How to Apply to Psychology at The Ohio State University: Direct Entry to the Major and Required SAT or ACT, and Requirements and Timeline for Chinese, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

At The Ohio State University (Ohio State), psychology is taught by the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, which offers a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Bachelor of Science (BS). Here is what you need to know for autumn 2027 entry to the Columbus campus, based on Ohio State’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. How admission works

• Two steps: Ohio State first decides whether you are admissible to the university, then considers you for enrollment in the college of your intended major.
• Psychology admits directly to the major: the enrollment criteria state that admitted students in the College’s social and behavioral sciences are enrolled directly in the major, except international studies and neuroscience, which start as pre-majors. Psychology is in the direct-entry group.
• No University Exploration for international students: international students cannot be enrolled in the undecided University Exploration program and must choose a degree-granting major.
• Declaring as a current student: Ohio State students switching into psychology email the psychology advising office, complete an online module and quiz (100% required), and meet an advisor to declare.

2. Psychology major requirements

• Both degrees: 12 courses and at least 36 semester credits of psychology, plus general education. PSYCH 1100 Introduction to Psychology comes first and is a prerequisite for all further psychology courses.
• BA: two data analysis and research courses (PSYCH 2220 and PSYCH 2300), one course in each of four core areas (brain and behavior; cognitive; clinical and developmental; social), plus advanced and elective courses.
• BS: four data analysis and research courses, including PSYCH 3321 Quantitative and Statistical Methods (which requires a B or above in PSYCH 2220) and a cognitive or social psychology laboratory; the core requirement is the same as the BA.
• Honors: join the Arts and Sciences Honors Program, then work with the Psychology Honors Advisor. To graduate with honors as a psychology major you complete at least four PSYCH honors courses at the 2000 level or above and meet the advisor in autumn of your first and second years to file a major curriculum plan. Honors students can do supervised research and an honors thesis.

3. Deadlines and decisions (international first-year)

• Early Action (non-binding): all materials by 1 November 2026; international applicants receive decisions on 22 January. Ohio State strongly recommends this deadline for Honors and Scholars consideration.
• Regular Decision: 15 January 2027, with decisions on 5 March.
• Acceptance fee: by 1 May 2027.
• Apply through the Common App. Send official transcripts for grades 9–12, with English translations of documents in other languages. Recommendations are optional, up to two.

4. Testing and English

• SAT or ACT required for all Columbus first-year applicants, sent directly by the testing agency. Ohio State superscores and has no minimum score. For Early Action, the last test dates are 3 October (SAT) and 17 October (ACT).
• Admitted student scores: the middle 50% of admitted students scored 27–33 on the ACT and 1280–1470 on the SAT.
• English minimums: TOEFL 4.0 for tests on or after 21 January 2026 (79 before), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 120, ACT English 21 or SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 550.
• Exemptions: three full years at, and graduation from, a U.S. regionally accredited high school, or citizenship of approved countries including Canada (except Quebec), England, Australia and Singapore. The exemption is by citizenship, so non-Canadian students at Canadian high schools still need a test.
• Chinese and Canadian curricula: Ohio State publishes no Gaokao policy and no grade requirements for Canadian or BC curricula.

5. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-27 international estimate (US$): tuition and fees 47,374 (including a $3,103 annual international undergraduate fee), housing and food 15,630, books 1,020, student health insurance 4,108 and personal expenses 4,046, about 72,178 in total.
• Housing and insurance: most first-years on the Columbus campus must live on campus for two years; international students must buy Ohio State student health insurance.
• Scholarships: university merit scholarships are not open to international students, and the National Buckeye Scholarship for non-Ohio residents is limited to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
• Financial proof: admitted students submit a visa request form showing they can meet the costs.

6. Transfer students

• Deadlines: 1 March 2027 for autumn 2027 and 1 October 2026 for spring; the application fee is $70, with no waiver for international students.
• Admission criteria: with 30 or more semester hours (45 quarter hours), admission is based on cumulative college performance, grade trends and courses key to the major; with fewer, your high school record and SAT/ACT are also reviewed (not required if you have earned graded college credit after high school or have been out of high school for two years). Autumn 2025 transfers averaged a 3.25 GPA and 43 transferred hours.
• Documents: official transcripts from every university; if you took university courses in China, CSSD must send a verification report directly to Ohio State.
• Credit: non-remedial courses from regionally accredited institutions with a C- or better transfer. Psychology courses without an Ohio State equivalent can be evaluated by the department with a form and syllabus. At least half of psychology major coursework must be taken at Ohio State. Since summer 2018 the department no longer accepts credit from summer programs hosted by Chinese universities.
• English: same requirements as first-year applicants; three full years at a U.S. accredited university also qualifies for an exemption.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply through the Common App by 1 November (Early Action) or 15 January (Regular), choosing psychology
• Take the SAT or ACT and have scores sent; TOEFL 4.0, IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 120 or higher
• Submit transcripts for grades 9–12 with translations
• Plan for about $72,000 a year; university merit scholarships are not open to international students

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Same deadlines; SAT or ACT is also required
• Canadian citizens (outside Quebec) are exempt from English testing; non-citizens are not

Transfer students:

• Autumn deadline 1 March; with 30+ credits the review focuses on college grades
• Arrange CSSD verification early if you studied at a Chinese university
• Keep psychology syllabi for credit evaluation after admission

Sources: The Ohio State University, International first-year applicants; International first-year apply step-by-step; Who gets in; Enrollment criteria by college; International transfer apply step-by-step; Transfer admission criteria; Costs 2026-27; Merit scholarships; Psychology BA requirements; Psychology BS requirements; Psychology honors; Declare the psychology major; Psychology transfer credit. Information is for autumn 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 estimates). Check Ohio State for the latest details.