International First Years

International First Years Admission Requirements

To enroll as a first year student, you must have completed secondary school or high school. Your education must be equivalent to United States secondary school or high school education.  

  • You must have a cumulative (overall) grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.5 when converted to the U.S. 4.0 grading scale.

  • Review the Minimum Academic Requirements by Country for detailed information about what documentation PSU will accept.

Steps to Apply

Submit Your Application and $60 Application Fee

Go to Portland State University's online application system and select Create Account. If you have already started an application, or created one for a past term, select Log In.

Submit Academic Records

You are required to submit complete academic records. We accept high school transcripts, grades and other relevant academic records along with your graduation certificate, diploma or exam results or certificates. If you have taken any college or university classes, submit transcripts from all colleges or universities attended. You can submit unofficial transcripts from non-U.S. institutions for review of your application and to receive an admission decision. Official transcripts are required for enrollment, see our official records policy for details.

Electronic Submission: Transcripts may be submitted via Parchment or sent directly from a school official to intladm@pdx.edu.

In Person Submission: You can bring these directly to our office upon arrival to Portland State.

Mail Submission: Submit official transcripts in their original sealed envelopes from all schools attended and mail them to PSU at the address below.

Portland State University
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
PO Box 751
Portland OR 97207-0751

Submit Evidence of English Language Proficiency

Request official test results to be sent directly to Portland State University by ETS (TOEFL), PTE, or IELTS. Review PSU’s English Language Proficiency Requirements for more details.

  • TOEFL Code: 4610, department code 00

  • SAT Code: 4610

Check Your Application Status

If you have submitted an application to Portland State University, you can log in to PSU's application portal to review the status of your application. You will be notified via email for each document you submit and your admission decision.

If you are not receiving email communications from Portland State University, be sure to check your @pdx.edu email account. Once you set up your student account all communications will be sent to that email address. If you are not receiving information from us in any email inboxes, please contact us at admissions@pdx.edu.

Once you complete the steps above your application will be reviewed for admission

Submit Documents to Obtain Your Student Visa

Most international students who wish to study full-time in the United States must apply for either an F-1 or J-1 (Student) visa through a U.S. Consulate. If you are currently in the U.S. and studying on an F1 or J1 visa you will transfer your SEVIS record from your current U.S. school to Portland State University. This documentation is not required to make an admission decision. However, if you submit financial documentation with your other application materials it will greatly reduce the processing time of your application and I-20 issuance.