How to Apply to Economics at the University of Delaware: B.A. and B.S. Degrees in the Lerner College of Business and Economics, with the B.S. a STEM-Designated Business Degree; Admission, Prerequisites and Transfer for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At the University of Delaware (UD), undergraduate economics is offered by the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics (Lerner College). Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on UD’s official information, for domestic applicants, international applicants (including those from China) and transfer students. One caution: the full required-course lists for economics in the UD catalog were not read for this article, so check the catalog for them.

1. Degrees and options

• Economics, B.A. or B.S.: in Lerner College, introduced on one page. Lerner says to choose according to your strengths: mathematics and quantitative skills (B.S.) or foreign language (B.A.). The differences: the B.A. requires an intermediate-level foreign language course (107 or 112), with an exemption exam possible for students with four or more years of one language in high school; the B.S. has no language requirement but requires quantitative proficiency through the calculus-based intermediate theory courses (ECON 301 and ECON 304) and an upper-level econometrics course (ECON 422). B.A. students may take intermediate theory with calculus (301 and 304) or without (300 and 303), and ECON 422 is recommended, not required. Lerner adds that several 400-level economics courses require calculus.
• STEM: Lerner writes that “the B.S. in economics is a STEM-designated business degree”; it does not say this of the B.A.
• Size: over 400 undergraduates currently major in economics.
• Related majors: Lerner also lists Economics Education (B.A.). The transfer requirements table has Mathematics and Economics and Environmental and Resource Economics too; the pages read do not say which college offers them, so ask Admissions.
• Honors: the Honors College degree requires all B.A. or B.S. economics requirements, the University’s honors requirements, ECON 301 and 304 taken in honors sections; economics courses at the 600 level or higher may count as honors courses. You are automatically considered when you apply to UD, and current students can apply after one full-time semester.
• Research: research opportunities are available in summer and during the year; summer research is described as a good stepping stone to a senior thesis or project, with details on the Undergraduate Research Program website.
• Business administration has its own article on this site and is not covered here.

2. How you apply and enter economics

• You choose a major when you apply: in UD’s major list, Economics (B.S.) and Economics Education sit under Lerner College. UD says it reviews your qualifications and preparation for the major you select.
• You may be admitted to University Studies: if space no longer remains in your major, or your application does not meet its requirements, UD may admit you to University Studies (undeclared). There you get specialized advising and must declare a major by the end of sophomore year. The pages read do not say whether economics has a capacity limit or a GPA threshold.
• Changing major after admission: admitted students submit the Change My Major form in the My Blue Hen Home portal for review by an admissions representative; not all requests can be approved. For moving into Lerner from another UD major, Lerner points to its undergraduate advising page, which did not show the conditions in the pages read; ask Lerner.

3. Prerequisites and course sequence

• High school coursework (US citizens and permanent residents): UD suggests 16 units: English 4, mathematics 3 (Algebra 1 or higher), science 3 (including 2 labs), history and social sciences 3, and 3 academic electives.
• Precalculus: UD says some majors require at least precalculus passed by high school graduation, and applicants who have not will not be considered for the major. In the business list, Economics (B.S.) and Economics Education are on the list that needs it; Economics (B.A.), Entrepreneurship, Hospitality and Event Experience Management and Sport Management are exempt. If your high school offers no precalculus or calculus, you can apply to University Studies and transfer internally later. The international admissions page separately says applicants to most Lerner and Engineering programs are expected to have the equivalent of precalculus. The two statements differ slightly and the pages do not say which prevails, so B.A. applicants should confirm with Admissions.
• Curricula that meet the expectation (international page): US high school precalculus or higher; IB Analysis and Approaches (SL or HL) or Applications and Interpretation HL; A-Level mathematics (AS or A-Level); AP Precalculus or Calculus AB/BC; Grade 12 precalculus or calculus in Canadian provinces; mathematics through Grade 12 for Indian CBSE/ISC; and for the Chinese national curriculum, senior secondary mathematics through Grade 12.
• Economics courses: beyond the intermediate theory, econometrics and language requirements above, the catalog’s required list (principles, statistics, mathematics and so on) was not read for this article. Lerner’s first-semester business course is BUAD 110; Lerner says students transferring in may need an upper-level substitute depending on their admitted major.
• AP, IB and A-Level credit: for students admitted from fall 2024, AP scores of 3 or higher earn UD credit (earlier cohorts may need higher); IB credit is for Higher Level exams only, nothing below a 4, some subjects higher, with at most one year (normally two introductory courses) per subject; A-Level credit is reviewed course by course by departments, with AS usually 3–4 credits and A-Levels 6–8. Equivalency charts by admit term are linked from the registrar’s page; which scores earn the introductory economics courses was not read. A course can earn credit only once, so college credit and test credit for the same course are not both awarded.

