How to Apply to Business at Arizona State University W. P. Carey: Direct Admission Criteria for BS and BA Degrees, the Admissions Portfolio, and Requirements and Timeline for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

At Arizona State University (ASU), undergraduate business is taught by the W. P. Carey School of Business, based mainly on the Tempe campus in metro Phoenix. W. P. Carey uses direct admission: choose a W. P. Carey degree when you apply to ASU and, if you meet the criteria, you are a business student from your first year. Here is what you need to know, based on ASU’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver students), and transfer students.

1. Choosing a degree

• 30+ undergraduate degrees in two groups. Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees include Accountancy, Finance, Business Data Analytics, Computer Information Systems, Economics, Business Entrepreneurship, Artificial Intelligence in Business and Financial Technology, some STEM-designated. Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees include Business Administration, Accounting and Business Decisions, Financial Planning, Communication and Global Leadership.
• Calculus or not: ASU labels degrees as calculus-based or non-calculus-based. Campuses (Tempe, West Valley, Polytechnic) and online offerings differ; Finance and Business Entrepreneurship are Tempe only.
• How to apply: use ASU’s application or the Common App (only one), and select a W. P. Carey degree.

2. First-year direct admission

• BA degrees: meeting ASU admission requirements is enough. (Applied Business and Technology Solutions and Entrepreneurial Leadership, the non-calculus BAs, also use general ASU requirements.)
• BS degrees: meet ASU requirements and any one of:
  • SAT 1230 (March 2016 onward) or ACT composite 25; writing not required;
  • top 8% high school class rank;
  • a 3.4 GPA (4.00 scale) in ASU competency courses.
  International first-year applicants with US college credit also need a 3.0 cumulative transfer GPA.
• Testing: ASU does not require the SAT or ACT, but you need scores if you use them to meet the BS criteria.
• If you miss the BS criteria: start in a BA or another major and use the Admissions Portfolio route below.

3. Students at high schools in China

• ASU international first-year requirements: a 3.00 secondary-school GPA (B or better, A = 4.00); at least three years of high school coursework (grades 9–11 if still in school, 10–12 if graduated); a completed high school diploma.
• Competencies: students who finish high school outside the US need four years of math (algebra I, geometry, algebra II and one course requiring algebra II) and three years of laboratory science (biology, chemistry, earth science, integrated sciences or physics).
• Gaokao, A-level, IB, AP: ASU’s international first-year page has a lookup of comparable credentials by country (including China, Cambridge International and the IB Diploma). This guide does not reproduce those conversions; check the page before applying. AP and IB credit follow ASU’s transfer credit guide.
• English: W. P. Carey falls under “all other majors”: IELTS 6.0; TOEFL iBT 61 (from 21 January 2026, 3.5 overall and 3.5 in each section); Duolingo 95; PTE 53; Cambridge English 170. Scores must be within two years of your start date.
• Conflicting statements: the W. P. Carey page says ASU does not accept the TOEFL iBT Home Edition, while ASU’s English proficiency page accepts the Home Edition for tests taken on or after 21 January 2026. Confirm with ASU Admission Services before booking the Home Edition.
• Conditional admission: students who meet academic requirements but not English may be offered conditional admission, valid for up to three semesters.

4. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver)

• Academics: the same 3.00 GPA, four years of math and three years of lab science. ASU’s country lookup has separate entries for BC, Ontario and other provinces; conversions are not reproduced here.
• English: graduates of an officially recognised high school whose sole medium of instruction is English can submit an English proficiency exemption form 72 hours after applying; citizens of countries on ASU’s English-speaking list are exempt automatically.
• BS criteria: the same SAT 1230, ACT 25, top 8% or 3.4 competency GPA.

5. Transfer students

• ASU transfer requirements: 12–23 transferable credits need a 2.50 cumulative GPA plus first-year requirements; 24+ credits need 2.50; an associate degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution needs 2.00.
• W. P. Carey BS: meet ASU transfer requirements and one of the first-year BS criteria, with a 3.0 transfer GPA (and ASU GPA if applicable); or meet all of: 3.00 transfer GPA, 3.40 business skills GPA, C or better in every business skills course attempted, and at least 6 of 8 business skills courses: ACC 231, ACC 241, CIS 105, ECN 211, ECN 212, ECN 221, MAT 210 and MAT 211 (or equivalents).
• W. P. Carey BA: ASU transfer requirements plus a 3.0 cumulative ASU GPA and 3.0 transfer GPA.
• Admissions Portfolio: students who do not meet direct admission criteria (including current ASU students) can apply once admitted to ASU, with 30 semester hours (C or higher) and six of the business skills courses done and the other two completed or in progress. It is competitive and not guaranteed; a maximum of two denied attempts. Decisions are rolling, usually within 96 hours (not processed in the last week of December).
• International transfers with US college credit need a 3.0 transfer GPA and must meet English requirements.

6. Deadlines and application fee

• International students: ASU currently lists a priority deadline of 15 January 2026 for fall 2026 (first-year enrollment deposit 1 May) and 1 November 2026 for spring 2027. Fall 2027 dates are not yet posted; use the last cycle as a guide and check the application page.
• Application fee: $90 for international nonresidents, non-refundable.
• Documents: transcripts and exam results go directly from schools or exam boards to ASU, with English translations; ASU evaluates credentials in-house at no cost.

7. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-27 international undergraduate estimate: base tuition $39,062; college fee up to $2,190 (use ASU’s tuition estimator for the business figure); plus other fees, housing and meals of $18,819, insurance and more, for a total of about $69,906.
• Scholarships: international first-year and transfer students may be considered for ASU’s merit-based New American University Scholarship (limited); colleges and departments also offer awards. International students cannot receive federal or state aid.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Choose a W. P. Carey BS or BA and check whether it is calculus-based
• GPA 3.0+, four years of math, three of lab science; for a BS, SAT 1230 / ACT 25 or a 3.4 competency GPA
• IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 61 (3.5 new scale); confirm before using the Home Edition
• Apply early; the last fall priority deadline was 15 January

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

• Check your province in ASU’s credential lookup and meet GPA and competency requirements
• English-medium graduates submit the exemption form after applying

Transfer students:

• Transfer GPA 3.0+; at least six of ACC 231/241, ECN 211/212/221, MAT 210/211 and CIS 105, with a 3.4 business skills GPA
• Otherwise, submit an Admissions Portfolio after 30 credit hours

Sources: Arizona State University, W. P. Carey direct admission; W. P. Carey undergraduate degrees; International first-year admission; English proficiency for international undergraduates; International transfer admission; International student costs. Compiled in October 2026. Check ASU for the latest details.