How to Apply to Economics at Penn State: B.A. and B.S. in the College of the Liberal Arts, Admission by Campus Rather Than Major, and Entrance to the Major After ECON 102 and 104 with a C, for U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), economics belongs to the College of the Liberal Arts and has two majors: Economics, B.A. (code ECLBA) and Economics, B.S. (code ECLBS). The Bulletin says both can be started at any Penn State campus and finished at University Park or World Campus. You apply through MyPennState or the Common App. Here is what the websites say for fall 2027 entry, for U.S. applicants, international applicants (including those from China) and transfer students.

1. Which economics programs exist

• Economics, B.A.: at least 120 credits: 45 general education, 15 electives, 24 B.A. degree requirements and 36 for the major. The Bulletin says it is for those who want a broad understanding of the economic system and training in economic analysis, leading to business, banking, risk assessment, government, or graduate work.
• Economics, B.S.: at least 120 credits: 45 general education, 26 electives and 55 for the major. The Bulletin says the B.S. is “intended for students with a strong interest in quantitative skills” and adds a programming or spreadsheet course, calculus and more quantification and social science credits (below).
• Honors and combined programs: both majors say “an honors program is also offered”; the Schreyer Honors College has its own application (below); there is an integrated B.A. in Economics and M.A. in Economics (University Park and World Campus) whose requirements are in the Graduate Bulletin; and there is an economics minor.
• STEM designation: not stated in the Bulletin pages consulted and not published there; ask Penn State Global or the department.
• Campus changes: the Bulletin warns that seven campuses (DuBois, Fayette, New Kensington, Mont Alto, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre and York) close after Spring 2027 and are not admitting new students.
• The department site (econ.la.psu.edu) returned 403 when it was checked, so it was not read; check it directly for honors and research details. This site has separate guides for business and computer science.

2. How admission works

• Campus review, usually not by major: admissions says Penn State typically reviews applications for admissibility to the chosen campus rather than a particular program (except a few such as Nursing and many programs in Arts and Architecture), so changing the major on the application typically does not change the decision. Math is looked at more closely for math and science programs. You may apply undecided.
• First-choice and alternate campus: first-year applicants must list both; the first choice is reviewed first, then the alternate.
• Entrance to Major (the same for both majors): complete ECON 102 and ECON 104 with a C or better, hold at least a C (2.00) cumulative GPA for all University courses, and have at least third-semester classification. The Bulletin cites Senate Policy 37-30.
• Whether seats are limited or entry is guaranteed: the Bulletin does not say, and the number is not published there.
• Early Action: admissions says applying before November 1 “possibly” helps because admission becomes more competitive as the year goes on; after that review is rolling.

3. Prerequisites and course sequence

• High school courses: the minimum high school units are shown in a chart that is not readable as text. It separates “Category 1” (University Park Smeal, Earth and Mineral Sciences, Engineering, Information Sciences and Technology and Eberly Science majors, among others) from “Category 2” (all other four-year majors); economics is in Liberal Arts and is not on the Category 1 list. The page adds that some colleges and majors require additional high school math and that statistics does not meet that requirement. The world language requirement is two units of one language other than English (American Sign Language counts); a deficiency may be corrected by graduation.
• Major courses (both majors, each with a C or better): ECON 102 (introductory microeconomics), ECON 104 (introductory macroeconomics), ECON 106 (statistical foundations for econometrics), ECON 302 (intermediate micro), ECON 304 (intermediate macro) and ECON 306 (introduction to econometrics), 18 credits; plus 18 credits of 300- or 400-level ECON courses with department approval, at least 9 credits at the 400 level.
• B.S. adds: CMPSC 101 (introduction to programming) or CMPSC 203 (spreadsheets and databases), 3 to 4 credits; MATH 110 (techniques of calculus I) or MATH 140 (calculus with analytic geometry I), 4 credits; 3 credits in social and behavioral sciences, 6 in arts, humanities or social and behavioral sciences and 3 in quantification, all from department lists with a C or better.
• B.A. adds: world language proficiency to the 12th credit level (by exam or coursework), 9 credits of B.A. fields (humanities, social and behavioral sciences, arts, world languages, natural sciences or quantification, not in the major’s own area) and 3 credits of World Cultures.
• Course prerequisites (course catalog): ECON 106 enforced prerequisite is placement into MATH 21 or higher; ECON 302 requires ECON 102; ECON 304 requires ECON 104; ECON 306 requires ECON 106. The honors versions ECON 302H, 304H and 306H also require MATH 110 or 140.
• Calculus in the Bulletin: the B.A. major requirements list no calculus; the B.S. requires MATH 110 or 140.
• Suggested plan: the University Park plan has ECON 102 and 104 in the first year, ECON 302, 304 and 106 in the second, and ECON 306 and upper-level electives in the third.
• AP, IB and A-Level credit: Penn State has AP, A-Level and IB credit pages, but which exam replaces which economics course is not in the pages consulted and is not published there. The international page says A-Level and AS grades A, B or C, IB Higher Level scores 5, 6 or 7, and AP exams may earn credit. Note that tuition rises once the transcript shows more than 59.1 total credits, including exam credit.

