Admission Requirements

Options for Admission

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

Undergraduate Admission: If you are seeking bachelor’s from the University of Idaho, apply for undergraduate admission.
Graduate Admission: If you are seeking a graduate degree (master’s or doctorate) from the University of Idaho, please visit the Office of Graduate Admissions to learn more about degree programs, academic and language requirements (determined by each individual department) and application procedures.
Exchange Student Admission: Exchange students visit the University of Idaho as full-time students for a period of usually one or two semesters on an exchange agreement between the University of Idaho and their home institution or with an exchange organization.

Academic Requirements

Undergraduate Academic Requirements

First Year Student: A 2.5 on a 4.0 Grade Point Average scale is required from your secondary school. You must meet criteria for admission to university-level study in your home country.

Accepted Credit

International Baccalaureate Credit
General Certificate of Education
Global Assessment Certificate
AP and CLEP Credit

Transfer Student: If you have completed at least 14 transferable semester credits, you will need 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 meet the first-year student requirements in addition to the transfer student requirements.

Graduate Academic Requirements

Graduate school applicants must possess the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree, with a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

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

Language Requirements

Undergraduate

The following are acceptable as proof of English competency for students for whom English is not their primary language. The substitutions are considered to be equivalent to a TOEFL score of 70 and are available only 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 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 minimum score of 550
Completion from Lewis-Clark State College Institute of Intensive English Bridge Program
Spokane College of English Language (SCEL), 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
A waiver for this requirement is automatically granted to students from countries where English is the native language and/or the official language for academic instruction. English proficiency tests are not required if the applicant's native country is one of the following:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Botswana
- Canada
- Dominica
- England
- Fiji
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Grand Cayman Islands
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Ireland and Northern Ireland
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Malawi
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- Scotland
- Sierra Leone
- St Christopher-Nevis
- St Kitt
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and Grenadines
- Swaziland
- Tanzania
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Uganda
- Virgin Islands
- Wales
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe

Graduate

The following are acceptable as proof of English competency for graduate students:

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
MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery): Minimum overall score of 77
U of I American Language and Culture Program (ALCP) with score of a Level 6/Advanced Pass
U.S. Education Earned Bachelor, or higher, degree at accredited U.S. institution
See more about English Proficiency for graduate admission.

Important Deadlines

Undergraduate Students

Priority Application Dates

University of Idaho has “rolling admission.” This means that there is not a hard deadline for receiving an application and required materials.

However, international students face additional steps and need to allow for submitting required documents for review for your I-20 Form, being issued an I-20, registering for classes, applying for your U.S. student visa, making travel arrangements, etc.

In light of this, please submit a complete application no later than three months prior to the beginning of your desired start term. This will give you time to work through your steps and feel prepared for your arrival to University of Idaho.

Graduate Students

Important Dates

Application deadlines for each academic program can be found on the application information page. Some programs have deadlines earlier than those listed below or have a rolling admission process, which always takes precedence.

Recommended Submission Dates

Applications submitted before this date will receive full consideration of financial support or assistantships.

Fall semester (August to December) - Feb. 1
Spring semester (January to May) - Sept. 1
Summer session (Begins mid May) - Feb. 1

General Application Deadlines

Domestic Students

To ensure applications are reviewed in time, submit no later than the dates listed below. Some programs may accept applications closer to the start of the semester. If unsure, please contact the Graduate Admissions Office for confirmation.