorothy Petersen, 314-935-5644, dottie@wustl.edu).
• Admission percentages by school can vary from year to year; WashU says it looks for the same qualities across schools and advises applying to the school with the courses and majors you are most interested in.

3. Prerequisites and courses

• High school: WashU uses a holistic review and requires no specific courses. Successful candidates’ transcripts often include 4 years of English; 4 years of mathematics (architecture, business and engineering “strongly recommend” calculus; Arts & Sciences is not described that way); 3–4 years of laboratory science; 3–4 years of history or social science; and at least two years of the same foreign language.
• Required courses for the economics major (Bulletin, 37–39 units):
  • ECON 1501 Introduction to Microeconomics and ECON 1502 Introduction to Macroeconomics (MEC 2900 and MEC 2920 can substitute);
  • ECON 4001 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory and ECON 4002 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory;
  • ECON 3150 Introduction to Econometrics (or ECON 4150 with writing);
  • MATH 1510 Calculus I (or MATH 1515) and MATH 1520 Calculus II;
  • ECON 4830 Mathematical Economics (1–3 units) or MATH 2130 Calculus III;
  • one statistics course from SDS 2020, SDS 3020, SDS 3030, ESE 3260 or DAT 1200 plus 1201;
  • four upper-level 3-unit economics electives, at least two at the 4000 level.
• The course description for Mathematical Economics says majors and minors must take it (or Calculus III) before or together with Intermediate Microeconomics. The Bulletin page I read does not give prerequisite chains for ECON 1501 and the other courses; check the course listings.
• AP and international exam credit:
  • The economics major page states that no credit is awarded in the economics major from the AP Microeconomics or AP Macroeconomics exams. AP credit for MATH 1510, MATH 1520 and SDS 2020 is accepted in the major, and the minor accepts AP, IB and British A-level credit for MATH 1510 and 1520.
  • The Mathematics and Economics major page, however, says AP credit is accepted for ECON 1501 and ECON 1502, and refers IB and A-level questions to the Mathematics and Economics departments. The two pages disagree; confirm with the department.
  • The transfer page says many departments accept a 4 or 5 on AP exams or a 5 or better on IB higher-level exams for credit and placement, with official scores sent to the dean’s office after admission.
• Transfer credit and study abroad: majors may use up to 3 units from other institutions to replace ECON 1501, ECON 1502 or a 3000-level elective (minimum C-); for a first-year matriculant, at most 9 units of transfer credit in total. An approved one-semester study abroad program can replace ECON 3150 and two electives; full-year programs are handled case by case. All majors must take at least four 4000-level economics courses in the department.

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

• Early Action (non-binding): due November 2, school materials November 9, financial aid November 17, decisions by December 23, reply May 1.
• Early Decision I (binding): due November 2, decisions by December 11, reply January 4.
• Early Decision II (binding): due January 4, school materials and financial aid January 11, decisions by February 12, reply March 1.
• Regular Decision: due January 4, school materials January 11, financial aid February 1, decisions by April 1, reply May 1.
• Scholarship priority: submit by December 16 (the page prints 2026); school scholarships need no separate application and range up to the full cost of tuition; Signature Scholar Programs ask for a 250-word answer per program after you apply. Scholarship decisions come after the ED II notification, and WashU suggests Regular Decision for students who need a scholarship to attend.
• Materials: Common App or Coalition App, school report and transcript, a counselor recommendation and one teacher evaluation, a 250-word response on what you want to study and why, the personal essay and activities; the $75 application fee is waived for financial aid applicants and for those facing hardship.
• Interviews and supplements: WashU offers no evaluative interviews; the video supplement and Schoolhouse.world certifications are optional.
• Testing: test optional; SAT or ACT, writing not required, highest individual section scores used; self-reported scores are accepted and verified after enrollment. The last test date accepted is December (October for Early Action and ED I).

5. US domestic applicants

• For first-year US citizens and permanent residents, admission is need-blind: ability to pay is not considered. WashU says it meets 100 percent of demonstrated need for all admitted undergraduates, without loans. Need-based aid uses the FAFSA (available October 1), the CSS Profile (October 1) and a Noncustodial Parent Statement where applicable.
• The cost page I read lists one tuition figure, with no in-state or out-of-state rates.
• The high school course pattern in section 3 is “often seen”, not required.

6. International applicants

• Academic record: a minimum of 12 years of primary and secondary study and a secondary school diploma or equivalent. Submit original transcripts or certified copies, a description of the grading system, examination results (for example IGCSE, predicted A-Levels, national exams), school-leaving certificates and certified English translations, with subjects by year, duration, class or lab periods and marks.
• Testing alternatives: SAT/ACT are not required. Applicants at schools outside the US may submit SAT; ACT; predicted or actual national exam results (such as the Baccalauréat, Abitur or Maturita); IB Diploma results; predicted or actual A-Levels; three AP exam scores; or three IB higher-level scores if not an IB Diploma candidate. With the AP or IB HL options, one score must be in math for STEM majors in Arts & Sciences, McKelvey Engineering and Olin Business; the pages do not say whether economics counts as a “STEM major in Arts & Sciences” for this rule, so ask admissions.
• English: required of applicants whose first language is not English, by TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo. WashU says its most competitive applicants have scores in these ranges or above: TOEFL 100 for exams before January 21, 2026 and 5.0 on the new scale from that date, IELTS Academic 7.0, Duolingo 130. Starting with fall 2027 admission, SAT or ACT scores are no longer accepted in place of an English exam. Applicants with three or more years in a US English-medium school and strong performance may request an exemption case by case. The December 2026 tests are the last accepted (October for Early Action and ED I). WashU encourages third-party interview supplements such as InitialView to show English ability, and says opting out is not a disadvantage.
• Financial aid: international students are eligible only if they apply for aid during the admission process, not after the decision or later in the four years. If you say you will not apply for need-based aid, you must submit the International Financial Information form in the Pathway or your application stays incomplete. WashU says it meets 100 percent of demonstrated need for all admitted undergraduates; the need-blind policy is described for US citizens and permanent residents. Aid deadlines follow the rounds in section 4.
• After admission: enrolling students submit financial statements, an Affidavit of Financial Support and certified English bank statements showing first-year tuition and living expenses and comparable funds for each later year (aid offers may be deducted) before an I-20 is processed. WashU can issue F-1 or J-1 documents; you may not start a degree on a tourist (B-2) visa. Full-time degree students must have health insurance or prove equivalent coverage.