4. Rounds, deadlines and materials (fall 2027)

• Dates: the first-year page says there is “only one big deadline”: the Early Action deadline of November 1; after that review is rolling and University Park gets more competitive. Most campuses other than University Park accept applications through spring and summer, and the application for the fall semester closes July 28. The detailed date tables are in page tables that are not readable as text, and no year is printed; confirm it is for fall 2027.
• Decisions: for complete applications by Early Action, the outcomes are admit, defer (decision by the end of January) or deny; for later applications, admit, waitlist (final decision by May 15) or deny. Admitted first-year students have until May 1 to accept.
• Summer option: applicants to University Park can indicate summer as an option; if admitted to summer, attending summer is mandatory to study at University Park.
• Testing: Penn State has no minimum GPA or test score; SAT/ACT are optional. If submitted, the highest combined score from one test date is used, with no superscore and no ACT science.
• Review: the academic record matters most: courses, grades and course levels for grades 9 to 11, plus test scores if provided; the personal statement and activities list may also factor in.
• Application fee and recommendation letters are not covered in the general application pages consulted and are not published there (the Schreyer Honors College and Millennium Scholars Program require essays and recommendations).
• Schreyer Honors College: a separate application with essays, short answers and recommendation letters; applicants who apply before November 1 may take an optional interview.

5. Three groups of readers

U.S. applicants

• A first-year applicant is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident currently in high school or with fewer than 18 college credits.
• In-state and out-of-state: tuition varies by campus, program, student level and residency. Generally a student must live in Pennsylvania for non-academic reasons for a year to be a resident for tuition. At application, residency is assigned from the high school location and, under age 24, the parents’ domicile, and you can ask for a residency review. The tuition figures are in page tables that are not readable as text, and the tuition calculator site (tuition.psu.edu) returned 403, so it was not read; those numbers are not published in the pages consulted.
• Awards: the admissions page says the Provost Academic Award is for non-Pennsylvania residents who enroll in a baccalaureate at University Park, and the Commonwealth Award is for Pennsylvania residents who enroll at a campus other than University Park or World Campus. Amounts were not in the text consulted.
• Whether in-state applicants get an admission preference is not described in the pages consulted.

International applicants

• Definition: anyone who needs a visa; deadlines are generally the same as for domestic applicants.
• Records: first-year international applicants submit a self-reported STARS record; only South Korean-system applicants send official secondary records at application. Everyone else sends official records after admission. Official documents must be originals or copies certified by the school, examining board, ministry or consulate (notarized copies do not count) and non-English documents need a certified line-by-line English translation. Reviewers look for completed courses or exams in mathematics, physical science, social science and language in all years of high school.
• English (scores under two years old; U.S. citizens and permanent residents are exempt): Duolingo 120; TOEFL iBT 4.5 for tests after January 21, 2026 or 80 before (MyBest is not accepted); IELTS academic 6.5; SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 570; ACT English 24; GCSE or GCE English language A, B or C; IB English A 5 or higher; four years at a U.S. high school; or certification through Penn State’s Intensive English Communication Program.
• Agents: Penn State says it does not partner with agents.
• Proof of funds: after accepting an offer you must certify resources for the first calendar year (excluding travel) and indicate how you will meet later years; an I-20 needs first-year proof of funds. The amount appears in a campus selector that is not readable as text.
• Aid: the pages consulted do not describe a scholarship specifically for international undergraduates; that is not published there, so ask Penn State Global.

