Delaware Engineering Graduate Admission 2027 for International Students: Ranking, GRE, Funding and Deadlines

Delaware engineering graduate admission for international students goes through the University of Delaware Graduate College application. The fee is $75, you upload a statement of purpose, a resume, three letters of recommendation and official transcripts, and you send TOEFL or IELTS scores unless your degree comes from a listed English-speaking country. Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa are on that list. The GRE is not required in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Materials Science or Electrical and Computer Engineering. For fall 2027, PhD priority deadlines run from 1 December 2026 (Chemical and Biomolecular) to 15 January 2027 (Mechanical), with later final dates.

The University of Delaware College of Engineering is No. 36 in the U.S. News 2026 Best Engineering Schools ranking, and its Chemical Engineering programme is No. 7 in the country. Graduate tuition is $1,149 per credit in 2026-27, the same rate for every student, which makes Delaware one of the cheaper schools in its rank band for a self-funded master’s. Most PhD students are admitted with a tuition waiver and a stipend; the university’s minimum stipend was $36,000 for a 12-month contract in 2025-26.

Delaware engineering at a glance

1. School: College of Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark.
2. Ranking: No. 36 of 195, U.S. News 2026 Best Engineering Schools (released April 2026); Chemical Engineering No. 7.
3. Degrees: MS and PhD in each department, plus online and specialist master’s such as Cybersecurity and Robotics.
4. Application fee: $75.
5. English minimums: TOEFL iBT 79 (Speaking 18) or IELTS 6.5 with no band below 6.0; some departments ask for TOEFL 100. Duolingo is not accepted.
6. English waiver: degrees from listed countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.
7. Tuition: $1,149 per credit in 2026-27.
8. PhD funding: tuition waiver plus stipend for most admitted PhD students; master’s students in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science get no support.

Delaware engineering ranking

UDaily, the university’s news site, reported on 7 April 2026 that the College of Engineering placed No. 36 of 195 schools in the U.S. News 2026 Best Engineering Schools list. The specialty ranks spread widely. Chemical Engineering is No. 7 of 136, Materials Engineering No. 47, Mechanical No. 51, Biomedical No. 52, Civil and Electrical both No. 57 and Computer Engineering No. 69. If you want chemical or biomolecular engineering, Delaware sits among the top ten; in other fields it is a solid mid-ranked research school.

Departments and graduate programmes

Delaware engineering admission requirements for international students

1. Graduate College online application and $75 fee: one application per programme.
2. Statement of purpose and resume: Mechanical Engineering also asks for a graduate supplemental document.
3. Three letters of recommendation: from former teachers or supervisors, uploaded through the application.
4. Official transcripts: if you are still finishing your degree, you can be admitted pending conferral, but proof of the degree and official scores are due by the first day of classes or the offer can be withdrawn.
5. English test scores: unless your degree qualifies for the waiver.
6. GRE: set by each programme. In Materials Science you choose “Test Waivers” on the form.

Departments usually look for a bachelor’s GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in engineering, science and maths courses. Civil and Environmental Engineering wants a 3.5 graduate GPA for direct PhD entry after a master’s, and Materials Science says typical applicants have 3.2 or above. The Graduate College pages checked for this guide do not mention WES or any other credential evaluation.

English test minimums and waivers

You are exempt if you earned your bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate at a ministry-recognised university in a listed English-primary country. Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria are on the list with South Africa, Singapore, the UK and Canada outside Quebec. A degree from a regionally accredited US school also counts. English scores are valid for two years. Some programmes offer conditional admission through the English Language Institute (ELI-CAP) if you are otherwise admissible.

GRE policy by department

Delaware engineering deadlines for fall 2027

The department pages give a day and month without a year, so the years shown are for fall 2027 entry. Biomedical Engineering admits in fall only. Materials Science reviews PhD fee waivers in the second week of January and considers applications until a March deadline.

PhD funding at Delaware engineering

Most engineering PhD students at Delaware are funded. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering generally admits PhD students with a tuition waiver and stipend, continued with satisfactory progress and a 3.0 GPA, though not guaranteed beyond four years. Materials Science typically admits PhD students with full support: stipend, tuition and health benefits. Biomedical Engineering says all or nearly all students receive a stipend and full tuition scholarship. ECE offers research and teaching assistantships with a full tuition waiver and subsidised health insurance.

None of these departments publishes its stipend. The Graduate Student Government lists the university minimum as $27,000 for a 9-month contract and $36,000 for a 12-month contract, as of September 2025. The 2026-27 minimum was not posted when I checked, so ask each department for its current figure.

Named fellowships and scholarships

The ECE scholarship pays your first semester while you meet faculty, and from the second semester the adviser you choose funds you as a research assistant.

Master’s funding: what to expect

Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Materials Science both state that master’s students receive no financial support. ECE says strong MS students may receive assistantships or scholarships, without giving numbers. Plan to fund an MS yourself, at a per-credit rate lower than many schools near Delaware in the ranking.

