How to Apply to Fordham University for Economics: Choose Your Major, Campus and College on the Application, Three Majors in Economics, Mathematics and Quantitative Economics, and International Political Economy, Optional Testing, and Admission and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Economics at Fordham University is taught by the Department of Economics, with department contacts on both the Rose Hill (Bronx) and Lincoln Center (Manhattan) campuses. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on Fordham’s official information, for US domestic applicants, international applicants (including students from China) and transfer students. Business administration has its own guide on this site; this one covers business only where it touches economics. The university’s course catalog site (bulletin.fordham.edu) returned a verification page and was not used, so required course lists and credit requirements were not read; check the official catalog.

1. Degrees and options

• Three majors: the department lists the B.A. in Economics, the B.A. in Mathematics and Quantitative Economics (offered jointly with the Mathematics Department; Fordham’s pages call it variously Economics/Mathematics, Mathematical Economics and Mathematics and Quantitative Economics) and the B.A. in International Political Economy (IPE).
• B.A. in Economics: the school says students can design a program that prepares them for graduate study in economics, international affairs, public affairs, business or law, or for entering the workforce.
• Mathematics and Quantitative Economics: described as giving a strong background in economic analysis and the mathematics widely used in modern economics and finance, and as suited to students planning graduate study in economics, business and applied quantitative fields. The page notes that some students may be eligible for aid from Fordham’s CSTEP program.
• International Political Economy: an interdisciplinary major in political, economic and quantitative analysis with an introduction to other cultures; electives allow specialization, including foreign languages and global business.
• Minors and concentrations: a Minor in Economics for Fordham College and Gabelli students, and a Business Economics concentration open to Gabelli School students only. The department also partners with Gabelli on minors in finance, business administration, accounting, marketing and sustainable business.
• Double majors and accelerated master’s: economics can be combined with majors such as Biological Sciences, Computer and Information Science, Dance, Political Science and Psychology; selected economics majors can earn a B.A. and an M.A. in five years through the accelerated program (see the GSAS accelerated master’s page).
• Honors: Honors in Economics needs an overall GPA of at least 3.25 and 3.5 or better in economics courses (maintained through the final two semesters); ECON 3885 Introductory Econometrics and ECON 3154 Mathematics for Economists (or approved substitutes) by the penultimate semester; an honors thesis with an economics faculty mentor; and ECON 4998 for one credit, pass/fail, in the final semester.
• STEM designation: the economics pages read do not say whether these majors are on the US government’s STEM degree list; confirm with Fordham.

2. How admission works

• Select major, campus and college when you apply: Admission says applicants must first select a major area of study, then a campus (Rose Hill or Lincoln Center) and a college (Fordham College at Rose Hill, Fordham College at Lincoln Center or the Gabelli School of Business); applicants are evaluated for the campus and college they apply to.
• Conditions for entering the economics major: the pages read do not state a GPA threshold, required course grade or cap for the economics major, nor internal transfer rules. Contact the department’s Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies (the Rose Hill contact is listed on the site).
• Gabelli School of Business: because quantitative analysis is central to its curriculum, Admission says applicants to Gabelli should have coursework in precalculus and/or calculus (either is preferred) or an equivalent.

3. Prerequisites and courses

• High school preparation: for most students, at least 16 academic credits: English (4 years), science (3-4), mathematics (3-4), social studies (3-4) and foreign language (2-4). Students in non-US curricula should expect expectations similar to selective universities in their home countries. No economics-specific high school maths requirement is stated.
• University course sequence: the B.A. requirements (calculus, statistics, principles, intermediate micro and macro, econometrics) sit in the blocked catalog and were not read. The honors requirements show that the program includes ECON 3885 Introductory Econometrics and ECON 3154 Mathematics for Economists.
• AP credit: scores of 4 or 5 earn 3 credits each for Macroeconomics and Microeconomics that may satisfy core or major requirements (Social Science); Calculus AB or BC earns 3 credits toward the mathematical reasoning core; Statistics and Precalculus earn only 3 non-major elective credits that cannot be used for core or major requirements.
• IB credit: credit is awarded only for Higher Level exams, never for Standard Level. HL Economics scores of 6 or 7 earn 3 core credits for macroeconomics and 3 for microeconomics (Social Science); an HL 5 earns 3 general elective credits. HL Mathematics earns 3 core credits for MATH 1206 (Analysis and Approaches) or MATH 1700 (Applications and Interpretation). A student cannot receive credit for both AP and IB HL in the same subject, and should consult the department about using IB credit toward the major.

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

• Early Action (non-binding): 1 November 2026; materials by 20 November; notification 20 December; deposit by 1 May 2027.
• Early Decision I (binding): 1 November 2026; materials by 20 November; notification 20 December; deposit by 15 January 2027.
• Regular Decision: 3 January 2027; materials by 20 January; notification 1 April; deposit by 1 May.
• Early Decision II (binding): 3 January 2027; materials by 20 January; notification 15 February; deposit by 15 March.
• Fee: US$80. Required: the Common App with an essay, a high school transcript and a letter of recommendation. Optional: SAT/ACT, short responses (including the unique Fordham question), additional information, and challenges and circumstances.
• Testing: Fordham does not require the SAT or ACT; choose on the Common App whether to have scores considered. Fordham superscores. Scores are not required for merit scholarships or honors programs. Changes to testing status are due by 20 November (EA, ED I) or 20 January (RD, ED II). Codes: SAT 2259, ACT 2748. Applicants who enroll after submitting self-reported scores must have official scores sent within three weeks of the deposit.

5. US domestic applicants

• Testing is optional and not submitting scores carries no penalty; review looks at the transcript, course rigor and school context.
• Tuition: a single tuition figure is listed with no New York resident distinction; any in-state preference is not published, so ask Admission.
• Aid: domestic deadlines for the FAFSA are 15 November (EA, ED I), 1 February (RD) and 15 January (ED II), with the CSS Profile on the same dates for domestic students.

6. International applicants

• English tests for applicants whose first language is not English: TOEFL iBT 4.5+ (from January 2026) or 90+ (earlier scores); TOEFL ITP Level 1 with the Vericant interview option (China only) 575+; IELTS 7.0+; Duolingo 125+; PTE 65+. Applicants who self-report scores must send official scores on enrollment, and official scores must be less than two years old. Applicants without them request a waiver in the applicant portal; applicants living in the New York area can instead take Fordham’s 2.5-hour ESL placement evaluation (FELT).
• Transcripts: sent directly by the school or counselor, never by the student; they must cover three full years plus the current year, with internal grades and external exam results (IB, IGCSE, A-levels, national leaving exams), and predicted results where leaving exams are pending. Fordham may request additional credentials or translations.
• Funding and aid: first-year applicants on a non-immigrant visa for the fall are reviewed need-aware. Those who will fully self-fund complete the Statement of Funding; those seeking need-based aid submit the CSS Profile and must demonstrate a contribution of at least US$50,000 a year. The international page lists CSS Profile dates of 1 November (EA, ED I), 3 January (ED II) and 15 January (RD), while the main deadlines table lists 3 January for international RD; the two pages differ. The ISFAA is not accepted, CSS fee waivers are not available, awards stay the same for four years, and spring entrants cannot receive need-based aid.
• Merit: international applicants not seeking need-based aid are considered automatically for partial merit scholarships of up to US$25,000.
• Visa documents: F-1 sponsorship requires the Application for Certificate of Eligibility (AFCOE), financial or bank statements and the passport data page.
• Interviews: optional, through Duolingo, InitialView or Vericant (Vericant has a US$99 rate for Fordham applicants); interview deadlines are 15 November (EA, ED I) and 15 February (RD, ED II).

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the international pages read do not say whether the gaokao is considered or how results should be submitted; this is not published, so contact the international admission office or find your regional counselor.
• China-specific items: Fordham lists a WeChat account for international applicants, and the TOEFL ITP Level 1 plus Vericant interview option (575+) is offered for China only.
• Testing: SAT/ACT are not required.
• Transcript, English test and funding rules are as above.

8. Cost and scholarships

• 2026-27 tuition: Fordham College at Rose Hill and at Lincoln Center, full-time, US$68,886 per year (US$34,443 per term). Per-term fees include a general fee (Rose Hill 422, Lincoln Center 346), a technology fee (372), an international student service fee (76), an international orientation fee (514, once) and health insurance (fall 1,890, spring 3,342, waivable under the stated process).
• Estimated cost of attendance for fall 2026 entrants: Rose Hill resident US$102,188 (tuition 68,886, fees 2,063, food and housing 25,805, plus books, transportation and miscellaneous); Lincoln Center resident US$103,041. Fall 2027 figures are not yet published.
• Gabelli School costs are on a separate page that was not read. No separate economics tuition is listed.
• Internships: the department’s internship page says it can arrange a one-credit internship and offers an Internship Seminar for four credits toward the major in senior year; the page is undated and its examples look old, so confirm current practice with the department.

9. Transfer students

• Materials: the Common App with one essay and the US$80 fee; transcripts from every institution attended (unofficial copies are accepted at first); proof of high school graduation or equivalency; a mid-term report if you have fewer than 24 credits since high school; and a College Report after admission. Non-native English speakers submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo. International coursework is evaluated by WES or another NACES member.
• Deadlines: fall entry 1 June (Common App opens 1 November; rolling decisions from 15 March); spring entry 1 November (Common App opens 1 August; rolling decisions from 24 October). The page prints no year, so check that it applies to fall 2027.
• Credit: courses must be 3+ credits, with a C or higher, and similar to a Fordham course; at most 60 credits transfer, you must complete at least two years of full-time coursework at Fordham (120-124 credits in total), and earlier GPAs do not count toward your Fordham GPA. The TESS tool previews credit transfer, and admitted students get a preliminary evaluation within 2-3 weeks.
• Transfer into economics: the transfer page states no GPA or prerequisite for the economics major (it lists prerequisite courses only for Gabelli). Fordham advises transfer students to complete courses matching its core curriculum, and, if taking major courses, to choose introductory ones, since advanced courses are harder to transfer.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Apply through the Common App by 1 November 2026 (EA or ED I) or 3 January 2027 (RD or ED II), choosing the major, campus and college, with the US$80 fee
• Essay, transcript and one letter of recommendation; SAT/ACT optional
• Send AP Micro and Macro scores of 4 or 5 if you have them

International applicants (including students from China):

• Same rounds and materials; English test (for example TOEFL 4.5 new scale, IELTS 7.0 or Duolingo 125)
• Transcripts sent by the school covering three full years plus the current year; CSS Profile and at least US$50,000 a year of contribution for need-based aid, or the Statement of Funding if self-funding
• Gaokao requirements are not in the pages read; ask Admission

Transfer students:

• 1 June for fall, 1 November for spring; transcripts, essay, and a TESS credit preview

Sources: Fordham University, Economics undergraduate overview; Majors in economics; B.A. in Economics; Honors in Economics; B.A. in International Political Economy; Mathematics and Economics; Minors and concentrations; Accelerated M.A. in Economics; How to apply; Academic achievement and rigor; Testing policy; International students; Transfer students; Rose Hill costs; Lincoln Center costs. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures); check Fordham University for the latest details.