Applicants from China

• Penn State has a China credentials page: after the academic history section of the MyPennState application, first-year applicants complete the STARS record, entering every class and grade for the last three years, including courses in progress.
• If admitted and you accept, submit for grade verification an official copy of the “cheng ji dan” (transcript book) for junior year 3 and senior years 1, 2 and 3 (a dual-language copy is accepted but a Chinese-only copy is also recommended) and an official high school diploma with an English translation. GCSE/GCE takers submit final result certificates from all attempts, showing seven strong passes in academic courses including math, language, science, social science and humanities.
• The pages do not say whether gaokao scores are considered; that is not published there, so ask admissions (admissions@psu.edu).
• English requirements are listed above.

6. Costs and scholarships

• Tuition varies by campus, program, level and residency and the admissions site points to its tuition calculator, whose numbers are not readable as text (the tuition site was blocked). No separate college fee for economics is listed in the pages consulted; that is not published there.
• Awards are above; admissions recommends that admitted students submit the FAFSA to maximize aid options.

7. Research and internships

• The Bulletin’s career section says economics graduates work as actuarial assistants, financial analysts, market research analysts, budget analysts, research assistants, operations research analysts, urban and regional planners and policy analysts, or continue to a master’s or Ph.D. in economics.
• The Bulletin’s learning objectives are applied economics fields, economic analysis, economics writing, intermediate theory and quantitative economic analysis. It does not list specific research programs or internships, and the department site was not read, so these are not published in the pages consulted.

8. Transfer students

• Who counts as a transfer: someone with a high school diploma or GED who has completed, attempted or will have attempted 18 or more semester hours at a regionally accredited college after high school and before enrolling at Penn State. A first semester of college work after high school still counts as first-year.
• General requirements: proof of high school graduation; the high school course requirements; a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 for four-year programs at University Park and 2.0 for four-year programs at other campuses; prerequisites with at least a 2.0 (C); and, to transfer to University Park, at least four semesters of full-time college coursework after high school. Some programs set a higher GPA, and economics-specific transfer requirements are on the major list page, which is not readable as text.
• Entering the economics major: the same rule applies, so you still need ECON 102 and 104 with a C or better, a 2.00 cumulative GPA and third-semester standing.
• Credit: Penn State offers a transfer credit tool; AP, IB, A-Level and CLEP exams can earn credit; international transfers can receive credit for higher-level exams equal to introductory courses, and summer or winter courses abroad outside the regular degree curriculum are not considered. The transfer date table is not readable here; review is rolling.
• International transfers: no STARS record; official college transcripts (foreign ones showing all subjects each year, the grades and a key with the passing mark), official high school transcripts for transfers from China, and proof of English proficiency.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Apply by November 1 through MyPennState or the Common App, listing a first-choice and an alternate campus; SAT/ACT are optional
• After enrolling, complete ECON 102 and 104 with a C or better, hold a 2.00 GPA and reach third-semester standing, then enter the B.A. or B.S.
• For the B.S., prepare MATH 110 or 140 and a programming or spreadsheet course

International applicants (including China):

• Apply by November 1; English: Duolingo 120, TOEFL 4.5 (80 on the old scale), IELTS 6.5 and so on, scores under two years old
• Complete the STARS record (last three years of courses and grades); after admission send the transcript book and diploma; gaokao use is not published, ask admissions
• Show first-year funds after admission; do not use agents

Transfer students:

• At least 18 semester credits; for University Park a 2.5 GPA and four full-time semesters
• Prerequisites at C or better; ECON 102 and 104 with a C or better are still needed for the major

Sources: Penn State, Bulletin: Economics B.A.; Bulletin: Economics B.S.; Bulletin: ECON courses; First-year applicants; First-year admission requirements; First-year application review; First-year dates and deadlines; International applicants; International admission requirements; International application review; International dates and deadlines; China credentials; Transfer applicants; Transfer eligibility; Academic credit; Tuition and costs; Financial guarantee for international students. The date tables on the deadline pages are not readable in text and the pages print no year; check Penn State for the latest details and confirm the entry year.