Delaware engineering tuition and costs for 2026-27

The Graduate College gives $22,144 as the total of tuition and mandatory costs for the year, though its listed items add up to $22,164. With health insurance and the living estimate, a self-funded international student should plan for roughly $51,700 a year (my arithmetic). Some programmes charge a different rate, so check your programme’s line before you budget. If you bring a spouse, the I-20 needs an extra $6,875, plus $6,875 for the first child and $5,500 for each child after that.

STEM OPT after a Delaware engineering degree

Engineering, computer science and cybersecurity degrees fall under CIP codes on the Department of Homeland Security STEM Designated Degree Program List. On an F-1 visa you can usually work for 12 months on OPT after your degree, then apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension with an E-Verify employer. Ask Delaware’s Office for International Students and Scholars to confirm the CIP code on your I-20, especially for joint degrees such as the MSME/MBA.

Admission statistics

The College of Engineering does not publish acceptance rates on the pages checked. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering links to a department statistics page, but its figures were not available for this guide. Every department checked says meeting the minimum GPA does not guarantee admission, and ECE has more than 100 doctoral students.

How to contact potential PhD advisers at Delaware

In Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering you cannot choose an adviser before you arrive: new students hear 30-minute faculty talks in the fall, speak with at least six professors, and rank at least four projects across three or more advisers by early November. ECE’s first-year scholars also pick an adviser after one semester. Contacting faculty still helps in Mechanical, Civil and Materials, where an assistantship often depends on a professor’s grant.

1. Check the department’s model: do not ask a ChemE professor to commit to you before admission; it is against how their matching works.
2. Pick two or three faculty elsewhere: read a recent paper from each.
3. Email before the priority date: November for December deadlines, December for Mechanical’s January date.
4. Ask one question: whether they expect to fund a new student for fall 2027.

A sample opening, for illustration: “Dear Professor [Name], I am applying to the University of Delaware Mechanical Engineering PhD for fall 2027 by the 15 January priority date. My final-year project at [University] tested [method] on [problem], and your group’s recent work on [topic] is the direction I want to take it. Do you expect to support a new research assistant next fall?”

How to write the Delaware statement of purpose

• State the research area you want in the first paragraph.
• Show research or industry experience with your own role and results; Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering says it encourages applicants with that background.
• For ChemE and ECE, name several faculty whose projects interest you, since you will choose among them after arrival.
• If you want a teaching assistantship, mention teaching or tutoring experience and your English test results.
• Explain any weak semester briefly, and point to your grades in engineering, science and maths, which is what Delaware’s GPA rule looks at.
• End with your career plan.

Common mistakes international applicants make

• Booking Duolingo: Delaware does not accept it for graduate study.
• Sitting a test you do not need: graduates of recognised universities in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya are exempt.
• Aiming only for the minimum: ChemE, Mechanical and teaching posts want TOEFL 100, so if you are testing, aim higher than 79.
• Converting your CGPA yourself: send your transcript as issued and state the scale; a 3.0 cut-off in engineering, science and maths courses is applied to those grades.
• Applying with a three-year degree without asking: the Graduate College pages checked do not address three-year degrees, so email the programme first.
• Expecting a fee waiver: ChemE says waivers are generally not available to international applicants, though Materials Science waives the fee for admitted PhD candidates who submit unpaid.

Costs not covered by funding

• Summer living costs on a 9-month contract.
• Mandatory fees and the international service fee, if your waiver covers tuition only.
• Visa and SEVIS fees, flights and the first rent deposit.
• Health cover and visa funds for a spouse or children.
• Transport and parking, which the university estimates at $1,000 a year.

Who should apply to Delaware engineering

I would apply to Delaware for a PhD in chemical, biomolecular or materials engineering, where the department ranks near the top and funding for admitted PhD students is the norm. It also suits applicants from Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya who want to skip the English test, and self-funded master’s students who want a ranked school at $1,149 per credit. If you need a guaranteed adviser before you travel, the ChemE matching system may not suit you.

Delaware engineering compared with similar schools

FAQ on Delaware engineering graduate admission

Does the University of Delaware accept Duolingo for engineering?

No. Delaware does not accept Duolingo at graduate level. Use TOEFL or IELTS, or claim the waiver if your degree is from a listed country such as Nigeria, Ghana or Kenya.

Is the GRE required for UD engineering graduate programmes?

Not in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Materials Science or ECE. Other departments set their own rule, so check the Graduate College programme page.

How much is tuition for a master’s in engineering at Delaware?

The 2026-27 rate is $1,149 per credit, or $20,682 for 18 credits a year. Fees, health insurance and living costs bring the total to about $51,700 a year.

Do Delaware engineering PhD students get a stipend?

Most do, with a tuition waiver. The university minimum was $36,000 for 12 months in 2025-26; departments do not publish their own rates.

Sources and updates

I checked this guide on 29 October 2026 against University of Delaware pages: the Graduate College application page, test scores page and 2026-27 cost of attendance; the Biomedical Engineering programme listing; the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering PhD page; the Materials Science, Civil and Environmental, ECE and Mechanical Engineering graduate pages; and the Graduate Student Government’s minimum stipend page. The rank and specialty ranks come from UDaily’s 7 April 2026 report. STEM OPT rules are the Department of Homeland Security’s. We update this page when Delaware posts new deadlines, fees or stipends.

Jude Chinecherem

I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.