How to Apply to Computer Science at WashU: Applying to the McKelvey School of Engineering, Declaring a Major by Sophomore Year and BSCS Requirements, with Requirements and Timeline for Chinese, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

At Washington University in St. Louis (WashU), undergraduate computer science is taught by the Department of Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) in the McKelvey School of Engineering, and the main degree is the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS). Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on WashU’s website, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver students), and transfer students.

1. Apply to a school, declare a major by sophomore year

• Choose a school: WashU has five undergraduate schools (Architecture, Art, Arts & Sciences, Business, Engineering), and you must choose one as your home base. For the BSCS, apply to the McKelvey School of Engineering.
• Major later: you select a primary academic interest on the application, but WashU says you do not need to formally declare a major until your second year.
• Changing schools: the first-year international page says you can take classes in or transfer to other schools as your interests evolve; the conditions are not published on the pages used for this guide, so check with your advisor after enrolling.
• From other schools: students in other schools can earn a second major in computer science without meeting engineering’s other distribution requirements, but the CS minor must be nearly completed before admission to the second major.
• Business and computer science: a joint BS from Olin and McKelvey; indicate your interest on the application.

2. Undergraduate degrees in CSE

• Degrees listed on the department site: Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Business + Computer Science, Computer Science + Economics, Computer Science + Math, and Data Science (six BS degrees).
• Inconsistency: the department overview in the 2026-27 Bulletin refers to “five undergraduate degrees” and lists Computer Science, Computer Engineering, CS + Business, CS + Math and CS + Econ, without Data Science, while the Bulletin’s majors list and the department site both include a BS in Data Science. Check with WashU for the latest.
• Combined study: WashU undergraduates can join McKelvey’s joint bachelor’s/master’s program, and do not need the GRE to apply for a master’s in computer science or computer engineering. There is also a BS/MBA program, with applications due by 1 February of the junior year.
• Other experience: engineering co-ops, undergraduate research (with credit through independent study) and study abroad.

3. BSCS requirements (2026-27 Bulletin)

• Units: 120 units, meeting all requirements for an applied science degree from McKelvey. The CS courses total 42 units: 7 core courses (21 units), 1 systems course (3), 1 methods course (3) and 5 technical electives (15).
• Core (C– or better): Introduction to Computer Science (CSE 1301), Introduction to Computer Engineering (CSE 1302), Logic and Discrete Mathematics (CSE 2400, or Foundations for Higher Mathematics), Data Structures and Algorithms (CSE 2407), Object-Oriented Software Development Laboratory (CSE 3302), Analysis of Algorithms (CSE 3407) and Introduction to Systems Software (CSE 3601).
• Systems (one of six): Operating Systems Organization, Programming Systems and Languages, Translation of Computer Languages, Introduction to Computer Security, Reverse Engineering and Malware Analysis, Introduction to Computer Networks.
• Methods (one of eight): Introduction to Human-Centered Design, AI and Society, Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, Data Science for Complex Networks, Introduction to Machine Learning, Introduction to Cryptography, Introduction to Visualization, Introduction to Quantum Computing.
• Restrictions: at least two CSE classroom courses at the 4000 level or above; at most 6 units in total from independent study, senior projects, honors thesis and approved outside courses; all courses taken for a grade.
• Math: Calculus I, II and III, Matrix Algebra (or Engineering Mathematics A) and a probability and statistics course.
• Other: College Writing (3 units), humanities and social sciences electives (18) and natural sciences electives (8, from Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Environmental Studies or Physics).
• Areas: there are no fixed tracks; upper-level CSE courses are classified as software systems, hardware, theory or applications to help students balance electives.
• Prior programming and placement: a 4 or 5 on AP Computer Science A gives credit for CSE 1301, and any student can take the CSE 1301 proficiency exam. The department will also evaluate proficiency in other introductory courses on request; a waived course carries no credit.

