How to Apply to Engineering at Fresno State: Lyles College Bachelor’s Degrees in Civil, Computer, Electrical, Geomatics and Mechanical Engineering, with Civil, Computer, Electrical and Mechanical Impacted, for Domestic and International (Including Chinese) Applicants and Transfer Students

California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is in Fresno, California, and its engineering undergraduate programs are offered by the Lyles College of Engineering (LCOE). This guide follows Fresno State’s website, for U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. Computer Science is not part of the Lyles College and is not covered here; Computer Engineering belongs to the college and is covered.

1. Engineering degrees

• Undergraduate degrees: the academics page says the college has seven undergraduate degree programs: Architectural Studies, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Geomatics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Construction Management, all listed as B.S. degrees on the degrees page. Minors are offered in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Construction Management, Surveying Engineering, Cybersecurity and Aerospace Engineering. The page also says the CSU Board of Trustees has approved the college to begin formal design of a new bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering; whether it is open for admission is not published there.
• ABET: the accreditation page lists the B.S. degrees in Civil, Computer, Electrical, Geomatics and Mechanical Engineering under ABET (the page gives only the ABET website and logo, not the specific commission), and the B.S. in Construction Management under the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE). The Civil Engineering page lists four areas of concentration: Environmental and Water Resources, Geotechnical, Structural and Transportation Engineering.
• Honors Program: the college’s Honors Program emphasizes academic excellence, leadership, service, global perspective, entrepreneurship and innovation, with individualized learning, research projects, access to industry leaders, internships and hands-on learning; admitted students can receive an honors scholarship.
• Paid internships: the transfer page says transfer students are immediately eligible for paid internships and scholarships; no college-wide co-op program appears on the pages we read. Work authorization such as CPT for international students is not published there; ask the international office.

2. Admission: thresholds are set by major, and several engineering majors are impacted

• Impaction: the website says Fresno State “remains an open campus with impacted programs”. For 2026–27 and 2027–28, the Lyles College programs on the impacted list are Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Construction Management, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering (Geomatics Engineering and Architectural Studies are not listed). Meeting CSU minimums does not guarantee admission, and non-local applicants must meet a higher threshold; the page says the GPA requirement is determined only after the priority application filing period ends, based on the number of applications, the competitiveness of the pool and the available spaces. For programs not on the list, Fresno State admits students who meet CSU minimums.
• Application: through the CSU’s online application (Cal State Apply). Whether you must name a major on the application is not stated directly on the admissions pages we read, but impaction thresholds are set by program. The Advising Center page says every first-time freshman gets an “LCOE Hold” that stops you from dropping your first-semester major course (ENGR 1, CM 1 or ARCH 1); it is lifted after the 20th day of instruction, and anyone wanting to change to a major outside the college should meet an academic counselor first.
• Conditions for entering a major after admission, GPA or course-grade requirements within the major, and moving into engineering from another college: not described on the pages we read; ask the LCOE Advising Center (Engineering East 243).
• Local-area preference: applicants who graduate from a high school in the university’s local area receive an additional 100 Local Advantage Points in the admission score (the list of schools is on the impaction page; we did not read it school by school).

3. Prerequisites and credit

• High school courses (A–G) (updated for the fall 2027 cycle), each with a letter grade of C or higher: history/social science 2 years (including one year of U.S. history, or one semester of U.S. history and one of American government; the other year from area A or G); English 4 years; mathematics 3 years (4 recommended; algebra, geometry and intermediate algebra topics); laboratory science 2 years (3 recommended; one biological and one physical); language other than English 2 years (the same language); visual and performing arts 1 year; college-preparatory elective 1 year. Specific AP, IB and CLEP exams may also satisfy A–G, but official scores must be sent directly to Fresno State; scores on a transcript do not count.
• Extra high school courses for engineering (such as calculus or physics): not stated on the college or admissions pages we read. The college’s high school page links to “AP Credit”, which we did not read, so credit for engineering required courses is not covered here.
• Testing: SAT/ACT scores are no longer used in admission eligibility review or in the multi-factor score.
• GPA calculation: A–G courses taken after 9th grade; UC-approved honors, AP, college or IB courses with a C- or better earn one extra point each for up to 8 semesters, with at most two honors points from 10th grade.

