Admissions

A female Ohio State student smiles at a fellow student while studying at a table.

Ohio State’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions is the primary resource for the application process and handles direct enrollment for undergraduate students into the College of Engineering. Learn more about applying to Ohio State  >

High school seniors applying to the Columbus campus are encouraged to submit their complete admission application by the November 1st early action deadline as capacity within Engineering fills quickly.

Process for Admission to Engineering Majors

Prospective students interested in pursuing engineering at Ohio State must indicate their engineering major of interest on their Common Application. Applicants are reviewed holistically by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. All new students will complete foundational coursework in engineering, math, and science coursework, and engage with faculty, advisors, and peers to explore the interdisciplinary nature of engineering.

Freshmen

Some engineering majors have available capacity and can direct enroll freshmen into the major without an additional application process. Other engineering majors have a pre-major component and require an additional application process.

Direct-Enrolled Majors

Freshmen admitted to the Ohio State Columbus campus interested in the below programs will be directly enrolled in their major.

  • Aviation*
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Engineering Physics
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering
  • Industrial & Systems Engineering
  • Materials Science and Engineering
  • Welding Engineering

*Direct enrollment into the Aviation Engineering major is available. However, the Professional Pilot Certification (PPC) continues to have limited space and students will need to request joining the specialization separately from enrolling in the Aviation Engineering Major. Please see Professional Pilot Specialization for additional information.

Enrolled as Pre-Majors

In order to implement a transparent and equitable admission process to meet the demands and space availability in popular majors, students entering Ohio State in the following programs will enter as a pre-major. Students interested in these programs must indicate one of these majors on the Common Application as these majors quickly reach capacity. Effective Autumn 2023, the college is unable to accommodate students changing into these programs after starting at Ohio State.

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Computer Science and Engineering (ENG) / Computer and Information Science (ASC)
  • Mechanical Engineering

100%

Direct Enrolled to Major

admission to major not required

80%

Pre-Majors Admitted to 1st Choice Major

during admission-to-major process

New Transfer Students

Transfer students admitted to Ohio State in engineering are enrolled in the Pre-Major Program. Students interested in the following programs must indicate one of these majors on their undergraduate admission application to the Ohio State University as these majors quickly reach capacity. Effective Autumn 2023, the college is unable to accommodate students changing into these programs after starting at Ohio State.

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Computer Science and Engineering (ENG) / Computer and Information Science (ASC)
  • Mechanical Engineering

Students should remain at their previous institution to complete these admission requirements to be admitted into one of these pre-majors as a transfer student. Students that transfer to Ohio State into a different academic program will not have the opportunity to change into one of these programs after starting at Ohio State.

Transfer Student Admission Criteria

Prospective transfer students will need to have completed 30 semester credit hours, earn a GPA of 3.0 or higher at their previous institution, and have completed college level calculus (Math 1151) in order to be admitted as a transfer student into one of these programs.

College of Engineering Pre-Major Program

Students entering Ohio State in a pre-major are enrolled in the Pre-Major Program, enables students to explore multiple majors and learn how different engineering majors can lead to similar career outcomes.

Admission Criteria

Questions/Comments? Contact: 

Find answers to many frequently asked questions. If you need further assistance, please contact the Undergraduate Recruitment Team at:
eng-recruitment@osu.edu (preferred) or (614) 247-7697.

*Note: the Office of Undergraduate Admissions reviews all applications for admissions to the College of Engineering. For questions about your admissions application, please email askabuckeye@osu.edu or call (614) 292-3980.