4. Application rounds and materials

• Early Action: due 2 November 2026, decisions by 23 December, non-binding.
• Early Decision I: due 2 November 2026, decisions by 11 December, binding.
• Early Decision II: due 4 January 2027, decisions by 12 February, binding.
• Regular Decision: due 4 January 2027, decisions by 1 April.
• Materials: Common Application or Coalition Application; school report and transcript, one teacher evaluation and a counselor recommendation; a 250-word response on what you want to study and why. WashU does not offer evaluative interviews.
• High school courses: successful candidates often have 4 years of mathematics (engineering strongly recommends calculus) and 3–4 years of laboratory science (engineering recommends chemistry and physics).

5. Students at high schools in China

• Records: submit all secondary school transcripts and examination results (for example IGCSE, predicted A-levels or national exams).
• Testing optional: students at high schools outside the US may choose to submit the SAT, ACT, national examination results, predicted or actual IB Diploma results, predicted or actual A-levels, three AP scores, or three IB higher-level scores.
• Math score: for engineering applicants, one of three AP scores must be in math, and one of three IB HL scores must be HL Math.
• Gaokao: WashU’s examples of national examinations (Baccalauréat, Abitur and so on) do not mention the Gaokao; ask admissions before relying on it.
• English: non-native speakers must submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo. The most competitive applicants have TOEFL 5.0 on the new scale (100 for tests before 21 January 2026), IELTS 7.0 or Duolingo 130. From fall 2027 entry, SAT or ACT scores are no longer accepted in place of English scores.
• Interview: international applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a third-party interview such as InitialView; not doing so carries no penalty.

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

• BC and other Canadian students apply as students at high schools outside the US, with the same optional testing rules; WashU publishes no grade requirements for Canadian curricula.
• English: the published exemption is for three or more years at an English-medium US high school; other cases are considered individually, so ask admissions.

7. Costs and financial aid

• 2026-27 costs (USD): tuition 71,310, student activity fee 712, health and wellness fee 700, average housing and food 24,272, total university charges 96,994; estimated books 1,412, travel 1,050 and miscellaneous 2,804. Costs for 2027-28 have not been published.
• Need-based aid: WashU meets 100% of demonstrated need for all admitted undergraduates. International applicants who need aid submit the CSS Profile by each round’s deadline (17 November for EA and ED I, 11 January for ED II, 1 February for Regular Decision).
• Scholarships: for priority consideration, submit scholarship applications by 16 December 2026.

8. Transfer students

• Deadline: 1 March 2027 for fall entry, with decisions by 7 May. Spring entry is for Arts & Sciences only, and international students must already be at a US university.
• Engineering course requirements: English composition; Calculus I, II and III; readiness for differential equations; and normally two semesters of calculus-based physics, but computer science applicants may substitute 8 units of approved natural science courses (Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Environmental Studies or Physics). Ideally, calculus grades and overall GPA are at least B+.
• Stay in your school: because transfer places are very limited, you must remain in the school you are admitted to; moving to another school requires an application after one full semester at WashU and is not guaranteed.
• Credit: engineering has no maximum on transfer credit, but a BS requires at least 60 credit hours at WashU, including 30 at the junior or senior level.
• Aid: international transfer applicants are not eligible for WashU financial aid.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply to McKelvey; EA or ED I by 2 November, ED II or RD by 4 January
• Take mathematics through calculus, ideally with chemistry and physics
• Testing optional; if you submit AP or IB HL scores, include math (HL Math for IB)
• Around TOEFL 5.0 new scale (100 old), IELTS 7.0 or Duolingo 130
• If you need aid, say so in your application and submit the CSS Profile by your round’s deadline

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

• Same deadlines; ask admissions whether you can be exempted from English testing

Transfer students:

• Apply to engineering by 1 March 2027 for fall; complete Calculus I–III and English composition; physics can be replaced by other natural sciences for computer science

Sources: Washington University in St. Louis, CSE undergraduate programs; BS in Computer Science; 2026-27 Bulletin: Computer Science & Engineering; 2026-27 Bulletin: BSCS requirements; Second major in computer science; First-year international applicants; Application dates and deadlines; English testing requirements; Transfer applicants; Joint degree in business and computer science; 2026-27 costs. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures). Check WashU for the latest details.