International admissions

You have two options for admission to U of I as an international student:

Undergraduate admission: If you are seeking a bachelor’s degree from University of Idaho, apply for undergraduate admission.

Exchange student admission: Exchange students attend University of Idaho as full-time students for a period of usually one or two semesters through an agreement between U of I and their home institution or an exchange organization.

First Year Student: A 2.5 grade-point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale is required from your secondary school. You must also meet criteria for admission to university-level study in your home country. The Admissions Office will convert grades/marks to a 4.0 U.S. scale.

Credentials eligible for transfer credit:

• International Baccalaureate (IB)  
• General Certificate of Education – Advanced Level (GCE-A Level)
• Global Assessment Certificate (GAC)
• Advanced Placement (AP) and College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)  

Transfer Student: If you have completed at least 14 transferable semester credits, you must have a 2.0 GPA from your previous institution. If you’re transferring to the College of Engineering, you will need a 2.8 GPA. Other departments may have additional requirements. If you have completed fewer than 14 transferable credits, you must also meet the first-year student requirements.

Credentials eligible for transfer credit:

• International Baccalaureate (IB)
• General Certificate of Education – Advanced Level (GCE-A Level)
• Global Assessment Certificate (GAC)
• Advanced Placement (AP) and College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

University of Idaho may also grant credit for courses completed at a college or university that is accredited or recognized by the appropriate educational authority in the country of study.

Submit one of the following as proof of competency if English is not your primary language. TOEFL is preferred, but listed substitutions are considered to be equivalent to a TOEFL score of 70. These substitutions are only available for undergraduate students applying for admission in degree and non-degree seeking programs.

• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) with a minimum score of 70
• Completion of University of Idaho American Language and Culture Program (ALCP)
• Duolingo English Test with a minimum score of 100
• IELTS (International English Language Testing System) with a minimum score of 6.0
• Pearson (PTE) Academic with a score of 48
• SAT evidence-based reading and writing with a minimum score of 550
• Completion from Lewis-Clark State College Institute of Intensive English Bridge Program
• Spokane College of English Language (SCEL) with a pass of Level 140
• ELS Language Centers with a pass of Level 112
• Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English with a pass
• Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English with a pass
• Cambridge International “O” Levels with a pass

English proficiency demonstration is waived for any applicant who has a previous degree at an accredited U.S. institution.

Based on the judgment of the Admissions Office, students who have taken English classes at U.S. institutions and passed those classes may have the English proficiency demonstration waived.

Note: All tests must be taken within two years of the semester for which you are applying.

Countries where English is an official or native language

You may request a waiver if you are from one of the countries listed below.

* English medium of instruction: Applicants must demonstrate that the medium of instruction for their entire secondary or postsecondary education was in English by providing an official letter from the school.

• Akrotiri
• Anguilla
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Australia
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Bermuda
• Botswana
• British Virgin Islands
• Cameroon (English medium of instruction)*
• Canada (English medium of instruction)*
• Cayman Islands
• Christmas Island
• Cook Islands
• Dhekelia
• Dominica
• England
• Falkland Islands
• Fiji
• Gambia
• Ghana
• Gibraltar
• Grenada
• Guam
• Guernsey
• Guyana
• Ireland and Northern Ireland
• Isle of Man
• Jamaica
• Jersey
• Kenya
• Kiribati
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Madagascar
• Malawi (English medium of instruction)*
• Malta
• Micronesia, Federated States of
• Montserrat
• Namibia
• New Zealand
• Nigeria
• Norfolk Islands
• Philippines
• Pitcairn Islands
• Puerto Rico (English medium of instruction)*
• Scotland
• Sierra Leone
• South Africa (English medium of instruction)*
• St. Christopher-Nevis
• St. Helena
• St. Kitts  
• St. Lucia
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines
• Swaziland
• Tanzania
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• Uganda
• Virgin Islands
• Wales  
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe 

Graduate admission: If you are seeking a graduate degree (master’s or doctoral) from University of Idaho, visit U of I Graduate Admissions to learn more about degree programs, specific academic and language requirements and application procedures.

If you wish to apply as a graduate student, you must possess the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree, with a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale.

You must meet criteria set by U of I Graduate Admissions, as well as individual academic departments.

Additional international graduate requirements apply.

