How to Apply to Mathematics at The Ohio State University: A Bachelor of Science in the College of Arts and Sciences with Theoretical, Applied, Biology, Education and Financial Tracks, Direct Entry to the Major, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At The Ohio State University (Ohio State), undergraduate mathematics is offered by the Department of Mathematics in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the degree is a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. Here is what you need to know to apply, based on the department’s website and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, organised for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Computer science is not covered here; neither are the department’s separate Actuarial Science major or the Integrated Major in Mathematics and English (IMME), whose page returned a 403 response when requested and was not read.

1. Degrees and tracks

• Degree: the department says it offers a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with six major tracks, and that students can also pair mathematics with any other major as a double major or dual degree.
• Tracks: the pages list Theoretical Mathematics, Applied Mathematics (with Physics or Chemistry options), Mathematical Biology, Mathematical Education and Financial Mathematics. The theoretical track is aimed at students heading to graduate study in mathematics, statistics, economics, computer science and more; the education track is for students seeking secondary mathematics licensure, and the department says they seek teaching certification in a graduate school setting after the undergraduate degree.
• Double major: the department has built a double major combining mathematics and actuarial science; students may also combine the math major with any other major at Ohio State.
• First-year seminar: math majors take Math 1295, a 1-credit introductory seminar, in their first year to learn about the tracks.
• Course examples: the theoretical track core includes Calculus I-III, Foundations of Higher Mathematics (Math 3345), linear algebra, differential equations, probability or mathematical statistics, Introductory Analysis I-II and Abstract Algebra I-II, plus two electives. The applied track’s prerequisites also include chemistry, physics, biology and one programming course (C++, Java or Python).
• Statistics: the theoretical and applied tracks require mathematical statistics courses (Stat 4201, 4202); a separate statistics major is not described on the pages read.

2. Admission: you apply to the university and enter the major directly

• When you apply: you apply to the Columbus campus through the Common Application and indicate an intended major. The pages read do not mention a separate departmental application or interview.
• Direct entry: Admissions says that once you are admissible, your record is reviewed for enrollment in your intended major, and some colleges have criteria stricter than university admission (class rank, test scores). In the College of Arts and Sciences’ natural and mathematical sciences, admitted students are enrolled directly in the major, except those in actuarial science, computer and information science and data analytics, who enter as pre-majors because admission to those majors is competitive. Mathematics is not among the exceptions.
• Review: Admissions says every application is reviewed holistically, looking at high school coursework and rigor, grades, the personal essay, experiences and activities; there is no minimum class rank, GPA or ACT/SAT score. A separate entry threshold for mathematics is not stated on the pages read.
• Moving into math from inside Ohio State: current students must complete the Math Major Information Session (a Carmen course with quizzes), then make an appointment with a department academic advisor, where they can declare the major. The pages read give no GPA requirement.
• Honors: students admitted to the Arts and Sciences Honors College Program can complete an honors degree in mathematics, with a personalised curriculum built with faculty and an academic advisor from honors, upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses; the department also has honors versions of each track.

3. Prerequisites

• High school courses: Admissions’ minimum is 4 units of English, 3 of math, 3 of natural science (with significant lab experience), 2 of social science, 2 of the same foreign language and 1 of visual or performing arts, plus 1 additional unit; it recommends 4 units of math, 3 of social science and 3 of foreign language. Applicants exceeding the minimum in math receive additional consideration.
• Department advice: high school students should take the strongest college preparatory program available, including precalculus, take AP math courses if offered and take the AP Calculus exam; a probability and statistics course may help in the natural and social sciences but should not replace calculus in the senior year.
• Calculus sequence: the major’s first courses are Math 1151 Calculus I and Math 1152 Calculus II (5 credits each). Your starting point depends on your math placement: Math 1151 requires placement level L, or a C- or better in precalculus (Math 1150) or the listed equivalents. The placement exam itself was not read for this guide; see the department website and orientation. Engineering Math (Math 1172) is explicitly not open to math majors.
• AP credit: the department says a 3, 4 or 5 on AP Calculus AB earns credit for Math 1151 and a 3, 4 or 5 on BC earns Math 1151 and 1152. With advisor approval, an AB 5 or a BC 3 or higher allows Honors Calculus I (Math 1181H) or Honors Analysis I (Math 4181H); a BC 5 also allows Math 2153 (Calculus III). AP Precalculus 3 to 5 earns Math 1150. The department encourages students to attend the Orientation Calculus Advising session to decide calculus options and honors opportunities with a math faculty member.
• IB credit: from autumn 2026, Analysis and Approaches HL 4+ earns Math 1148 and 1149 and allows Math 1151; SL 5+ earns Math 1130; Applications and Interpretation earns other courses and students complete placement. Students with AP scores of 1 or 2, or IB 1 to 3, schedule by math placement level and must take proficiency exams to move ahead.
• Honors sequences: Honors Calculus (Math 1181H, 2182H) requires department permission, and Honors Analysis (Math 4181H, 4182H) also requires department permission.
• Math competitions: the admissions and department pages read do not say how competitions are viewed in admission; the department’s scholarship page asks applicants which math competitions they have entered (see section 8).

