How to Apply to Economics at the University of Florida: The BA in Economics in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, SAT/ACT/CLT Required and Semester-by-Semester Critical Tracking, with Admission and Prerequisite Information for US, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At the University of Florida (UF), undergraduate economics is a Bachelor of Arts (BA) of 120 credits, taught by the Department of Economics in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS). Business degrees are offered separately by the Warrington College of Business and are covered in a separate guide. This guide, based on UF’s official information, covers what US applicants, international applicants (including those from China) and transfer applicants need to know. Where UF does not say, we write “not published” and say where to ask.

1. Degrees and how you get into the major

• Degrees: the catalog index we read lists a single economics degree, the Bachelor of Arts (no BS), together with an Economics Minor and a CLAS Econometric and Data Analysis Certificate. The catalog index also shows a BS in Food and Resource Economics (College of Agricultural and Life Sciences) and a BA in Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law (Hamilton School); these belong to other colleges and are not covered here. The catalog page does not mention a STEM designation; confirm with the department.
• PaCE: UF’s PaCE majors list has no economics under the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (only Food and Resource Economics under agriculture), so economics is not among the PaCE majors.
• How admission works: first-year applicants apply only through the Common App and choose a start term (Summer B or Fall). The first-year pages we read do not say how a major is chosen on the application or whether economics has its own admission bar or capacity limit; the Innovation Academy, by contrast, explicitly requires choosing a major in the Common App. Ask UF Admissions or the department.
• Critical Tracking: the catalog lists ECO 2013, ECO 2023, MAC 2233 (or MAC 2311) and STA 2023 as the economics critical-tracking courses, with ECO 3101 as a further semester-5 milestone:
  • Semester 2: complete one of the four courses with a 2.5 critical-tracking GPA;
  • Semester 3: one more, with a 2.75 GPA;
  • Semester 4: two more, with a 3.0 GPA;
  • Semester 5: complete ECO 3101 with at least a C (it is excluded from the critical-tracking GPA) and keep a 3.0 critical-tracking GPA;
  • a 2.0 UF GPA is required every semester.
  These figures come from the catalog; what happens if a student falls short, and whether they can change major, is not on the catalog page, so ask the CLAS Academic Advising Center.
• Grades and credits: the major is 37–39 credits (14–15 foundation plus 23–24 major credits), a C or higher is required in each required and elective course, and at least 15 credits of 3000/4000-level major coursework must be completed at UF, in a UF-sponsored study abroad or in a UF exchange program.

2. Prerequisites and course sequence

• High school units for admission: UF lists sixteen academic units as the minimum: 4 years of English (with substantial writing), 4 years of mathematics (Algebra 1 or above), 3 years of natural sciences (two with lab), 3 years of social sciences and 2 sequential years of a foreign language, with at least a cumulative C in the academic core. UF stresses these are minimums and most admitted students exceed them. It publishes no additional high school math requirement for economics.
• Foundation courses: MAC 2233 (Survey of Calculus 1) or MAC 2311 (Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1), STA 2023 (Introduction to Statistics 1; students taking advanced statistics might not be required to take it), ECO 2013 (Principles of Macroeconomics, 4 credits) and ECO 2023 (Principles of Microeconomics, 4 credits): 14–15 credits.
• Core and electives: ECO 3101 Intermediate Microeconomics (4 credits; complete early because it is a prerequisite for some electives) and ECO 3203 Intermediate Macroeconomics (4 credits); four 3000/4000-level economics electives (ECO, ECP or ECS prefix, excluding ECO 3101, ECO 3203 and some others), with at most one substitute from natural resource and environmental economics, food and resource economics special topics, FIN 3403 or GEO 3502. Prerequisites are strictly enforced.
• For graduate study in economics, the catalog suggests a math or statistics minor, or ECO 4421 Econometrics (or regression analysis), Calculus 1–3, differential equations, linear algebra, real analysis, probability and statistical theory.
• AP, IB and other exam credit: UF’s transfer pages say AICE, AP, CAPE, CLEP, DLPT, DSST, IB and UEXCEL credit combined can reach 45 semester hours; credit is posted as UF equivalents graded P (not counted in GPA), and exams must be taken and scores reported before the end of the first term of enrollment. Which AP or IB economics scores map to ECO 2013 or ECO 2023 is not stated on the pages we read (UF points to its academic catalog).
• Sample sequence: the catalog’s example puts ECO 2023 in semester 1, ECO 2013 and MAC 2233 in semester 2 and STA 2023 in semester 3; it is only an example.

3. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• Common App only, USD 30 fee (fee waivers available). UF’s listed 2026-27 dates:
  • Early Decision (binding): 15 October, materials by 22 October, decisions 11 December;
  • Early Action (non-binding): 1 November, materials by 8 November, decisions 22 January;
  • Regular Decision: 15 January, materials by 22 January, decisions 19 March, with possible outcomes of admit, deny, waitlist or Pathways (guaranteed transfer partnerships with Santa Fe College).
  The enrollment deposit is USD 200. These are 2026-27 cycle dates; confirm the dates for fall 2027 entry.
• Testing required: all first-year applicants must submit the SAT, ACT or CLT (a Florida requirement); UF superscores all three and has no preference. SAT code 5812, ACT code 0758. The ACT Science section no longer counts.
• Other materials: the personal essay, short answers on the UF supplement, activities and family information, and your courses and grades entered as the STARS in the Gator Portal. The pages we read do not list recommendation letters.
• What UF reviews: a comprehensive review of high school performance (a core weighted GPA, with an extra 1.0 weight for AP, IB, AICE and dual enrollment and 0.5 for honors), curriculum strength, SAT/ACT/CLT, activities, the essay and personal background. For the Class of 2030, the middle 50% of admitted students had a weighted GPA of 4.5–4.7, ACT 32–35 and SAT 1420–1520 (as of July 2026), which UF says are not minimums.
• To be considered for the Honors Program, tick the box on the Common App and answer the additional essay.

4. US applicants

• A large in-state/out-of-state difference: UF’s 2026-27 cost estimates (USD, first-time students):
  • In-state undergraduates on or off campus: tuition and fees 6,440, books 1,220, transportation 1,700, living 14,190, personal 2,224 and loan fees 56, for 25,830; in-state students living with parents total 16,240;
  • Out-of-state undergraduates: tuition and fees 34,620, other items the same, for 54,010.
  Fall 2027 figures are not yet published. UF has a “Residency For Tuition” page describing how in-state status is determined; check it yourself.
• In-state preference: the pages we read do not describe an admission preference for Florida residents; not published.
• Testing: required, as above. High school students earning an AA through dual enrollment may follow the freshman path or be considered only as transfers (UF describes two options under Florida Board of Governors Regulation 6.005).

5. International applicants

• Same review: UF says all freshman applicants receive an equal, uniform comprehensive review irrespective of secondary curriculum origin or citizenship; apply early if you have non-US coursework, since processing takes time.
• Transcripts: at least four full years of your most recent secondary transcripts (including courses in progress), in the original language plus a word-for-word certified English translation; applicants from schools outside the US that do not follow the US grading system do not complete the STARS; official transcripts and translations are required on enrollment.
• Credential evaluation: all non-US coursework needs a course-by-course evaluation with GPA from a member of NACES, received by the materials deadline.
• Testing: international students must also submit the SAT, ACT or CLT.
• English: the international freshman page does not list an English requirement. The international transfer page asks for TOEFL iBT 80, TOEFL PBT 550 or IELTS Academic 6.0, waived after a full-time academic year at a degree-seeking program in the US or a country where English is the only official language, or with an associate degree from such a place; UF lists Canada, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and others as exempt countries. Ask Admissions whether freshmen follow the same standard.
• Aid: students on F1, F2, J1, J2 or G visas cannot receive federal aid administered by UF’s Student Financial Aid and Scholarships office, but may receive private or college-awarded scholarships. The pages we read do not describe a general scholarship for international freshmen; check the college and aid-office pages.

6. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages we read do not say whether Gaokao results are considered, and have no China-specific section.
• Transcripts and exams: follow the general international rules: at least four years of transcripts with certified translations and a NACES course-by-course evaluation with GPA. Whether a school-leaving exam certificate is needed is not published; contact Admissions (freshman@ufl.edu).
• English: China is not on UF’s list of exempt countries; see the English note above for freshmen.
• Credit: exam credit works as described above; credit for Chinese high school coursework is not published.

7. Costs and opportunities

• See section 4 for the 2026-27 estimates; UF notes the tuition and fees figures are for first-time students taking 30 credit hours over fall and spring, and continuing students’ figures may be lower.
• Major surcharge: none is listed on the cost page we read; costs for fall 2027 entry are not yet published.
• Internships and study abroad: the catalog strongly encourages economics students to complete a study abroad or internship abroad program, through CLAS’s Beyond 120 program, the Heavener School of Business’s International Programs Office or the UF International Center, while still making timely progress toward the degree.

8. Transfer students

• Eligibility: an Associate of Arts from a Florida public institution or at least 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours); two years of the same foreign language (high school) or an equivalent level; a 2.0 overall GPA and a 2.0 at your last institution as calculated by UF; the prerequisites for your intended major completed before enrolling (they cannot be taken at UF); and not 12–59 credits already earned. You may apply to one major only, must declare it on the application, and changing majors after admission is highly unlikely.
• Deadlines: the UF dates page lists 2026 terms: fall 1 May application, 15 May materials, 15 June decisions; spring 15 September, 1 October and 15 November; summer 15 February, 1 March and 1 April. Some programs have earlier deadlines or admit only certain terms, so confirm the 2027 dates with CLAS. The fee is USD 30.
• CLAS economics transfer requirements: complete ECO 2013, ECO 2023, MAC 2233 (or MAC 2311) and STA 2023; typically a 3.0 overall GPA and a 3.0 GPA on all attempts of these courses to be competitive. CLAS stresses that admission to this major is very competitive due to space availability, and the most competitive applicants have B’s or better in first attempts of all the courses. Meeting the minimums means consideration, not a guarantee.
• Credit: credit is awarded only once for the same course; UF credit takes precedence, then dual enrollment or transfer credit, then exam credit. UF points to Transferology for checking transfer credit.
• International transfers: non-US coursework needs a NACES course-by-course evaluation with GPA and certified translations; English requires TOEFL iBT 80, PBT 550 or IELTS 6.0 unless exempt.
• Dual-enrollment AA students: UF recommends applying first as a freshman; if that is not successful, UF asks whether you want to be considered as a transfer.

Checklist

US applicants:

• Common App; ED 15 October, EA 1 November or RD 15 January (confirm the year)
• SAT, ACT or CLT required; plan calculus, statistics and both principles courses; note the estimated tuition and fees of USD 6,440 in-state against USD 34,620 out-of-state

International applicants:

• Four years of transcripts with certified translations, a NACES course-by-course evaluation with GPA and the SAT/ACT/CLT; ask Admissions about the freshman English requirement
• No federal aid for international students; plan around USD 54,000 a year

Applicants from China:

• Gaokao and school-leaving exam handling is not published; ask Admissions. Otherwise follow the international list

Transfer students:

• Four prerequisite courses and a 3.0 GPA; one major only; the dates page lists 2026, so check 2027 dates

Sources: University of Florida, Undergraduate catalog: Economics BA; Catalog A-Z index; Freshman applicants; Freshman dates and deadlines; Freshman requirements; Decision process and student profile; International freshmen; PaCE majors; Transfer applicants; Transfer dates and deadlines; Transfer eligibility; International transfer and English; Credit by exam; CLAS transfer requirements; Cost of attendance; International student aid. The transfer dates page lists 2026 terms, so confirm the dates for fall 2027 entry; costs are for 2026-27. Check the University of Florida for the latest details.