How to Apply to Economics at Auburn University: Economics Is in the College of Liberal Arts with Primary and Quantitative Track Bachelor of Science Degrees, with Admission Routes and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Economics at Auburn University is taught by the Department of Economics in the College of Liberal Arts. The 2026-2027 Bulletin says the department offers a Bachelor of Science in Economics with a Primary Track and a Quantitative Track. I searched the Bulletin’s undergraduate majors list for “Econom”: besides these two tracks, the only match is Agricultural Business & Economics (BS) in the College of Agriculture; I did not find an economics major under the Harbert College of Business. Business degrees have their own guide on this site and are not covered here. Below 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, admission route and entering the major

• Two tracks: the department page says the Primary Track requires students to complete a minor outside the Department of Economics; the Quantitative Track is intended for students with a strong interest in graduate education in economics and requires additional mathematics and statistics courses, and students should check with a departmental adviser for its requirements. Both curriculum sheets total 120 hours.
• How you are admitted: the College of Liberal Arts page says incoming freshmen and external transfer students are admitted directly to the College. The majors with additional admission requirements beyond university admission are Art-BFA, Aviation-Professional Flight, Communication, Health Services Administration, Journalism, Music, Public Relations, Film and Media Studies, Social Work and Theatre-BFA; economics is not on that list. The admissions FAQ adds that admission is decided through the general university process and that you should apply for the specific major you intend to pursue.
• Declaring a major: all College students must declare a major by the end of the semester in which they complete 65 semester hours (including transfer and other college credit); transfers arriving with 65 or more hours must declare at admission. Students who do not declare follow College requirements and are labeled UNLA (undeclared). The admissions office also says first-year students may enter as Exploratory students, with two semesters of support from the Exploratory Advising Center.
• Graduation GPA: the department page says students must keep at least a 2.0 GPA in major courses to graduate.
• Changing into economics from another Auburn major: the Bulletin pages I read give no GPA or capacity condition specific to economics; this is not published there, so ask the Department of Economics or the College’s Assistant Dean for Student Services.
• Minor and double majors: the department lists an Economics minor. The College says a double major needs at least 20 hours unique to each major, and a second baccalaureate degree needs at least 30 additional non-overlapping hours.
• STEM designation: the pages I read do not say whether economics is a designated STEM program; this is not published there. International students interested in the OPT STEM extension should check the International Students and Scholars Services OPT STEM page or ask the office.
• Honors: the course list has honors principles courses (ECON 2027 and 2037, for Honors College students) and an honors thesis (ECON 4997). The admissions FAQ says the Honors College has admission pathways for incoming first-year, transfer and current students; contact hcadmit@auburn.edu.

2. Prerequisites and first- and second-year courses

• High school coursework (university level): the admissions FAQ says freshman applicants must complete by the end of senior year: four years of English, three of social studies, three of math including Algebra I and II and one of Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus or Analysis, and two of science including Biology and a Physical Science with a laboratory. Any extra high school math requirement for economics is not published on the pages I read; ask the department.
• Math sequence: the Primary Track sheet lists MATH 1610 Calculus I (or MATH 1680 Calculus with Business Applications I) and MATH 1690 Calculus with Business Applications II. The Quantitative Track sheet lists MATH 1610/1617 Calculus I, MATH 1620 Calculus II, MATH 2630 Calculus III, MATH 2660 Topics in Linear Algebra, MATH 3100/STAT 3600 Introduction to Advanced Mathematics and MATH 5200/STAT 3610 Analysis I (as printed). The transfer page also mentions ALEKS math placement; I did not read its content.
• Economics core (both tracks): ECON 2020 Principles of Microeconomics, ECON 2030 Principles of Macroeconomics, and one statistics course (the sheet offers STAT 2610, STAT 2510, PSYC 2130 or BUAL 2600); in the junior year ECON 3020 Intermediate Microeconomics, ECON 3030 Intermediate Macroeconomics, ECON 3600 Mathematical Methods for Economists and ECON 4300 International Economics; in the senior year ECON 4600 Econometrics I (4 hours). The course list gives the prerequisites of ECON 3600 as ECON 3020 plus a business calculus or Calculus III course, and of ECON 4600 as ECON 3600 plus one of the statistics courses above.
• How the tracks differ: the Primary Track has about 15 hours of 3000-level-or-above economics electives and requires the outside minor; the Quantitative Track adds Calculus II and III, linear algebra, advanced mathematics and analysis, takes ECON 5020 Advanced Microeconomics and ECON 5030 Macroeconomic Theory and Policy in the senior year, and has 9 hours of economics electives.
• College core: the College says most majors require a one-year sequence in a language other than English, placed by an exam from the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, and most also require LBAR 2010 Liberal Arts Careers Preparation. Both economics sheets list Foreign Language I and II (4 hours each) and LBAR 2010 (2 hours).
• AP/IB credit: the admissions FAQ says advanced placement and credit may be earned through the AP Program, ACT and SAT scores, the IB and departmental proficiency exams, and that Auburn does not accept CLEP credit; for AP or IB credit questions it refers you to the Office of the Registrar (334-844-2544). The pages I read have no table mapping AP Microeconomics, AP Macroeconomics or AP Calculus to ECON or MATH courses; this is not published there. The engineering AP/IB table applies to engineering only.
• Internships and research: the course list includes ECON 4920 Internship (1–3 hours, prerequisite macroeconomics principles or departmental approval) and ECON 4970 Special Topics. I did not read the undergraduate research office pages; ask the department about opportunities.