7. Applicants from China

• The admissions pages I read have no separate section for applicants from China; the international requirements above apply.
• Whether the Gaokao is considered: the international page lists national exams such as the Baccalauréat, Abitur and Maturita and does not mention the Gaokao; this is not published there, so ask admissions (admissions@wustl.edu).
• Transcripts and Huikao documents: certified copies and certified English translations with a grading-system description are required; there is no Huikao-specific instruction.
• English and interview: see the previous section. Recommended TOEFL 100 (5.0 on the new scale), IELTS 7.0, Duolingo 130.

8. Costs, research and internships

• 2026-27 undergraduate costs (Financial Aid):
  • tuition $71,310, student activity fee $712, student health and wellness fee $700;
  • average housing and food (university meal plan) $24,272, depending on room and plan;
  • total university charges $96,994;
  • estimated expenses not billed by the university: books and supplies $1,412, travel $1,050, miscellaneous $2,804, a total of $5,266.
  Health insurance is separate: the WashU plan covers 12 months, and an opt-out for adequate other coverage must be filed by September 5; the page I read does not give the premium.
• Scholarships: each school provides four-year scholarships up to full tuition, considered automatically at application, plus Signature Scholar Programs. I found no college surcharge for economics.
• Internships and research: the Bulletin says economics students with business interests typically complete at least one internship, which may earn academic credit, and suggests Olin courses such as accounting. The department describes ways to do undergraduate research (assisting faculty or graduate students, off-campus summer programs, opportunities in other departments, and independent projects including a senior thesis) and strongly encourages study abroad.

9. Transfer applicants

• Fall transfer: the application opens November 1 and is due March 1 (Common App; materials include the college transcript, high school transcript, college instructor evaluation and college report); financial aid is also due March 1, decisions come by May 7, and the reply is due May 20.
• Spring transfer: Arts & Sciences only; at least one completed semester elsewhere; international students must already be studying at a university in the US; opens September 1, due October 15, decisions by November 20, reply November 30.
• Each school may have “from zero to a small handful” of transfer slots, so admission is selective. Successful applicants show at least a 3.5 GPA across a broad curriculum and a completed first-year composition course, left previous institutions in good standing, and have completed a semester of full-time college work or submit a mid-term report. For specific Arts & Sciences requirements the page refers applicants to Undergraduate Admissions; no required courses for economics are stated.
• Admitted transfers must stay in the school they were admitted to; moving schools requires an application after one full semester and is not guaranteed.
• Credit: credit goes to courses comparable to WashU offerings with a C or better, decided by your dean. Architecture, Art, Arts & Sciences and Business students may transfer at most 60 semester hours and must complete their final 60 hours and at least four consecutive full-time semesters at WashU. No credit for CLEP, standard-level IB, correspondence or online courses, or placement exams given by another institution. AP 4 or 5 and IB HL 5 or better are accepted by many departments.
• Economics major: outside credit is limited as described in section 3 (up to 3 units to replace an introductory course or a 3000-level elective).
• International transfers: submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo; they are not eligible to apply for WashU financial aid.
• Testing is optional; see the transfer page for the application fee and other details.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Select Arts & Sciences; Early Action or ED I November 2, ED II and Regular Decision January 4; testing optional; no evaluative interview
• After enrolling, take ECON 1501, 1502, 4001, 4002, 3150, two semesters of calculus, Mathematical Economics (or Calculus III), statistics and four electives; declare in your second year

International applicants (including those from China):

• TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo is required (SAT/ACT no longer substitute from fall 2027); national exams, IB, A-Levels or three AP scores can replace SAT/ACT; ask admissions whether the Gaokao is considered
• Request need-based aid during the application, otherwise submit the International Financial Information form

Transfer applicants:

• Fall due March 1, spring due October 15; at least a semester of college work, typically a 3.5 GPA
• Stay in the school you are admitted to; international transfers have no aid; the economics major accepts at most 3 units of outside credit for an introductory course or elective

Sources: Washington University in St. Louis, First-year US citizen/permanent resident applicants; First-year international applicants; Application dates and deadlines; English testing requirements; Transfer applicants; Common questions; Scholarships; 2026-27 costs; Economics: undergraduate program; Bulletin: Economics; Bulletin: Economics major; Bulletin: Financial Economics specialization; Bulletin: Economics and Computer Science major; Bulletin: Mathematics and Economics major. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 rates). Check WashU for the latest details.