Incoming Transfer Requirements

Apply online through Undergraduate Admissions.

See International Coursework section of the Official Transcripts and Supporting Documents webpage for guidance related to international secondary (high school) and postsecondary (college/university) academic records such as transcripts and diplomas.

Email IntlAdmissions@niu.edu with questions, including if you applied prior to January 12, 2026 and have or are providing international records directly to NIU.

NOTE: If you are attending a U.S. university or community college, your official U.S. transcript(s) must be sent directly to NIU from your U.S. school through either the school’s transcript service (Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse, etc.) or through postal mail.

NOTE: Only required if you have less than one year of international coursework at your university or less than 24 credit hours at a U.S. university/community college.

See International Coursework section of the Official Transcripts and Supporting Documents webpage for guidance related to international secondary (high school) and postsecondary (college/university) academic records such as transcripts and diplomas.

Email IntlAdmissions@niu.edu with questions, including if you applied prior to January 12, 2026 and have or are providing international records directly to NIU.

Students enrolling at NIU must first prove they can communicate in English at a university level.

Any one of the following will be considered as adequate proof of English proficiency:

• Attended a U.S. high school for more than two years by the time you graduate
• Official TOEFL or IELTS score report:
  • Internet-based TOEFL: minimum score of 71 (NIU’s TOEFL code: 1559)
    • Test taken after January 21, 2026: minimum overall score of 4
  • IELTS: Minimum required overall band score of 6.0
• PTE Academic English: minimum overall score of 48
• Duolingo English Test: Minimum overall score of 105
• IGCSE, GCSE or GCE O-level or A-level English test subject (minimum passing grade of C)
• International Baccalaureate (IB): Score of 4 or higher on English A Standard Level exam
• Completion of ELS level 112 for Academic Purpose offered by ELS Language Centers
• High school diploma from Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and The Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales)
  • Students will need to submit official school records
• Official transcripts from an accredited U.S. university/college
  • Students will need to submit transcripts showing they have passed two university-level English composition (or equivalent) courses