International Students

Fall 2024
The fall 2024 Priority Application Deadline is May 1.
The fall 2024 Application Deadline is June 15.

Application Requirements

A complete first-year international application consists of the items listed below. Applications cannot be reviewed until all of these items are received. We require official copies of the documents below for all students who have completed secondary education.

Application for Admission

Submit the online application.

Application Fee

Submit your one-time $50 non-refundable application fee. We do not waive the application fee for international students. The fee can be paid online with a credit card at the time you apply or paid online at a later date. Please note that your application will not be complete until the fee is paid.

High/Secondary School Record(s)

Students who have finished high school must submit and official high school transcript via the Application Status Portal.

• (Unofficial transcripts are sufficient for currently enrolled students who have not graduated.)

Secondary Leaving Certificate

Students must provide appropriate official documentation of their completion of secondary education. For many students, this is done by providing the results of a national graduation exam (eg, WAEC). For others, it is a diploma or other certificate. Please contact the Admissions Office for details about what is required.

Proof of English Proficiency

With exceptions as noted below, all international students must provide evidence of their proficiency in English. We will accept official copies of the following tests and scores to document that ability

• TOEFL: Minimum iBT score of 80
• IELTS: Minimum Academic Test score of 6.5
• Duolingo: Minimum English Proficiency score of 105
• Cambridge: Minimum (CAE) C1 score of 180
• Pearson: Minimum (PTE Academic) score of 55
   

Applicants who are otherwise admissible but not yet fully proficient may be conditionally admitted to UMD through its ELCI program. Successful completion of the ELCI Intensive English Program curriculum provides a direct exemption from UMD's English proficiency requirements.

• TOEFL: Score of 79 or lower
• IELTS: Score of 6.0 or lower
• Duolingo: Score of 100 or lower
• Cambridge: Score of 179 or lower
• Pearson: Score of 54 or lower
   

In addition, the university will consider the following for meeting English proficiency:

• AP English, A-level English, or IB English
• ACT (21 subscores in English and Reading)
• SAT (540 Reading & Writing)
• U.S. college/university transfer coursework of 26 or more credits
• Exemption by country
• Attended at least one full year at a U.S. high school

Please note: Test scores are considered official if sent to UMD directly from the testing agency (College Board, ACT, etc.)

• TOEFL: UMD test code is 6873
• ACT: UMD test code is 2157
• SAT: UMD test code is 6873
   

We prefer all documents be sent electronically to [email protected], but they are accepted via postal mail to:

UMD International Admissions Processing
184 Darland Admin Bldg.
1049 University Drive
Duluth, MN 55812

Transfer international students include:

• Transfer international applicants from universities outside the United States
• Transfer international applicants from U.S. colleges and universities

Application Requirements

A complete transfer international application consists of the items listed below. Applications cannot be reviewed until all of these items are received. 

We require Official Copies of the below documents for all students who have completed secondary education. 

Application for Admission

Submit the online application.

Application Fee

Submit your one-time $50 non-refundable application fee. We do not waive the application fee for international students. The fee can be paid online with a credit card at the time you apply, or paid online at a later date. Please note that your application will not be complete until the fee is paid.

Official College or University Transcripts

• Non-U.S. colleges or universities: All academic records from colleges/universities outside the U.S must be originals/official copies and must be translated into English. UMD accepts credential evaluations completed by providers affiliated with the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
  • We recommend the following credential evaluation providers:
    • ECE (Education Credential Evaluators)
    • WES (World Education Services).
  • Always request a course-by-course evaluation be sent to: [email protected]. It is best to request evaluation after all your grades are final.
• U.S. colleges or universities: official transcripts from U.S. colleges or universities must be sent directly to the Office of Admissions by each college or university.

High/Secondary School Records

Original or certified copies of ALL secondary (high school) records must be issued by the school in a sealed envelope and mailed or electronically submitted to the university.

Secondary Leaving Certificate

Students must provide appropriate official documentation of their completion of secondary education. For many students, this is done by providing the results of a national graduation exam (eg, WAEC). For others, it is a diploma or other certificate. Please contact the Admissions Office for details about what is required.

Proof of English Proficiency

English proficiency requirements for Transfer International Students are the same as for First-Year International Students. Please refer to the above expanding box for those details.

