1
Submit Online Application
Be sure to write down the email that you use for your application as well as your password. You can submit the application before you have provided your test scores and documents.
COVID-19 Impact: View Updates about International Admissions applications processing.
Undergraduate First-Year Admission
Before starting the application, be sure to have a copy of your transcript(s) (see documentation requirements below), all of your test score results, and a credit card if you plan to pay the application fee upon submission.
Application Deadlines
| Term | Scholarship Consideration | Preferred Deadline | Final Deadline |
| Fall (August) | January 15 | March 15 | May 15 |
| Spring (January) | September 15 | September 15 | October 15 |
| Summer (June) | N/A | January 15 | March 15 |
How to Apply
2
Pay Application Fee
After you submit your application, you will pay a non-refundable $75 application fee by credit card. You can provide a fee waiver code, or request a fee waiver, before submitting your application.
1
Submit Secondary School Transcripts
You must provide complete transcripts from all high schools you have attended – even if you did not graduate from the school.
Translations Required
If your transcript was issued in a language other than English, you must also provide a certified English translation of the transcript. CU Denver does not have a preferred translation provider; we recommend that you use an ATA member company.
External Evaluations
You do NOT need to provide an external evaluation of your transcript. International Admissions will evaluate your transcript during the application process. You only need to provide a translation.
Where to Submit Documents
Electronically: This is the preferred method of transcript submission. If sent via electronic delivery services, academic records should be sent through Parchment, Naviance, eScrip-Safe or SPEEDE/National Student Clearing House.
Mail:
| Regular Mail | Courier Service (DHL, FedEx, etc.) |
| University of Colorado Denver International Admissions Campus Box 141 PO Box 173364 Denver, CO 80217-3364, USA |
University of Colorado Denver International Admissions 1201 Larimer Street, Suite 1119 Denver, CO 80204, USA |
Important Information
Unofficial and Official transcripts are required depending on the location of the school you attended. Please refer to the table below:
| INSIDE the US | OUTSIDE the US |
| OFFICIAL Transcripts | OFFICIAL or UNOFFICIAL transcripts; however, we require OFFICIAL transcripts before the end of your first semester. |
If your high school education was completed outside of the United States, you will be required to submit documentation specific to your country. Please search the page below for more information:
2
Submit Test Scores
SAT or ACT scores are required only if you will graduate from a high school inside the US. Send your score to us using the codes below (scores reported on official high school transcripts are considered official test scores).
| ACT code | SAT code |
0533 | 4875 |
Important Information
You must provide proof of English language proficiency (ELP) in order to be considered for full admission. Undergraduate applicants (except Nursing) will be considered for conditional admission if they apply without adequate proof of ELP.
International Admissions will update the English language proficiency policy, effective for admission in the Spring 2021 term and forward.
You may meet the ELP requirement if you meet any of the options listed below. You are required to submit documentation to prove your proficiency.
1
Citizenship Exemption
International applicants holding citizenship from the following countries do not need to prove their English language proficiency for admission to CU Denver.
| Fall 2020 | Spring 2021 |
| Australia | Antigua & Barbuda |
| Canada (except Quebec) | Australia |
| Commonwealth Caribbean | Barbados |
| Ghana | Belize |
| Ireland | Canada |
| Kenya | Dominica |
| New Zealand | Granada |
| Singapore | Guyana |
| South Africa | Ireland |
| Zimbabwe | Jamaica |
| United Kingdom | New Zealand |
| Saint Kitts & Nevis | |
| Saint Lucia | |
| Saint Vincent & the Grenadines | |
| Trinidad & Tobago | |
| United Kingdom |
The Spring 2021 list is based on the United Kingdom government’s list of countries exempt from proving English ability when applying for a UK student visa.
2
Coursework Completion
International applicants may meet the English language proficiency requirement through previous coursework completed.
| Fall 2020 | Spring 2021 |
| Graduate from high school in the US, with 1+ year of college-prep English coursework | Graduate from high school in the US, with 1+ year of college-prep English coursework |
| Graduate from a US-accredited high school outside of the US | Graduate from a US-accredited high school outside of the US |
| Earn a high school credential (comparable to a high school diploma) at an exempt-country-accredited school located in a non-exempt country (see "Citizenship Exemption" above) |
3
CU Denver ESL Academy (Level 5) Graduation
International applicants may meet the English language proficiency requirement for any program of study at CU Denver by successfully completing every class in level 5 at CU Denver’s ESL Academy.
4
English Language Proficiency Tests
Minimum Score Requirements
Note: The university minimum scores listed below apply to all undergraduate programs, with the exception of programs in the College of Nursing.
| TOEFL iBT | IELTS ACADEMIC | PTE ACADEMIC | ||||
| Application Term | Fall 2020 |
Spring 2021 |
Fall 2020 |
Spring 2021 |
Fall 2020 |
Spring 2021 |
| Overall Score | 75 | 79 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 51 | 58 |
| Reading | 15 | 18 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 44 | 42 |
| Listening | 15 | 17 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 44 | 42 |
| Speaking | 18 | 20 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 49 | 42 |
| Writing | 17 | 17 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 47 | 42 |
| DUOLINGO ENGLISH TEST | 160-point scale (test dates after July 15, 2019) |
100-point scale (test dates before July 15, 2019) |
| Total Score | 105 | 48 |
CU Denver will fully implement the Duolingo English Test for the Fall 2021 admission cycle. In Fall 2020 and Spring 2021, we are piloting the test for undergraduate admission (except for College of Nursing programs). The Duolingo English Test does not report sub-scores. International Admissions reserves the right to update our minimum requirements in the event that Duolingo starts reporting sub-scores.
How to Submit Your Scores
Use the information below to submit your scores electronically:
| TOEFL | IELTS, PTE, and Duolingo |
4875 |
Search "University of Colorado Denver" |
5
Additional Tests
Additional tests to meet ELP requirements will be accepted for Spring 2021 moving forward. International Admissions must receive the official score report.
| Test | Required Minimum Subscore |
|
ACT |
18 |
| SAT - Evidence-Based Reading and Writing |
480 |
| Advanced Placement (AP) - English Literature and Composition |
3 |
| International Baccalaureate (IB) - English A Literature (HL or SL) - English A Language and Literature (HL or SL) |
4 |
| General Certificate of Education (GCE) A-Level - English Literature - English Language |
E |
| General Certificate of Education (GCE) AS-Level - English Language |
E |
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LynxDirect Pathway Program
If you do not meet any of the English Language Proficiency requirements above, you may be considered for admission to the LynxDirect Pathway program through the CU Denver ESL Academy. To be considered for admission to this program you must meet the following score requirements on your ELP tests:
| TOEFL iBT | IELTS | |
| Comprehensive/Overall Band Score | 70 | 6.0 |
Depending on the major you are applying to, you may have additional requirements.
Some majors have a two-step admission process: after being admitted to CU Denver, you must also complete additional requirements for the major of our choice. If you are applying for one of the following programs, please review their additional requirements: