How to Apply to Biology at the University of Kansas: Assured Admission at a 3.25 GPA or ACT 21, Optional Testing, AP and IB Biology Credit, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The University of Kansas (KU) has its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas. Here is what you need to know, based on the University’s website, for US domestic applicants, international applicants (including those from Chinese high schools) and transfer students. Please note that the biology degree names, directions, required courses and graduation requirements are not stated in the pages read; check the relevant biological sciences department websites and the University catalogue. This guide offers the University-level admission route, prerequisite credit, costs and scholarships. Chemistry, physics, engineering, mathematics, pre-health preparation and other majors are not covered.

1. Degrees and directions in biology

• The pages read do not state the degree names for biological sciences (B.S. or B.A.), the directions available (for example molecular biology, ecology and evolution, neuroscience or microbiology), or required courses, laboratory courses, research or thesis requirements; this is not published there, so check the relevant department websites and the catalogue (catalog.ku.edu).
• The transfer page says the Lawrence campus offers over 200 fields of study and 400 degrees and certificates; the pages read do not say which school biology belongs to.
• The admissions program-specific page says that clinical laboratory science, health information management and respiratory care enter after two years of undergraduate study with prerequisite biology, chemistry and mathematics courses passed with a C or better. Those are health-professions programmes and are outside the scope of this guide; see the website.

2. Admission route: apply to the University, or to the major

• Freshmen apply to the University, and meeting the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences assured admission standard (section 4) guarantees admission. The program-specific admission requirements page (entries read: architecture, business, design, education and human sciences, engineering, health professions, interior architecture, journalism and mass communications and others) does not list biology, and no separate admission line or capacity is published for it.
• When to declare biology, whether grades or capacity conditions apply, and conditions for moving in from another major are not stated in the pages read; ask the department and an academic adviser.

3. Prerequisites and credit

• High school coursework: the pages read state no high school prerequisites for biology and describe no biology, chemistry or mathematics placement test; this is not published there.
• AP credit (Registrar’s credit for prior learning page; KU assigns credit only, not a grade): AP Biology 3-4 earns 3 hours, BIOL 100; a 5 earns 5 hours, BIOL 150 and 154. AP Chemistry 3 earns 5 hours, CHEM 130; 4 or higher earns 10 hours, CHEM 130 and 135. AP Calculus AB 3+ earns 4 hours, MATH 125; Statistics 3+ earns 3 hours, MATH 112; Environmental Science 3+ earns 4 hours, EVRN 140 and 160.
• IB credit: IB Biology Higher Level 4-6 earns 5 hours, BIOL 150 and 154; HL 7 earns 8 hours, BIOL 150, 152 and 154; Standard Level 4-6 earns 4 hours, BIOL 100 and 102; SL 7 earns 5 hours, BIOL 150 and 154. IB Chemistry HL at 4+ earns 10 hours, CHEM 130 and 135; SL at 4+ earns 5 hours, CHEM 110. CLEP General Biology at 50+ earns 3 hours, BIOL 100. Cambridge A-Level and AS-Level results are looked up in the University’s credit transfer system (contact International Admissions at world@ku.edu).
• Whether this credit counts toward biology major requirements is not stated in the pages read; ask the department.
• Honors, thesis and laboratory requirements: not described in the pages read.
• Competitions: the website does not say how biology competitions are viewed in admission.

4. How to apply, deadlines and testing

• How to apply: through the University’s online application. The Apply page says no test scores are necessary, and “highly encourages” ACT/SAT scores, which will not negatively affect admission eligibility but may be used in professional school admission decisions.
• Deadlines for domestic applicants (Apply page, no year shown, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry): freshman scholarship deadline 1 December; FAFSA priority deadline 1 February; fall transfer scholarship deadline 1 August. The final fall application deadline for freshmen is not stated in the pages read.
• Application materials: freshmen submit a self-reported GPA and an official or unofficial transcript (and GED/HiSET scores if applicable). Fee: a non-refundable $40 for domestic degree-seeking freshmen (economically disadvantaged students and those with military backgrounds may qualify for a waiver); transfer students apply for free.
• Essays and recommendations: the transfer page says essays are not required; the freshman Apply page lists no essay or recommendation. Any additional material for biology is not published in the pages read.
• Admission standard: the Apply page says first-year students are automatically admitted to the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (“assured admission”) with a submitted transcript and either a cumulative high school GPA of 3.25 or higher (weighted or unweighted) or an ACT of at least 21 or an SAT of at least 1060 with a minimum GPA of 2.0. Applicants who do not meet it are encouraged to apply and are reviewed individually. A separate page lists program-specific requirements for architecture, business, design, education, engineering, health professions, journalism and others; biology does not appear among the entries read, and no separate admission line for it is published.

5. US domestic applicants: costs and scholarships

• Costs (2026-27 estimates): the Costs page lists, for Kansas residents, tuition $11,844, student and wellness fees $1,065, housing and food $8,308-$18,708 and books and supplies $778, a total of $21,995-$32,395; for out-of-state residents, tuition $30,779 with the same other items, a total of $41,930-$52,330. These are based on 30 hours a year in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences; other programs and courses may carry additional course fees. For financial aid purposes the page adds $2,080 for transportation, $2,096 for personal expenses and $52 for loan fees. Whether biology courses carry extra course fees is not published in the pages read.
• Freshman scholarships (GPA only; complete the application with a transcript by 1 December; KU uses the better of weighted or unweighted GPA after the sixth high school semester; the student must enrol in at least 12 credit hours in both the fall and spring immediately after high school): for in-state students, Chancellor (3.95+) $20,000 in all ($5,000 a year), Traditions (3.85-3.94) $16,000, Crimson & Blue (3.70-3.84) $12,000, Rock Chalk (3.5-3.69) $8,000, Jayhawk (3.25-3.49) $4,000; for out-of-state and international students, KU Excellence (3.95+) $64,000 ($16,000 a year), Distinction (3.85-3.94) $56,000, Achievement (3.70-3.84) $48,000, Performance (3.5-3.69) $40,000, Access (3.25-3.49) $32,000. Renewal needs a 3.0 KU GPA and full-time enrolment, for a first bachelor’s degree or eight continuous semesters; KU does not review at the seventh semester or upgrade after admission. Kansas National Merit Finalists who choose KU first get $1,000 a year more. Freshmen who file the FAFSA by 1 February and show need are considered for the Jayhawk Access Grant. The College notes that scholarship information is reviewed each year and may change.
• Home-state priority or guaranteed admission: beyond the assured admission standard above, the pages read give no separate Kansas-resident priority terms.

6. International applicants

• Deadlines (International apply page, no year shown, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry): applicants outside the US, fall application and fall scholarship application 1 May, spring 15 November; applicants within the US, fall 25 July (fall scholarship 1 May), spring 1 December.
• Materials: a $90 application processing fee by credit card (it cannot be waived, and the Common App fee waiver is not accepted); English proficiency scores sent by the testing agency (a minimum score is not required for admission); proof of high school graduation specific to your country; academic records (unofficial transcripts are accepted with the application, official ones must arrive before enrolment; transfer applicants who attended US institutions must submit official transcripts); an Educational Gap Statement if you were not enrolled in any educational programme for more than three months after high school; a third-party release page if a recruitment agent or other person assisted; and SAT or ACT scores if your school requires them.
• English (English proficiency page): full English proficiency is not required for admission, but you may be required to take English coursework before or alongside your degree courses. Meeting any one of these minimums, valid for two years, lets you enrol in full-time degree coursework: TOEFL iBT 79 (minimum subscore 18) or, for tests from 21 January 2026, 4.5 (subscore 4); TOEFL paper 60; IELTS Academic 6.5 (subscore 6.0); PTE Academic 53 (subscore 48); SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 590; ACT English + Reading 48; AP English grade 4; AS/A Level English Language grade B on both exams. Otherwise take KU’s Applied English Center (AEC) online proficiency test; passing allows full-time degree coursework, and otherwise you enrol at the AEC. Students with limited access to testing may submit a Duolingo English Test score but must still take the AEC test. Exemptions: native speakers of English; four years of college-preparatory English and a high school GPA of 2.5+ in one of the listed qualifying regions or at a US-accredited school; a B or better in College English Composition 1 and 2 with 24 or more credit hours in a qualifying region; the full IB diploma with English HL 5 or higher; an associate’s degree with a 2.5+ GPA from a US-accredited college.
• Costs (international, 2026-27 estimate): tuition and fees (30 credit hours of tuition, ISS, course, campus and infrastructure fees) $33,854 and living expenses (housing, food, personal items, books and mandatory health insurance) $18,424, a total of $52,278. The page says the actual amount varies by major or programme, and that F-1/J-1 applicants must show proof of financial support before an I-20 or DS-2019 can be issued.
• International scholarships: international freshmen use the out-of-state and international freshman table above (up to $64,000 in all), with a fall application deadline of 1 May for scholarships; international transfer students are eligible for the out-of-state transfer scholarships.

7. Applicants from China

• Credentials (international credentials page, China entry): school-attested and sealed official transcripts for grades 9-12; the Huikao (Xueye Shuiping Ceshi) result and a school-attested copy of the Graduation Certificate, with English translation; if the certificate is not yet issued, a school official’s letter giving the issue date; on arrival you must present the originals of the Graduation Certificate and the grade 12 transcript, in Chinese with an English translation, before being admitted to enrol.
• Grade requirement: the page says a minimum grade average of 75% on the Chinese grading scale is required for the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and a higher minimum for architecture, engineering and other programmes.
• Gaokao: the pages read do not say whether the Gaokao is considered or how it is used; this is not published there, so ask International Admissions.
• English: applicants from China can use any option in section 6, or take the AEC test.

8. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Costs and scholarships: see sections 5, 6 and 9.
• Department scholarships and undergraduate research: the pages read do not describe biology-specific scholarships or research programmes; this is not published there. The Academics page mentions KU’s Center for Undergraduate Research, which helps students join faculty research and offers financial assistance; see that Center’s website.
• Outcomes: the pages read print no employment or graduate-school data for biology graduates.

9. Transfer students

• Admission: the transfer page says transfer students are assured admission with 24 or more transferable credit hours at a GPA of 2.5 or higher from a regionally accredited community college, college or university; with fewer than 24 transferable hours, you must also meet the freshman assured-admission standard and provide a final official high school transcript (or GED scores) showing your graduation date. Whether biology asks transfer students for an additional GPA or prerequisite sequence is not published in the pages read.
• Materials: official transcripts from each college attended, sent directly to the KU Office of Admissions (they can be sent electronically through an authorised vendor); official transcripts must arrive before transfer credit is awarded. Transfer students apply for free. For international transfer applicants the minimum is a 2.5 GPA across all previous coursework, including ESL programmes.
• Deadlines (transfer page, no year shown): spring scholarship deadline 1 December and final spring application deadline 5 January; fall scholarship deadline 1 August and final fall application deadline 8 August.
• Transfer scholarships (no separate application; 24 transferable credit hours; application by 1 August for fall or 1 December for spring; official transcript by 15 August for fall or 6 January for spring): for Kansas residents, Mount Oread (3.50+ cumulative college GPA) $2,000 a year, Golden Valley (3.25-3.49) $1,250 a year, Phi Theta Kappa (3.50+) $500 once; for out-of-state residents, Sunflower (3.75+) $14,000 a year, Meadowlark (3.50-3.74) $12,500, Heartland (3.25-3.49) $10,000, Phi Theta Kappa $500 once (the out-of-state scholarships are for students initially enrolled as degree-seeking in fall 2025 and after). Renewal requires full-time enrolment and a 3.0 KU GPA, for up to six consecutive semesters.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Complete the application with a transcript by 1 December (freshman scholarships); FAFSA by 1 February; testing optional; $40 fee
• GPA 3.25+, or ACT 21 (SAT 1060) with a 2.0 GPA, gives assured admission to the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences; ask the department about the degree and required courses

International applicants (including China):

• Fall applications 1 May (outside the US) or 25 July (inside the US); $90 fee; English scores submitted with the application (no minimum is required for admission)
• China: grade 9-12 transcripts, Huikao and graduation certificate (with English translation), grade average of at least 75%; whether the Gaokao is considered is not published

Transfer students:

• 24 transferable hours with a 2.5 GPA gives assured admission; no application fee; transfer scholarship dates 1 August (fall) and 1 December (spring)

Sources: University of Kansas, , Apply and deadlines; Major-specific admission requirements; Costs; Freshman scholarships; Transfer; Transfer scholarships; Credit for prior learning; International apply; International English proficiency; International credentials; International costs; International scholarships. The deadline pages show no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry; costs are 2026-27 estimates, and KU’s website has the latest.