In order for the Office of Undergraduate Admission to make an admission decision, UK must receive a completed application. This includes the online application and supporting material. You can apply via UK Application for Undergraduate Admission or Common App.
Pay online when submitting the electronic application for admission or mail a check noting the applicant ID to the Office of Undergraduate Admission.
Please request that your high school send an official high school transcript to UK. This transcript should reflect grades through at least six semesters of high school work.
Visit Office of the University Registrar for the most up to date policy information.
To be accepted to the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, high school students must have both:
Applicants who do not meet the above primary criteria may instead be considered based on meeting at a minimum the UK Mathematics department’s published placement guidelines for MA 110 Algebra and Trigonometry for Calculus. For 2026-27, those test-optional criteria are as follows:
Note: AP credit, such as an AP Calc AB score of 3 or higher, or transfer credit allowing enrollment into MA113 or higher also meets math readiness admission requirements.
Students who are not initially admitted into the College may apply at a later date as a transfer student.
Note: Applicants to Engineering are strongly encouraged to work towards being Calculus-ready in their first semester, in order to maximize degree progression. Minimum requirements for MA 113 Calculus I readiness are currently as follows:
First-Year Engineering Program
All newly admitted students participate in the First-Year Engineering Program for their first two semesters. During the first year, students engage in computer programming and hands-on engineering design activities, and explore the undergraduate engineering and computer science majors offered in the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering. Based on this experience, students have the option to declare their major or change their major according to their interests.
Upon declaring a major, students will be designated as pre-major until they meet engineering standing requirements. Every student must be admitted to engineering standing in a specific program prior to taking engineering upper level courses that require engineering standing as a prerequisite.
Admission to engineering standing in a degree program is necessary in order to continue in upper level courses and to be granted a baccalaureate degree in engineering or computer science. Specific departmental requirements for admission to engineering standing are noted below and engineering standing applies to a specific program. Hence, receiving engineering standing in one program does not grant engineering standing in another. Students can request admission to engineering standing after completing the required set of pre-major courses in the first three semesters of the published curriculum in their chosen program. In addition to the requirements described below, each program may specify specific procedures for applying for engineering standing, submitting appeals, etc. Students should refer to the departmental handbook or their undergraduate advisor in their program of choice to identify these specific procedures
The same criteria are applied to transfer students with the equivalence of courses reviewed by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. It is important to note if a student receives acceptance of transfer credit for one or more of the below listed courses, the grades earned will be used in the calculation for engineering standing. Transfer students who have not completed all courses listed below may be considered for admission into courses that require engineering standing on a case-by-case basis.
Aerospace Engineering: A cumulative UK GPA of at least 2.5 and successful completion of all pre-major courses. Successful completion of the following courses with at least a 2.5 GPA: CHE 105, CIS 111 / WRD 111, EGR 101, EGR 102, EGR 103 (or for transfer students, EGR 215 in lieu of EGR 101 and EGR 103), EM 221, MA 113, MA 114, MA 213, PHY 231, PHY 232 PHY 241, PHY 232, and PHY 242 and a C or better in each course. If a course is repeated, the best grade will be used for calculation of GPA in the above listed courses.
Biomedical Engineering: A cumulative UK GPA of at least 2.5 and successful completion of all pre-major courses with at least a 2.5 GPA: BIO 148, BIO 152, BME 201, CHE 105, CIS 110 / WRD 110, CIS 111 / WRD 111, EGR 101, EGR 102, EGR 103, (or for transfer students, EGR 215 in lieu of EGR 101 and EGR 103), MA 113, MA 114, MA 213, PHY 231, PHY 241, PHY 232 and PHY 242. Completion of BME 201 with a grade of C or better. If a course is repeated, the best grade will be used for calculation of GPA in the above listed courses.
Biosystems Engineering: A cumulative UK GPA of at least 2.5 and successful completion of all pre-major courses. Successful completion of the following courses with at least a 2.5 GPA: CHE 105, CIS 110/WRD 110, MA 113, MA 114, MA 213, and PHY 231. Completion of BAE 200 with a grade of C or better. If a course is repeated, the best grade will be used for calculation of GPA in the above listed courses.
Chemical Engineering: A cumulative UK GPA of at least 2.5 and successful completion of all pre-major courses. Successful completion of the following courses with at least a 2.5 GPA: CHE 105, CHE 107, CHE 111, CHE 113, CIS 110/WRD 110, MA 113, MA 114, MA 213, and PHY 231. Completion of CME 200 with a grade of C or better. If a course is repeated, the best grade will be used for calculation of GPA in the above listed courses.