4. Rounds, deadlines, fee, essays, recommendations and testing (the pages print no year, so confirm they are for fall 2027)

• Timeline: the application opens 1 August; 1 November is the Early Action and Honors College deadline; nursing 1 December; 15 January is the regular admission priority deadline; Early Action and Honors decisions by 31 January; regular decisions by mid-March. Honors College applications submitted after 1 November are considered on a space-available basis.
• Materials: the Common App or Coalition App and its essay; a $75 non-refundable fee; high school grades through the Self-Reported Transcript and Academic Record System (STARS) for domestic freshmen; optional test scores; up to two optional recommendation letters. Admitted students who enroll send an official final transcript. UD does not conduct interviews.
• Testing: UD is test-optional for all students; you choose whether to submit the SAT or ACT (codes SAT 5811, ACT 0634). The SAT is superscored and the highest ACT composite is used; writing sections and subject tests are not required. If you omit scores, UD suggests other evidence of academic skills such as AP results; omitting scores does not affect merit awards or Honors College consideration.
• Admitted profile: UD’s mid-50% of admitted students (self-reported) is a high school GPA of 3.68–4.22, SAT 1240–1390 and ACT 28–32.

5. Domestic applicants

• Testing is optional (above). Whether in-state applicants get preference is not stated on the pages read; ask Admissions. Delaware residents pay lower tuition.
• 2026-27 in-state versus out-of-state costs (new students, Newark campus, two semesters, US$): Delaware resident tuition $15,740, mandatory fees $2,550, standard housing $9,286 and food $7,328, for a billable total of $34,904; with $4,250 of non-billed costs (books, personal, transportation and so on) the estimated total is $39,154. Non-resident tuition is $42,470 with the same other items, for a billable total of $61,634 and an estimated total of $65,884.
• College differential charge: students in Lerner, Engineering, Music, the Honors College and Nursing pay a differential charge. For students admitted from fall 2025, Lerner’s is $3,000 a year for full-time students (continuing students: $2,000), and the Honors College adds $2,000. The pages do not say whether the totals above include it.

6. International applicants

• How to apply: for direct freshman admission, use the Common App and pay the $75 fee; for conditional admission, use the UD online application and enter Academic Transitions at the English Language Institute before moving to full-time study (150+ majors, nursing excluded). Decisions are rolling. Electronic documents may be sent for review, but sealed official transcripts are required before enrolling.
• Deadlines: Honors College 1 November; direct admission priority deadline 15 January, with later applications considered only if space remains; regular and Honors decisions by mid-March; conditional admission deadline 1 June; for spring entry, complete the application by November.
• Testing: international students are not required to submit the SAT or ACT, but need English proficiency scores for direct admission.
• English for direct admission: TOEFL iBT 79 (tests before 21 January 2026) or 4 (new scale, on or after that date); IELTS 6.5; Duolingo 110+; PTE 53; Cambridge B2 First 171; or SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 550, ACT English 24, IB English Language and Literature 6, GCSE/IGCSE/O-Level English First Language C or higher (6–9), or three or more years of non-ESL English in accredited US high schools with a B or higher. Academic Transitions: TOEFL 65–78 (new scale 3–3.5), IELTS 5.5–6.0, Duolingo 95–109; conditional admission applicants need no TOEFL or IELTS, though 65 or 5.5 is suggested. Meeting the minimum does not guarantee direct admission. Students scoring 79–89 on the TOEFL may join the optional Accelerate-U Delaware first-semester program, which adds no time or cost.
• Credentials: anyone who attended an international college must provide an International Education Research Foundation (IERF) evaluation; WES evaluations are no longer accepted. Proof-of-funds requirements are not on the pages read.
• Tuition: international students pay the same as non-resident students. 2026-27 estimate: tuition $42,470; mandatory fees including the international student service fee $2,930; new student orientation $260; medical insurance $3,888; housing $9,286; food $7,328; billable total $66,162; with $4,250 of non-billed costs the estimated total is $70,412. The Lerner differential charge applies as above.
• International scholarships: awards of $10,000–$15,000 a year; all international freshmen who apply are automatically considered with no separate application. The Distinguished Scholars awards, which UD calls its most prestigious, are open to students from around the world, can cover tuition and room and board, last four years and need a 3.0 GPA. Scholarships are subject to availability, and as a state-funded university UD cannot offer need-based aid to international students.

