International Students
International applicants are individuals who are a citizen or permanent resident of
a country outside the United States. Chicago State University is authorized under
federal law to sponsor nonimmigrant alien students studying on an F-1 visa. To be
granted admissions to Chicago State University, applicants are required to submit
academic documentation and proof of financial support before being considered for
admission. To complete an application and before an I-20 can be issued, international
applicants must complete the steps listed below by category.
Freshmen Applicants
Prospective freshman undergraduate international students must submit an application via the common app at (www.commonapp.org) and submit a downloadable international application packet. Applicants who are currently in high school or have earned a high school diploma and never attended college must submit the following requirements to complete the admission application:
To demonstrate financial support for the duration of the time required to reach planned
academic objectives, applicants must submit the following:
• Certification of sponsorship along with documentation in support of the sponsorship
such as; an official letter from the bank or a bank account statement
Transfer Applicants
Prospective transfer undergraduate international students must submit a downloadable international application packet. A transfer applicant is an individual who has earned an Associate degree or have more than 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours of earned college level coursework from an accredited U.S. college or university. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale and submit the following requirements to complete the admission application:
To demonstrate financial support for the duration of the time required to reach planned academic objectives, applicants must submit the following:
NOTE: Additional documents may be required to complete the admissions application or before an I-20 can be issued. Transfer applicants that do not meet the minimum of 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours of earned college-level oursework from an accredited U.S. college or university will be processed as a Transfer Freshman and must comply with those requirements.
For questions, contact the Office of Admissions at 773.995.2513 or via email at:ug-admissions@csu.edu
English Language Proficiency Policy for International Applicants:
International applicants whose native language is not English must present evidence of proficiency in oral and written English by obtaining a satisfactory score on the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and secure the minimum score of:
Exam | Paper Based | Computer Based | Internet |
TOEFL | 525 | 195 | 69 |
Exam | Academic |
IELTS | 7 |
International applicants that meet and can provide evidence of one of the factors
below will not be subject to TOEFL or IELTS requirement.
• The applicant completed secondary education in a country where English is the
official language; OR
• The applicants completed secondary education at an institution where English
was the medium of instruction; OR
• The applicant has completed a minimum of completed
• 24 semester credit hours or 36 quarter hours of earned credit from an accredited
U.S. college or university
For more information on TOEFL and IELTS, please visit:
Very Important to Note:
In order to ensure there is sufficient time to process the application and student
visa, the application must be completed and all required documents submitted by the
priority deadline. To confirm what is required to complete the application reference
the student checklist included in the admissions application packet.
Desired Term | Priority Deadline |
Fall | April 1st |
Spring | October 15th |