4. Deadlines, materials and fees

• First-time freshmen, fall: for “Fall 2027”, you may start the application on August 1, 2026 but cannot submit until October 1; the deadline is January 15, 2027. Spring is not open to freshmen.
• Honors Program timeline: the Honors page says the fall 2027 application period is October 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027, and that you must apply to Fresno State undergraduate admissions for the college “by Nov. 30, 2026” and complete the university scholarship application by March 1, 2027. That sits alongside the January 15 freshman deadline above; the website is inconsistent, so confirm with admissions or the Honors director (Dr. The Nguyen).
• Application fee: $70 on the international page; the domestic fee is not stated on the admissions pages we read.
• Materials: eligibility is reviewed from the self-reported information in Cal State Apply; a supplemental essay, letters or interview for engineering are not mentioned on the pages we read.

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• GPA: an A–G GPA of 2.5 or higher for California residents or California high school graduates, 3.0 or higher for non-residents or out-of-state graduates, with the A–G courses completed. Below those (2.00–2.49 for California, 2.47–2.99 for out of state), the university uses up to eight extra A–G courses beyond the 30-semester minimum in a multi-factor score. Thresholds for impacted majors are higher (above).
• Cost: the Financial Aid Office’s budget page links to the 2026–2027 undergraduate cost of attendance (COA) budget, which we did not open; check that page for domestic figures. The international page refers to the university fee schedule for non-resident fees. The page also shows non-resident tuition of $396 per unit for 2023–2024 and $420 for 2024–2025, which are out of date and not figures for 2027. Whether engineering carries an additional fee is not published there.
• Scholarships: college scholarships are applied for through the university scholarship system; the college scholarship page still prints a March 2, 2022 deadline, which is out of date, so confirm current dates with the scholarship office. See the Honors Program above for its scholarship.
• In-state preference: California residents have a lower GPA threshold (2.5 vs 3.0) and local high schools get 100 points; no other guarantee is published.

6. International applicants

• Who: someone who is not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and holds or intends to hold F-1 or J-1 status.
• Deadlines: fall: applicants outside the U.S. — opens August 1, deadline July 1; applicants in the U.S. — opens August 1, deadline August 1. Spring: all students open July 1, deadline November 1. The page prints no year; check that it is for fall 2027 entry.
• English proficiency (any one): new TOEFL iBT (from January 21, 2026) 3.5, or TOEFL iBT 61; IELTS 6.0, or 5.5 in each section; Duolingo 100; SAT Reading and Writing 550; ACT English 22; AP English Language or Literature 3 or higher; GTEC 1095; IB English A Language and Literature or Literature HL4; PTE 45; iTEP 3.6; Eiken Pre-1; or completing certain language programs such as Fresno State’s American English Institute (advanced), ELS level 112. Institutional code 4312. Exemptions: three or more years at U.S. high schools, or three years of full-time study in countries/regions where English was the language of instruction (the page lists Australia, Canada (Quebec needs English demonstration), Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and others).
• Materials: Cal State Apply (or the paper application) with the $70 fee; English score; original or certified in-progress or final transcripts with literal English translation; graduation certificate; passport page; a personal statement (a principal’s or teacher’s recommendation is encouraged but not required); and a financial document no older than six months with an Affidavit of Support, which may be submitted after acceptance. Each dependent requires an additional $12,000 a year on the financial statement.
• Estimated yearly cost (international undergraduate, 12 units a semester): 2026–2027: tuition and fees $19,921, food and housing $11,634, books and insurance $2,879, $34,434 in all; 2027–2028: tuition and fees $20,979, food and housing $11,634, books and insurance $2,978, $35,591 in all. International students must buy the university-approved UnitedHealthcare insurance (sponsored students excepted).
• International scholarships: whether international students can receive university or college scholarships is not published on the pages we read.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the international, freshman and college pages we read do not mention the Gaokao and there is no China-specific page. Whether it is considered is not published; email the International Admissions Officer (intladmissions@csufresno.edu).
• Transcripts and credentials: per the international page, send original or certified secondary and higher-secondary transcripts or mark sheets with literal English translation, plus the graduation certificate. Whether a third-party credential evaluation is required is not stated, and how Chinese high school graduation-exam (huikao) records are handled is not published.
• Testing and English: SAT/ACT is not used for admission; an SAT Reading and Writing score of 550 or an ACT English score of 22 is also on the list of accepted English proficiency evidence; China is not on the exempt list.
• Interviews: not published.

