How to Apply to Computer Science at Penn State: The College of Engineering B.S., Entrance-to-Major Requirements (3.20 GPA) and the November 1 Early Action Deadline, with Requirements and Timeline for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

At Penn State, undergraduate computer science is the Computer Science, B.S. in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering. Here is what you need to know, based on Penn State’s admissions website, Undergraduate Bulletin and school website, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. Admission: enroll first, then enter the major

• When you apply: the Program of Study section asks for your starting semester, intended major, and starting and ending campus.
• Entrance to Major: the Bulletin says Computer Science at University Park currently has administrative enrollment controls, and students follow the controls in effect for the semester they enter. For first-year students entering Summer 2026, Fall 2026 or Spring 2027, the requirements are:
  • enrolled in the College of Engineering or the Division of Undergraduate Studies;
  • 29 to 55 graded Penn State credits (excluding transfer and AP credits);
  • a C or better in CMPSC 121 or 131, CMPSC 122 or 132, MATH 140, MATH 141 and PHYS 211;
  • a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.20.
• Other campuses: the degree can begin at any campus and be completed at Beaver, Brandywine, Hazleton or University Park. For Beaver, Brandywine and Hazleton the minimum cumulative GPA is 2.60; the Bulletin notes that a higher GPA is likely to be needed if the major is under enrollment control.
• Fall 2027 entry: the Bulletin edition read covers entry through Spring 2027. The requirements for students entering in Fall 2027 have not been published; check the Bulletin for that year.
• Campus changes: the Bulletin says seven campuses (DuBois, Fayette, New Kensington, Mont Alto, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre and York) are scheduled to close after Spring 2027 and are not admitting new students.

2. Curriculum

• Credits: at least 127, with 45 in General Education and 106 to 108 for the major (24 overlap).
• Prescribed courses (C or better): Computing and Society, Object Oriented Programming, Advanced Data Structures and Algorithms in C, Computer Systems I and II, Software Engineering Principles, Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science, Programming Language Concepts, Data Structures and Algorithms, Software Design Methods, technical writing and two calculus-based physics courses.
• Mathematics: Calculus I and II (MATH 140, 141), Matrices (MATH 220), Calculus and Vector Analysis (MATH 230), plus one probability and one statistics course.
• Electives: 18 credits from 400-level courses such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer and network security, databases, computer vision, compilers, operating systems, quantum computation and natural language processing, plus 6 department-list credits and 2 to 3 credits of physics or natural science.
• Other rules: the school says success requires a strong aptitude in mathematics, and concurrent majors in computer engineering and computer science are not permitted. An integrated B.S. in Computer Science and M.I.A. in International Affairs is also offered.
• AP credit: the school FAQ says AP Computer Science A credit may be petitioned to substitute for CMPSC 131, before you attempt to enter the major; AP Computer Science Principles credit cannot count toward degree requirements.

3. Dates and application materials

• Deadline: first-year applicants have one main deadline, Early Action on November 1. After that, applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and options become more competitive, especially at University Park. Some programs, such as the Schreyer Honors College, have earlier deadlines. International deadlines generally match domestic ones, but international applicants also have final deadlines for visa processing; the dates could not be read from the pages used here, so check the international deadlines page. The pages show no year.
• How to apply: the Common App or MyPennState. Penn State says it receives more than 100,000 first-year applications.
• Testing: test-optional, unless you use SAT or ACT scores as proof of English proficiency.
• Academic record: international first-year applicants complete the STARS self-reported record of every class and grade for the last three years (except students in the South Korean system).
• High school courses: the College of Engineering is in “Category 1” of the high school requirements, with additional mathematics (statistics does not count); see the requirements page for the unit chart. Two units of one world language are required; students admitted with fewer must make this up before graduating.
• Class profile: Penn State publishes middle 50% ranges for Summer/Fall 2025 admits; the chart could not be read for this guide.

4. Students at high schools in China

• Gaokao: Penn State does not say how Gaokao results are used. Check with international admissions.
• After admission: the China credentials page asks for the official “cheng ji dan” transcript book for junior year 3 and senior years 1 to 3 (dual-language accepted, but a Chinese-only copy is strongly recommended) and the diploma with an English translation. Students who took GCSE, AS or A-level exams submit final results certificates from all attempts; the page says results should show seven strong passes in academic courses including math, language, science, social science and humanities.
• English (minimums): Duolingo 120; TOEFL 4.5 for tests after 21 January 2026 or 80 before; IELTS 6.5; SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 570; ACT English 24; IB English A 5 or higher; GCSE or GCE English A to C. TOEFL MyBest scores are not accepted.
• A-levels, IB and AP: A-level and AS grades A to C and IB Higher Level grades 5 to 7 can be reviewed for introductory credit; AP follows Penn State’s AP credit chart.

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

• The international credentials list has no entry for Canada, and requirements for BC or other Canadian curricula are not published. Check with international admissions.
• English exemption: the page lists cases such as four years in a U.S. high school; whether Canadian high school study exempts you is not stated.

6. Transfer students

• Who is a transfer student: anyone who has completed, attempted or will attempt 18 or more semester hours at an accredited college after high school.
• General rules: four-year programs at University Park require a minimum 2.5 GPA, with prerequisites at C or better. To transfer directly to University Park you need at least four semesters of full-time college coursework; otherwise you can transfer to another campus and move to University Park later.
• Major requirements: not all majors are open to transfer students. Computer Science transfer requirements are in Penn State’s majors listing and were not checked for this guide.
• International transfers: no STARS record; submit official college transcripts and English scores. Review is rolling.

7. Costs and scholarships

• Tuition: tuition varies by campus, program, level and residency. The figures are on Penn State’s tuition calculator site, which could not be read for this guide.
• Proof of funds: after accepting an offer, international students must certify sufficient resources for the first calendar year (excluding travel) and indicate their ability to meet later years’ expenses.
• Scholarships: the Provost Academic Award goes to first-year non-residents of Pennsylvania enrolling at University Park; whether international students qualify is not stated, so check with the Office of Student Aid.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply by November 1 through the Common App or MyPennState, choosing Computer Science and University Park
• Complete STARS; prepare IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 4.5 (new scale)
• In your first year, earn a C or better in the five programming, calculus and physics courses and keep a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20

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

• Canadian curriculum requirements are not published; confirm documents and English requirements with international admissions before applying

Transfer students:

• For University Park, complete four full-time semesters with a GPA of 2.5 or higher, and check the Computer Science transfer requirements in the majors listing

Sources: Penn State, Computer Science B.S. (2026-2027 Undergraduate Bulletin); EECS Computer Science page; Undergraduate FAQs; First-year students; High school requirements; International admission requirements; International deadlines; China credentials; Transfer eligibility; Tuition and costs. The deadline pages show no year, and the entrance-to-major rules quoted apply to students entering Summer 2026 to Spring 2027. Check Penn State’s website for the latest.