Civil Engineering: A cumulative UK GPA of at least 2.5 and successful completion of all premajor courses. Successful completion of the following courses with at least a 2.5 GPA: CE 106, CE 211, CHE 105, CHE 107, CIS 110/WRD 110, EGR 103 (or for transfer students, EGR 215 in lieu of EGR 103), EM 221, MA 113, MA 114, MA 213, PHY 231, and PHY 241 and a C or better in each course. If a course is repeated, the best grade will be used for calculation of GPA in the above listed courses.
Computer Engineering: A cumulative UK GPA of at least 2.5 and successful completion of all pre-major courses. Successful completion of the following courses with at least a 2.5 GPA: CHE 105, CIS 110/WRD 110, CS 215, CS 216, EE 282/CPE 282, and PHY 231. If a course is repeated, the best grade will be used for calculation of GPA in the above listed courses.
Computer Science: A cumulative UK GPA of at least 2.5 and successful completion of all premajor courses. Successful completion of the following courses with at least a 2.5 GPA: CS 215, CS 217, CS 218, CS 275, and MA 114. If a course is repeated, the best grade will be used for calculation of GPA in the above listed courses.
Electrical Engineering: A cumulative UK GPA of at least 2.5 and successful completion of all pre-major courses. Successful completion of the following courses with at least a 2.5 GPA: CIS 110/WRD 110, CHE 105, CS 215, EE 211, EE 282/CPE 282, and PHY 231. If a course is repeated, the best grade will be used for calculation of GPA in the above listed courses.
Materials Engineering: A cumulative UK GPA of at least 2.5 and successful completion of all pre-major courses. Successful completion of the following courses with at least a 2.5 GPA: CHE 105, CHE 107, CHE 111, CHE 113, CIS 110/WRD 110, MA 113, MA 114, MA 213, PHY 231, and PHY 241. Completion of MSE 201 with a grade of C or better. If a course is repeated, the best grade will be used for calculation of GPA in the above listed courses.
Mechanical Engineering: A cumulative UK GPA of at least 2.5 and successful completion of all pre-major courses. Successful completion of the following courses with at least a 2.5 GPA: CHE 105, CIS 111/WRD 111, EGR 101, EGR 102, EGR 103 (or for transfer students, EGR 215 in lieu of EGR 101 and EGR 103), EM 221, MA 113, MA 114, MA 213, PHY 231, PHY 241, PHY 232, and PHY 242 and a C or better in each course. If a course is repeated, the best grade will be used for calculation of GPA in the above listed courses.
Mining Engineering: A cumulative UK GPA of at least 2.5 and successful completion of all premajor courses. Successful completion of the following courses with at least a 2.5 GPA: CIS 110/WRD 110, CHE 105, MA 113, MA 114, MA 213, and PHY 231. If a course is repeated, the best grade will be used for calculation of GPA in the above listed courses.
Deadlines and more information can be found at UK's Freshman Undergraduate Admissions page.
View the current tuition and fee structure The specific charges for instruction and related services, excluding other living and personal expenses.
Calculate the cost of attendance The total estimated expense to attend UK, including tuition, fees, housing, meals, books, supplies, transportation, and personal expenses.
State funding for Kentucky’s public universities has declined by more than 30 percent since 2008. Since an engineering education costs more to provide than most academic majors, state funding cuts affect engineering disproportionately to other fields. As a result, it would be impossible for the College of Engineering to provide a world-class engineering educational experience without the availability of fees to provide additional funding. As we set these fees, we seek to balance the need for the necessary funds to deliver our educational programs with the need to keep the cost of attending the University of Kentucky affordable for our students.
Yes. The money collected from the Engineering Fee is passed to the College of Engineering.
At UK, we use all of the collected fees to provide services to students. Items supported from the fee include materials, equipment and staff support for student instructional laboratories; an Engineering Career Development Center to help students find jobs, internships and co-ops; student computer labs with engineering software and IT staff to support the equipment; the eStudio, which helps students develop their communication skills; academic tutoring; professional advising and scholarship coordination. Each of these services is significant for our college and our students; however, each comes with a cost. The fee is small compared to the benefit of the services provided.
The engineering fee charged to each student is based on the number of engineering courses taken during the academic year. An average engineering student will take 6 credit hours per semester in their freshman year.
