INTERNATIONAL UNDERGRADUATES
You’re an international freshman if:
1) You’re a non-U.S. citizen or non-U.S. permanent resident, AND 2) You’ve completed or are completing high school/secondary school, AND 3) You’ve never attended college.
You’re an international transfer if:
1) You’re a non-U.S. citizen or non-U.S. permanent resident, AND 2) You’ve graduated from high school/secondary school or received a school-leaving certificate, AND 3) You are currently taking or have taken college/university-level courses.
Admission Standards
Each application is considered on an individual basis. The factors considered include but are not limited to an evaluation of the following items:
Academic Achievement
Strong candidates for freshman admission
Equivalent 3.25 GPA on the U.S. 4.0 scale with demonstrated academic rigor and positive trends in grades. Please refer to Country Educational Equivalency Guide for specific information on international admission standards.
China
Required Credentials:High School Transcripts and Graduation Certificate
Freshman/First Year Admission Standards :85% on 5 pointscale where 90-100%=A
Completed courses in language/communications, mathematics, social science, natural science, and liberal and fine arts.
Freshman applicants from vocational/technical secondary schools not meeting course work requirements may not be strong candidates for admission.
Strong candidates for transfer admission
Equivalent 2.5 GPA on the U.S. 4.0 scale through completion of the equivalent of one year or 30 credits of academic course work in a range of subjects including communications, mathematics, social science, natural science, and liberal and fine arts.
Course work for academic rigor and trends in academic performance.
Applicants who have attended a post-secondary institution in the United States also must satisfy the admission requirement in mathematics.
Transfer applicants from vocational/technical colleges not meeting course work requirements may not be strong candidates for admission.
Applicants may be considered with a cumulative GPA below the published levels if they demonstrate consistent success in a rigorous curriculum and have special talents and/or a history of overcoming obstacles.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
Undergraduate direct and conditional admission requirements
Strong English language skills are important to academic success at CSU. To support student success, we require all students whose first language is not English to demonstrate a high level of English proficiency regardless of their citizenship. Applicants from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom whose first language is English are exempt from this requirement.
TOEFL, PTE Academic or IELTS Academic results are the preferred indicators of English proficiency. For applicants seeking direct admission, the requirements are as follows:
TOEFL IBT/PBT:79/550
PTE Academic:53
IELTS Academic:6.5
Alternative measures of English proficiency
Successful completion of the INTO CSU Academic English Program (conditional admission may be offered to AEP students studying at the advanced level).
SAT Critical Reading score of 500 or higher.
ACT English/Reading score of 21 or higher.
A grade of 5 or better in the International Baccalaureate (IB) HL English course
An IGCSE or A-level result of C or better on the English/First Language exam. Test results must be official and not predicted to be considered for direct admission.
Completion of a U.S. diploma and/or two or more years of secondary transcripts reflecting the progress towards the U.S. diploma from a regionally accredited organization as defined by the U.S. Department of Education.
Completion of at least two semesters of U.S. post-secondary/university course work in English, including college composition and speech with grades of C or better. Courses must have been taken at a regionally-accredited college/university to be considered for clear admission.
Gaokao/NCEE English score of 105 or higher AND an online interview with an international admissions counselor.
TOEFL/PTE Academic/IELTS exemptions not listed above may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Preparation for the Preferred Major
Our primary goal is to admit applicants to CSU who are academically qualified for general University success; however, admission to some competitive majors may require stronger academic achievement and/or additional prerequisite course work.
Students who do not meet direct entry requirements for these more competitive majors may be offered admission to a related but alternative advising track.
Freshman applicants to Business, Engineering, Computer Science, and Biomedical Sciences must submit official SAT or ACT scores in order to qualify for direct admission.
Additional Factors
Additional academic information including support documents, standardized tests (ACT/SAT) or university-level mathematics proficiency may be required. You’ll be notified if additional information is necessary.
Other factors taken into consideration may include your involvement in leadership, family and community activities, and your ability to contribute to the campus community.