We prefer all documents be sent electronically to [email protected], but they are accepted via postal mail to:

UMD International Admissions Processing
184 Darland Admin Bldg.
1049 University Drive
Duluth, MN 55812

Applicants from the following countries whose first language is English are exempt from the English language test requirement:

• Anguilla
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Australia
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Bermuda
• The British Virgin Islands
• Canada (except Quebec)
• Cayman Islands
• Dominica
• England
• Federated States of Micronesia
• Ghana
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Ireland
• Jamaica
• Kenya
• Monserrat
• New Zealand
• Nigeria
• Northern Ireland
• Palau
• Scotland
• Seychelles
• Shetland Islands
• St. Kitts-Nevis
• St. Lucia
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines
• Singapore
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• Wales
• U.S. Territories including American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands

Here are the primary factors we take into consideration when making admission decisions for international applicants:

• Coursework through high/secondary school graduation
• Grades (and grade point average if calculated by school)
• Standardized test scores (TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, ACT, SAT, etc.)
• College/university coursework (transfer applicants)

Additional secondary factors that we take into consideration:

• Contribution to diversity
• Evidence of having overcome barriers to educational achievement
• Exceptional talent
• First-generation college student
• Personal statement and letters of recommendation
• Significant responsibility in a family, community, job, or activity
• Specific high/secondary school courses, grade trends, and rigor of academic curriculum

The following steps will assist you with your transition to the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD).

I-20

The I-20 form is an important part of the student visa application process. Admitted international students must submit the following documents within the Application Portal before the university will issue an I-20. 

• Photocopy of passport
• Financial Certification Statement
  • The Office of Admissions may require evidence of supporting funds.

Our colleagues in International Student Services have also provided THIS PAGE of information and advice about visa processes.

Confirm

Admitted international students must accept their offer of admission and pay the non-refundable confirmation fee. To complete this step, log into the Application Portal and complete the Decision Reply Form to initiate your confirmation process.

Orientation, Advisement & Registration

Admitted international students are expected to attend International Student Orientation which is usually held prior to Welcome Week. (the third week of August for fall semester and the second week of January for spring semester). 

International student Advising and Registration is usually done before students arrive. Please be sure you have confirmed your offer of admission and have signed up for international student orientation within the Application Portal. Your academic advisor will register you for classes that will satisfy your degree requirements.

For questions about OAR, you can contact the Bulldog Resource Center at 218-726-6393 or [email protected].

Housing

For students who choose to live on campus, apply for university housing. If you will start in January, the housing application is available in October. For those who will start in August, the application is available in February.

View housing options

Go to our Housing & Residence Life site to explore the different housing options available to you as a student at UMD. The first dropdown on the top of the site will take you to our housing options. You can also take a brief video tour (YouTube) of our housing facilities with a student tour guide.

Health insurance

UMD requires and will provide health insurance coverage. You are encouraged to have and travel to the United States with your own health insurance coverage until university coverage starts.

Official transcripts:

Students who have not submitted official transcripts must do so once they are available. Official transcripts are those received by UMD directly from the issuing source.

• Official paper documents are those received by UMD in sealed, unopened envelopes from the school, college, university, or department of education.
• Official electronic documents are those received directly by UMD from a verified high school/secondary official, college official, or marked as official via an approved transcript vendor (e.g., National Student Clearinghouse, Parchment, eSCRIP-SAFE, and Scoir).
• All documents not issued in English must be in the original language and include an accurate, true (word-for-word) English translation.
• Applicants may deliver paper documents in person, but the documents must be in a sealed, unopened envelope from the issuing source or be able to be verified (issuing source, 3rd party, etc.).
• Applicants are required to submit proof of high school/secondary graduation, a graduation certificate, leaving exam results, or equivalent prior to the first day of classes.

We prefer all documents be sent electronically to [email protected], but they are accepted via postal mail to:

UMD International Admissions Processing
184 Darland Admin Bldg.
1049 University Drive
Duluth, MN 55812

Official Test Scores

With exceptions noted above, all international applicants must provide documentation of their proficiency in English. See the First-Year International Students section for what constitutes a passing score. 

Students should contact the testing service and ask that their scores be sent directly to the University of Minnesota Duluth. Scores provided by an applicant are not considered official and will not be accepted.