7. Applicants from China

• UD has no dedicated page for Chinese applicants and does not say whether the gaokao is considered or how huikao (academic proficiency test) materials should be submitted. The only China-specific line is in the mathematics table: senior secondary mathematics through Grade 12 under the Chinese national curriculum is listed as meeting the precalculus expectation. Contact admissions@udel.edu or international-admissions@udel.edu.
• Materials: official transcripts and examination results for all secondary and post-secondary work, plus English proficiency scores (above). Credentials become UD’s property and are not returned, so do not mail originals; attested copies can be sent by your school, or originals shown at the office to be witnessed and copied.
• For IB, A-Level and AP credit see section 3.

8. Internships and research

• The economics page says research opportunities are available in summer and during the year, and Lerner has a Career Services Center. It reports that for the class of 2025, 74% of B.A. economics graduates were employed or pursuing further education within six months (three-year average starting salary $59,000) and 93% of B.S. graduates ($74,100). Specific internship programs and numbers are not on the pages read.

9. Transfer students

• How to transfer: confirm you meet your major’s requirements, then submit the transfer application, every college transcript (including college courses taken in high school) and the $75 fee. With 24 or more credits earned no extra materials are needed; under 24 you also send the final high school transcript; if you attempted or earned under 12 credits you also use STARS. Anyone who has enrolled in college since high school applies as a transfer student.
• Deadlines (no year is printed, so confirm): suggested 1 November for spring and 1 June for fall; applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, with decisions starting in November for spring and February for fall.
• Minimums for economics-related majors: Economics (B.A.): a 3.0 GPA and a C- or higher in a course equivalent to UD’s MATH 114, 115, 117, 221 or 241. Economics (B.S.): a 3.0 GPA and a C- or higher in a course equivalent to MATH 115, 117, 221 or 241. Economics Education: same as the B.A. Mathematics and Economics: a 2.5 GPA and a C- in a course equivalent to MATH 117, 241 or 242. Environmental and Resource Economics: a 2.5 GPA and a C- in a course equivalent to MATH 115. UD notes that meeting the minimum does not guarantee admission.
• Credit: UD accepts credit from regionally accredited US institutions with final grades of C- or better, not Pass/Fail and not remedial; credits transfer, grades do not. A preliminary evaluation is posted 2–4 weeks after admission. Lerner accepts business courses at the 300 level or above from AACSB-accredited schools. At least 30 of your last 36 credits must be taken at UD. Lerner transfer students can apply for scholarships after completing a first semester and establishing a UD GPA.
• International transfers: applicants to Lerner or Engineering who attended an international college must submit an IERF credential evaluation.
• For students already at UD moving into Lerner, conditions are on Lerner’s undergraduate advising page and were not shown on the pages read.

Checklist

Domestic applicants:

• Apply by 1 November (Early Action, same day for Honors) or the 15 January regular priority date, selecting Economics
• For the B.S., finish precalculus in high school; the B.A. is listed as exempt; testing is optional

International applicants (including China):

• Apply by 15 January for direct admission (Honors 1 November) with TOEFL 79 or IELTS 6.5 or another accepted score; the SAT or ACT is not required
• Send all secondary transcripts and exam results; Chinese senior secondary mathematics through Grade 12 is listed as meeting the precalculus expectation
• Plan for about $70,412 for 2026-27 (including medical insurance) and watch for the Lerner differential charge

Transfer students:

• A 3.0 GPA plus the listed math course with a C- or higher; suggested 1 June for fall
• An IERF evaluation if you attended college outside the US

Sources: University of Delaware, Lerner College: Economics (B.A./B.S.); Transferring to Lerner College; Freshman admissions; International admissions; Transfer admissions and requirements by major; In-state freshman costs; Out-of-state freshman costs; International student costs; Test credit. The application dates carry no year, so verify they are for fall 2027; costs are for 2026-27 and should be checked for 2027 entry. The required-course lists in the UD catalog were not read for this article; check the catalog for the full B.A. and B.S. requirements. Check the University of Delaware for the latest details.