Graduate:

• The following are acceptable as proof of English Language Proficiency for graduate students if English is not your primary language:
• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) with a minimum overall score of 79  
• Completion of U of I American Language and Culture Program (ALCP) with a score of a Level 6/Advanced Pass
• Duolingo English Test with a minimum overall score 115
• IELTS (International English Language Testing System) with a minimum overall score of 6.5
• Pearson (PTE) Academic with a minimum overall score of 58
• Completion of a bachelor’s degree, or higher, at an accredited U.S. institution

Note: All tests must be taken within two years of the semester for which you are applying. Some graduate programs have a higher requirement – review your program specific requirements in Degree Finder.

Select graduate programs may grant admission to applicants who qualify academically but have not yet achieved University of Idaho’s minimum English language requirements.

These students enroll in U of I’s American Language and Culture Program (ALCP) to achieve the minimum language requirement and achieve the academic department’s English language requirement prior to being granted full admission and commencing their degree program. If the required proficiency is not met within two years, students must reapply for admission with the Graduate Admissions Office and request an extension.

Note: Our graduate programs are highly competitive and may not be able to accept conditional students each term.

Graduate programs that accept admission with pending English proficiency

• Biological engineering
• Chemical engineering
• Computer engineering
• Computer science
• Curriculum and instruction
• Cybersecurity
• Electrical engineering
• Entomology
• Environmental science
• Geography
• Kinesiology
• Landscape architecture
• Master Natural Resources (M.N.R.)
• Natural resources (M.S., Ph.D.)
• Physical education
• Physics
• Plant pathology
• Plant science
• Secondary education
• Soil and land resources
• Teaching English to speakers of other languages
• Theatre arts
• Water resources

The following are acceptable as proof of English Language Proficiency:

• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): minimum overall score of 79  
• IELTS (International English Language Testing System): minimum overall score of 6.5
• Duolingo English Test: minimum overall score 115
• PTE Academic: minimum overall score of 58
• U of I American Language & Culture Program (ALCP) with score of a Level 6/Advanced Pass
• U.S. Education Earned Bachelor, or higher, degree at accredited U.S. institution

A waiver for the English proficiency requirement is automatically granted to applicants whose education is from countries where English is an official/native language.  

Note:

• All tests must have been taken within two years of the semester for which you are applying.
• Some graduate programs have a higher requirement.

Countries where English is an official/native language

*English medium of instruction: Applicants must demonstrate that the medium of instruction for their degree program was English by providing an official letter from the university Registrar's office or the academic department. 

• Akrotiri
• Anguilla
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Australia
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Bermuda
• Botswana
• British Virgin Islands
• Cameroon (English medium of instruction)*
• Canada (English medium of instruction)*
• Cayman Islands
• Christmas Island
• Cook Islands
• Dhekelia
• Dominica
• Falkland Islands
• Fiji
• Ghana
• Gibraltar
• Grenada
• Guam
• Guernsey
• Guyana
• Ireland
• Isle of Man
• Jamaica
• Jersey
• Kenya
• Kiribati
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Madagascar
• Malawi (English medium of instruction)*
• Malta
• Micronesia, Federated States of
• Montserrat
• Namibia
• New Zealand
• Nigeria
• Norfolk Islands
• Philippines
• Pitcairn Islands
• Puerto Rico (English medium of instruction)*
• Sierra Leone
• South Africa (English medium of instruction)*
• St. Helena
• St. Kitts & Nevis
• St. Lucia
• St. Vincent & the Grenadines
• Swaziland
• Tanzania
• The Gambia
• Trinidad & Tobago
• Turks & Caicos Islands
• Uganda
• United Kingdom
• Virgin Islands
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

Priority application dates

University of Idaho has rolling admission, meaning there is not a hard deadline for receiving an application and required materials. However, as an international student, we recommend you apply at least three months before your intended start date to accommodate additional steps. You must submit the documents required by your I-20 Form, or be issued an I-20, before you’re allowed to register for classes and apply for your U.S. student visa. Additional time must be considered for travel arrangements and orientations. 

Important information

Application deadlines vary by program. Some programs have earlier deadlines than those listed below. You can find a program’s deadlines on its degree page.

Students seeking admission to graduate programs must submit all international application materials. Some programs require submission of additional documents. Contact the department to which you are applying to determine if there are additional requirements.

Priority submission dates

Applications submitted before this date will receive full consideration for admission, financial support or assistantships.

• Fall semester (August to December): Jan. 15
• Spring semester (January to May): Sept. 1
• Summer session (Begins mid-May): Jan. 15

Applications from U.S. students submitted after the first consideration deadline will still be received if the academic department has available placement.