Declare by sophomore year
Dartmouth says students do not need to declare a major until sophomore year, and classes span disciplines beyond the major.
Undergraduate · Dartmouth
Dartmouth Economics: a major declared after arriving, with calculus and statistics first
Dartmouth admits students to the College and does not require a major to be declared until sophomore year. Economics is one of its majors, and the department's page sets out three prerequisites (ECON 1, ECON 10 and MATH 3), nine further courses and a culminating experience. For an A-level or IB applicant, the questions are how the major is entered, what mathematics it expects and how Dartmouth's testing rules work for students from outside the United States, since predicted A-Levels and IBDP results are among its five routes. This guide makes no claim about admission to the major.
Official information · read 31 October 2026, no entry-year label
What Dartmouth says about Dartmouth Economics
Taken from Dartmouth Admissions' Majors & Minors and Testing Policy pages and the Department of Economics' major and first-year FAQ pages, read on 31 October 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Dartmouth's pages for the 2028-entry details.
Three prerequisites
ECON 1 (The Price System), ECON 10 (statistics) and MATH 3 (calculus); a placement test can let experienced students skip ECON 1.
Nine courses plus a culminating experience
The major requires nine courses beyond the prerequisites, including a culminating experience.
A-Levels and the IBDP named
Students from outside the US may meet the testing requirement through five routes, including predicted or final A-Levels or IBDP results.
SAT or ACT for US schools
Students who attended high school in the US must submit SAT or ACT results, with no preference between them.
Official sources
- Dartmouth Admissions: Majors & Minorsadmissions.dartmouth.edu
- Dartmouth Department of Economics: Economics Major and First-Year FAQeconomics.dartmouth.edu
- Dartmouth Admissions: Testing Policyadmissions.dartmouth.edu
Read on 31 October 2026 on Dartmouth Admissions' Majors & Minors and Testing Policy pages and the Department of Economics' major and first-year FAQ pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Dartmouth's Organization, Regulations and Courses pages, the full list of Economics electives, the placement test, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The major
What the department says the major is
The department describes a hands-on major that teaches concepts and models of individual decision-making and macro questions, with courses in finance, international trade, competition and strategy, labor, development and public economics. Intermediate courses meet in small sections and seminars have 15 students or fewer. Students start with ECON 1, ECON 10 and MATH 3, take nine further courses and complete a culminating experience such as a project or honours thesis. This guide did not read the elective lists.
Is it the right major?
Economics, Quantitative Social Science or Computer Science
Dartmouth describes each as a separate major, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.
Economics fits if
you want economic theory and research with calculus and statistics as tools.
Quantitative Social Science fits if
you want quantitative methods across several social sciences. Avandy's Dartmouth QSS guide covers it.
Computer Science fits if
your interest is computing. Avandy's Dartmouth Computer Science guide covers it.
Admission and testing
Five testing routes for students outside the US
Dartmouth says students who attended high school in the US must submit SAT or ACT results, while students from outside the US can meet the requirement in one of five ways, which include predicted or final British A-Level results and predicted or final IBDP results. Predicted A-Level scores must be submitted by a school official and cannot be self-reported. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Dartmouth's.
Are you comfortable with calculus and statistics first?
MATH 3 and ECON 10 are prerequisites.
Which testing route fits your school?
Dartmouth lists five routes for students outside the US.
Are you happy to declare in sophomore year?
Dartmouth does not ask for a major earlier.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Dartmouth's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Dartmouth's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 31 October 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Dartmouth has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Dartmouth for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the department's major page, check calculus readiness and choose a testing route.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Dartmouth College or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Dartmouth College. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
When do I declare Economics at Dartmouth?
Dartmouth says students do not need to declare a major until sophomore year.
What are the prerequisites?
ECON 1, ECON 10 (statistics) and MATH 3 (calculus), with a placement test available for ECON 1.
How many courses does the major need?
Nine courses in addition to the prerequisites, including a culminating experience.
Does Dartmouth accept A-Levels and the IB for testing?
Yes. Students from outside the US can meet the requirement through five routes, including predicted or final A-Levels or IBDP results.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Students who attended high school in the US must submit them; students outside the US have five routes.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Dartmouth's wording with no entry-year label. Check Dartmouth's pages again when Dartmouth publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Dartmouth Economics
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their mathematics, how they would handle the calculus and statistics prerequisites and their testing route, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.