3. Rounds, deadlines and materials (fall 2027 first-year)

• Applications: you may use Auburn’s own application or the Common App; the office says there is no preference and advises submitting only the one you started. A complete file is the application, the fee or a fee waiver, your high school transcript and official ACT/SAT scores.
• Decision rounds for summer and fall 2027 (materials received by / decision released): Round 1 September 15 (mid-October), Round 2 October 15 (mid-November), Round 3 November 15 (mid-December), Early Action Round 4 December 1, 2026 (early February) and Regular Decision February 1, 2027 (early March). Early Action is non-binding; to be considered for scholarships you need a complete file in one of the early action rounds. The enrollment deposit deadline is May 1.
• Application fee: $50, non-refundable; a fee waiver is available and needs no extra documentation.
• Testing: official ACT or SAT scores are required (the page says a student must have scores on file for a complete application). Auburn accepts the ACT Superscore Report and superscores the SAT, using only your best result. Codes: ACT 0011, SAT 1005. January 11 is the deadline for scores not yet received if you want additional scholarship opportunities.
• Essays and recommendations: the personal statement is optional, as are Academic Letters of Support; there are two optional forms, an Activities and Interests Form (up to 20 items) and an Additional Academic Achievements Form (AP scores, dual enrollment, research and more). The list of required items has no mandatory recommendation letter.
• Review: comprehensive review; the office says high school academic performance is the primary predictor of success, and it also considers rigor (honors, AP, IB, dual enrollment), grade trends, class rank, academic area of interest, activities and service.

4. US domestic applicants

• Admitted profile: the middle 50% for students enrolling in fall 2025 was ACT 25–31 and SAT 1250–1450 for residents and ACT 28–32 and SAT 1280–1370 for non-residents; GPA was 3.87–4.33 for both. The page states an overall acceptance rate of 50%.
• In-state emphasis: the office says that as a land-grant institution Auburn’s mission is to serve Alabama residents and that it considers the mix of in-state and out-of-state students.
• Tuition (2026-27, per year): tuition and fees are $13,572 for Alabama residents and $37,596 for non-residents. Estimated total cost: residents $39,516 on campus ($37,216 off campus, $29,944 living with parents); non-residents $63,540 on campus ($61,240 off campus). The footnote says students in Business, Engineering, Nursing, Interior Design, Hospitality Management and Architecture, Design and Construction pay additional fees; economics in the College of Liberal Arts does not appear in that footnote. Residency requires 12 months of residence in Alabama.
• Scholarships: the page’s table headed “Fall 2027 Scholarship – Non-Resident” lists Academic Presidential (GPA 3.5; ACT 35–36 about $17,000, 33–34 about $15,000), Academic Heritage (ACT 31–32, about $11,000) and Academic Charter (ACT 29–30, about $7,000). The resident “Spirit of Auburn” table is headed fall 2026: GPA 4.0 and ACT 35–36 earns full resident tuition and fees; GPA 3.5 with ACT 33–36 about $11,500, 30–32 about $9,000, 28–29 about $5,000. The two tables carry different years, so check the site. General and departmental scholarships go through AUSOM; the admissions pages give a February 12, 2027 deadline, while one FAQ answer says February 14. The financial aid priority deadline is early February and needs the FAFSA.