4. Deadlines and materials (first-year, Columbus campus)

• Deadlines: for autumn 2027, early action (non-binding) is 1 November 2026 and regular decision is 15 January 2027. Early action decisions come on 11 December for Ohio residents and 22 January for non-residents and international applicants; regular decisions on 5 March. The acceptance fee deadline is 1 May 2027. For spring 2027 entry the deadline is 1 November 2026 (1 October 2026 for international applicants). Ohio State does not accept first-year applications for summer, and the financial aid priority date is 1 February.
• Why early action: the website says meeting the 1 November deadline is needed to be considered for university merit scholarships, the Honors and Scholars programs and more; the department’s scholarship is the same (see section 8).
• How to apply: the Common Application. The first-year application fee amount is not stated on the pages read, so check the Common App; students with financial need can ask their school counselor about test fee waivers.
• Transcripts: official transcripts including senior-year courses; international applicants submit grades 9 to 12 and official copies of examination certificates. Foreign-language documents must be translated into English by the issuing school, an authorized translator or a teacher of the language.
• Testing: ACT or SAT scores are required (the ACT science section and the essay are not required), and Ohio State superscores both tests. Applicants who will have been out of high school for two or more years by enrollment do not need to submit scores. School codes: ACT 3312, SAT 1592. To be considered for early action, take the SAT by 3 October or the ACT by 17 October and ask for scores to be sent to Ohio State when you register. There is no minimum score; Admissions reports that the middle 50% of admitted students scored 27 to 33 on the ACT and 1280 to 1470 on the SAT.
• Recommendations and essay: letters are not required; a counselor may send up to two through the Common App. The personal essay is part of the review. A math teacher’s letter is not requested.

5. US domestic applicants

• Tuition: for 2026-2027 (estimates), first-year tuition at the Columbus campus, including instructional and general fees, is $14,050 for Ohio residents and $44,271 for nonresidents (including the out-of-state surcharge); housing and food is about $15,738 (the most common plan). Tuition and fees vary by mode of instruction and program of study. For Ohio residents, tuition, general fees, and housing and food are held steady for four years under the Ohio State Tuition Guarantee.
• Testing: ACT or SAT is required; see section 4.
• Ohio Guaranteed Admission Program: students ranked in the top 10% of their high school class are guaranteed admission to Ohio public universities if they meet the institution’s unconditional admission standard; those in the top 5% are guaranteed admission to the main campus, must still submit ACT or SAT scores (not used in the decision) and must send the class rank certification form.
• University scholarships: applying by 1 November automatically puts you in consideration for most awards, which include the President’s Ohio Scholarship (a single-sitting perfect ACT 36 or SAT 1600, Ohio residents), Stamps Eminence (US citizens and permanent residents; a separate application due 9 November), Morrill, Land Grant (Ohio residents who are Pell-eligible and file the FAFSA), National Buckeye (non-Ohio residents, up to $13,500 a year) and the Maximus, Provost and Trustees awards ($1,000 to $3,000 a year). They generally cannot be combined, except National Buckeye. Transfer students are not eligible.
• Need-based aid: all students are encouraged to file the FAFSA by the 1 February priority date and use Scholarship Universe.

6. International applicants

• English: if English is not your native language, Admissions publishes two versions. Both pages list TOEFL 79 for exams before 21 January 2026 or 4.0 on the new scale after that, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 120 and ACT English 21. The SAT item differs: the US first-year page says 27 on the Reading Test, while the international applicants page says 550 on EBRW. Both are on the site, so check the page when you apply. Exempt: three full years at a US regionally accredited high school, or citizenship or a bachelor’s degree from one of the listed countries such as England, Canada (except Quebec), Australia and Singapore. The separate American Language Program does not offer conditional admission.
• Testing and records: international first-year applicants also must submit ACT or SAT. Transcripts cover grades 9 to 12, with official copies of examination certificates.
• Financial documents: after you are admitted and accept, you submit the signed Visa Request Form and support documents to receive an I-20 or DS-2019, by the first week of June for autumn entry, plus a passport picture page. Documents sent before admission are not reviewed.
• Costs: 2026-2027 estimates for international students: tuition $47,374 (including a $3,103 annual International Undergraduate Student Fee), housing and food $15,630, books and supplies $1,020, health insurance $4,108 and miscellaneous $4,046. Note that the first-year table elsewhere lists housing and food at $15,738, which does not match the $15,630 here; both figures are on the site, so check the latest page.
• Scholarships: the merit scholarships page says international students are not eligible. The Student Financial Aid page says the university has hundreds of special-eligibility scholarships matched through Scholarship Universe and that some colleges and departments have scholarships outside it, to be asked about at the college or department.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the admission pages read do not say how Gaokao results are used and give no China-specific guidance; this is not published there, so contact Undergraduate Admissions.
• Transcripts and other records: no China-specific requirements are published on the pages read; the requirements for all international applicants are in section 6: grades 9 to 12, official copies of examination certificates, English translations and ACT or SAT scores.
• English scores: see section 6.

8. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Costs: see sections 5 and 6.
• Department scholarship: the department offers scholarships to incoming freshmen who have shown excellence in mathematics; the ideal candidate loves math and learns beyond the classroom. Applicants are asked which math clubs and organizations they belong to, which math competitions they have entered and which math books, articles or websites they enjoy. You must apply to the university by the early action deadline and, once admitted, complete the Special Scholarships Application by 1 February. The page does not say whether international students are eligible.
• Arts and Sciences funds: the college awards about $1 million a year centrally in scholarships and grants to enrolled undergraduates, and many departments offer their own scholarships and grants for research, creative activity and global education.
• Outcomes: the department says math majors move on to jobs in industry including modeling, data analysis and operations research, and are frequently accepted into professional schools such as medical and law and into graduate programs in mathematics, physics, economics, business, education, statistics and computer science. It lists insurance companies, non-governmental organizations, computer firms, biotech and medical companies and government labs and research institutes. The pages print no employment counts or salary data.

9. Transfer students

• The department accepts transfers: it accepts transfer students into the Mathematics, Actuarial Science and IMME programs and suggests keeping A’s and B’s in math and science courses. Visitors can meet the department with transcripts to see how previous courses count.
• University criteria: applicants with 30 or more semester hours (45 quarter) after high school are reviewed on cumulative college GPA, with 2.5 or better typically competitive, along with grade trends and performance in courses key to the major; those with fewer than 30 get a holistic review that also considers the high school record and ACT/SAT. The calculus and linear algebra requirements for mathematics are not stated on the pages read.
• Entering the major: Arts and Sciences transfer students enroll directly in the college; in the natural and mathematical sciences, actuarial science, computer and information science and data analytics enroll as pre-majors. Mathematics is not listed among them.
• Deadlines: Columbus campus spring 2027 is 1 November 2026, summer 2027 is 1 March 2027 and autumn 2027 is 15 May 2027; the transfer application fee is $60, with waivers available (for example for Pell Grant recipients). International transfer applicants: spring 2027 on 1 October 2026 and autumn 2027 on 1 March 2027.
• Testing: transfer students who have earned graded college credit after high school do not need ACT or SAT scores; the English-proficiency scores in section 6 apply (the SAT Reading item is not listed on the transfer page).
• Credit transfer: courses taken at regionally accredited institutions that were non-remedial with a C- or better transfer, and in a few cases a D or D+; check Transferology. Credit by exam (AP, CLEP, IB, DSST) is also available. Transfer students are not eligible for the university merit scholarships.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Submit the Common App by 1 November 2026 (early action) or 15 January 2027 (regular), with ACT or SAT scores
• File the FAFSA by 1 February; for the department scholarship, submit the Special Scholarships Application by 1 February after admission

International applicants (including China):

• Submit ACT or SAT; English scores such as IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 79 or 4.0, Duolingo 120; transcripts and certificates with English translations
• After admission and acceptance, send the Visa Request Form and funding documents; ask Admissions how the Gaokao is used

After entry:

• Take Math 1151 and 1152 by math placement or AP/IB credit; take the Math 1295 seminar in the first year and choose a track

Transfer students:

• Cumulative GPA typically 2.5 or better; apply for autumn 2027 by 15 May 2027 (international transfers by 1 March 2027); keep A’s and B’s in math and science

Sources: The Ohio State University, Mathematics: the math major; Mathematics: major requirements; Theoretical track; Applied track; Mathematics: future freshmen and transfers; Mathematics: current OSU students; Mathematics: honors; Mathematics: scholarships; Mathematics: AP/IB credit; Mathematics: calculus sequences; Admissions: first-year steps; Admissions: who gets in; Admissions: enrollment criteria; Admissions: international first-year steps; Admissions: after you are admitted; Ohio Guaranteed Admission Program; Admissions: transfer steps; Admissions: transfer criteria; Admissions: transfer enrollment criteria; Admissions: international transfer; Costs; Merit scholarships; Student Financial Aid: international scholarships. Deadlines are labelled for spring and autumn 2027 entry and costs are 2026-2027 estimates. The department’s scholarship page still carries an old description for the class of 2019, which is not used here; see Ohio State’s website for the latest.