8. Transfer students

• College transfer page: the college says it has hundreds of transfer students; at community college you should complete the required math and science courses, and the engineering programs require specific general education courses. Course requirements by program (Civil, Computer, Construction Management, Electrical, Geomatics, Mechanical) are in the university’s roadmaps, which we did not read.
• Upper-division transfer (60+ units): at least 60 transferable semester units (90 quarter); an overall GPA of at least 2.00; good standing at the last college; 30 semester units of general education including the four foundation (Golden 4) courses (oral communication, written composition, critical thinking, and college-level mathematics or quantitative reasoning with intermediate algebra as a prerequisite), each with C- or higher, all completed with the 60 units by the end of the spring term for fall entry. First- and second-year students and second-bachelor’s applicants are not admitted. The transfer requirements page says admission is competitive in all majors (called impaction) and meeting the minimum does not guarantee admission.
• Lower-division transfer (1–59 units): complete A–G, meet the first-time freshman eligibility index, an overall college GPA of at least 2.00, good standing, and written communication and mathematics foundation courses at C- or better.
• Deadlines: fall 2027: start August 1, 2026, submit from October 1, deadline January 15, 2027; spring 2027 was July 1 to August 31, 2026 (closed).
• Impaction: the transfer list is on the same impaction page; see the engineering majors above.
• International transfer: the international transfer page lists the same English tests and similar documents, adds that GPA varies by major and some majors need prerequisite courses, and gives the same deadlines (outside the U.S. July 1, in the U.S. August 1); it also asks for a high school transcript and graduation certificate from lower-division applicants, a passport page and financial documents.
• Transfer Success Pathway: the page says it guarantees admission to your major at the CSU campus of your choice; its conditions were not read.

Checklist

U.S. domestic applicants:

• Start the Cal State Apply application from August 1, 2026, submit from October 1 and by January 15, 2027, for your engineering major
• A–G courses at C or better; GPA 2.5 (California) or 3.0 (out of state); Civil, Computer, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering and Construction Management are impacted
• The Honors Program has its own application period (October 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027)

International applicants (including China):

• English score or exemption; transcripts with literal English translation; graduation certificate; passport page; personal statement
• Fall: July 1 for applicants outside the U.S. (August 1 inside); financial document can follow acceptance; ask by email how the Gaokao is handled
• Estimated $35,591 for 2027–2028; university-approved health insurance is required

Transfer students:

• 60 semester units, a 2.00 GPA and the four foundation courses; complete the math and science courses early

Sources: California State University, Fresno, Lyles College of Engineering: academics; College degrees; Accreditation; Civil Engineering; High school students; College transfer page; College scholarships; Honors Program; Advising Center; First-time freshman deadlines; CSU freshman requirements; Impaction; Transfer deadlines; Transfer requirements; International undergraduate admissions; International undergraduate transfer; International estimated yearly costs; Cost of attendance budgets (Financial Aid). The timeline is for fall 2027 entry and costs are the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 estimates the website lists; check Fresno State for the latest. The course catalog site (catalog.fresnostate.edu) was not used.