5. International applicants (including those from China)

• Who applies as international: non-US citizens who hold or are getting a visa (typically F-1). You may apply directly to the university; students with less English proficiency may apply through Auburn Global. International freshman file: application, a $60 non-refundable fee, official ACT/SAT scores (required of international freshmen), TOEFL, IELTS or PTE scores, an evaluated high school transcript, an Affidavit of Financial Support and a supporting bank letter.
• English proficiency: TOEFL iBT 79, IELTS 6.5, PTE 53 (the page also lists older CBT 213 and PBT 550 scores); or complete the equivalent of ENGL 1100 and 1120 at an accredited US institution with a C or better in both, or graduate from a US high school. Scores must come directly from the testing agency. The page says “TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE” in one place and, for transfers, “TOEFL and/or PTE” in another; follow the application system.
• Credential evaluation: foreign transcripts must be evaluated by an independent evaluator and show a GPA on the US scale; World Education Services (WES) is the preferred evaluator, any NACES member is strongly encouraged, and a course-by-course evaluation is accepted.
• Proof of funds: you must show enough funding for at least nine months of tuition, fees, housing, food, books, supplies, personal items, transportation and health insurance. The affidavit and bank letter must be signed and dated within one year of enrollment, and the bank letter must state a specific US dollar amount.
• Estimated international cost (2026-27, estimated as of February 2026): tuition and fees $39,658, living expenses $15,000, health insurance $2,317, total $56,975; each accompanying dependent adds $6,000; university health insurance is mandatory for F-1 and J-1 students. The tuition figure differs from the $37,596 non-resident figure on the financial aid page; both are quoted from the official pages.
• Scholarships for international students: the scholarship page I read does not say whether international students are eligible for the merit scholarships above; this is not published there. Ask the admissions office (admissions@auburn.edu) or the financial aid office.
• Deadlines: the international page lists fall freshman applications due February 1 and the enrollment deposit May 1. The page carries no year, so check it applies to fall 2027 entry.

6. Applicants from China

• The admissions international page, FAQ and cost pages I read do not mention China or the Gaokao and have no separate section for applicants from China. Whether Gaokao scores are considered is not published; ask the admissions office (admissions@auburn.edu, 334-844-6425).
• The requirements written for all international applicants apply: transcripts evaluated on the US 4.0 scale, ACT/SAT, English scores, the affidavit and bank letter (see above).
• Sending documents: official documents can be sent electronically through Parchment, National Clearinghouse, SCOIR or Scribbles, or mailed to Admissions Processing, 1550 E Glenn, Suite 1210, Auburn, AL 36849.

7. Transfer applicants

• Admission criteria (admissions transfer page): applicants with 24 or more semester hours need a 2.5 cumulative GPA (2.8 for the College of Architecture, Design and Construction) and at least two core courses; no test score is required. A 2.4 GPA falls under “Additional Review Required”. Freshman transfers with fewer than 24 hours need at least one core course and a 2.5 GPA and must meet current freshman requirements. Transfer admission depends on space.
• Dates (the page prints no year, so check them for 2027 entry): fall applications open August 1 and are due July 1, with documents due July 15; spring due November 1; summer due May 1. The application fee is $50, with a fee waiver for Pell-eligible applicants.
• Economics-specific transfer preparation: the page tells applicants to use the intended major’s curriculum and the Transfer Course Equivalency database. From the curriculum sheets, calculus, micro and macro principles and statistics are the first-year and second-year courses to watch, but the pages do not give an economics-specific list of courses or GPA for transfers; confirm with the department and admissions.
• Credit transfer: the transfer page says Auburn may not accept all credits and some credits may not count for the same classes; the FAQ says CLEP is not accepted.
• International transfers: they add an evaluated college transcript and the same English requirements. For international freshman transfers with fewer than 24 hours the page lists at least one core course, a 2.5 GPA, a 3.0 GPA on the final high school transcript and an ACT/SAT of 22/1100.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Complete file by December 1, 2026 for early action and scholarship review; regular deadline February 1, 2027; $50 fee and official ACT/SAT scores
• After enrolling, take ECON 2020/2030, statistics and calculus, choose the Primary or Quantitative Track, declare by 65 hours and keep a 2.0 in major courses

International applicants (including those from China):

• $60 fee, ACT/SAT, English scores (TOEFL iBT 79, IELTS 6.5, PTE 53 and so on), evaluated transcript, affidavit and bank letter
• The Gaokao is not mentioned on the pages I read, so ask admissions; also confirm merit scholarship eligibility

Transfer applicants:

• 24+ hours, 2.5 GPA and two core courses; fall due July 1 (check the year)
• The pages give no economics-specific transfer course list; confirm with the department

Sources: Auburn University, 2026-2027 Bulletin: Department of Economics; Bulletin: Economics, Primary Track; Bulletin: Economics, Quantitative Track; Bulletin: College of Liberal Arts; Bulletin: undergraduate majors; Admissions: freshmen; Admissions: international; Admissions: transfers; Admissions: FAQ; Financial Aid: cost of attendance; Financial Aid: scholarships; International Students and Scholars Services: estimated cost. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27). Check Auburn for the latest details.