International student admission requirements.
Recommended application deadlines
Fall semester |
January 31 |
Spring semester |
November 15 |
Requirements
Secondary school
Applicants must complete at least 12 years of elementary through secondary school culminating in an appropriate secondary certificate or external examination. Grades must be distinctly above average. In some countries, we may consider the first year or two of university to be secondary level.
Applicants graduating from accredited high schools outside the United States of America (USA) must have a minimum grade point average of 2.70 (on a 4.00 scale). Your schooling should reflect adequate preparation in humanities, mathematics, basic sciences, and social sciences.
College or university transfer
Applicants will be considered for transfer admission on the basis of work completed at the time the application is submitted. Transfer applicants are those who have completed the equivalent of a "B" average in no less than one full year of study at a recognized or accredited post-secondary institution located outside of the USA . Applicants with transferable work from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university and have a qualifying GPA may be considered for admission.
Please Note: Many academic departments have additional certification requirements over and above general university admission standards.
English proficiency
You must take an English language proficiency examination to demonstrate a basic proficiency in the English language, or qualify to waive testing. The minimum acceptable TOEFL score is 520 (paper test) or 68 (electronic test). The IELTS minimum score is 5.5. Other examinations and waivers are possible. Please see the current International Student Application at apply.wsu.edu for up-to-date information.
If you qualify academically but fail to meet the minimum English proficiency requirement, you may wish to contact WSU's Intensive American Language Center (IALC) at 509-335-6675 or write to:
IALC
Washington State University
McAllister
Hall, Room 116
PO Box 643751
Pullman, WA 99164-3251
If you complete level 5 of the IALC program with a "B" average and meet all other eligibility requirements, you will be considered for admission.
Common exemptions
- The English language proficiency (ELP) requirement will be waived if you have attended a U.S. high school for at least 3 years or if you have earned at least 53 semester (80 quarter) hours of transferable credits at the time of enrollment with grades averaging 2.50 (or above) from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university.
- The ELP requirement will be waived if you have the equivalent of WSU's English 101 and 102 with a "B" grade minimum and 27 semester (40 quarter) transferable credits at the time of application.
- Applicants from the following countries are exempt from the English proficiency requirement: Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, British Guyana, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Jamaica, Liberia, New Zealand, Trinidad, Tobago, and Zambia.
Finances
You must submit the Certificate of Financial Responsibility in order to demonstrate that you have adequate financial resources to meet your educational expenses. Please read the instructions on the verification form carefully.