group of international students posing with their country flag outside on white porch

International Student Admission

Be Part of a Brilliant Tradition

Loras College is situated high atop the bluffs of the iconic Mississippi River, overlooking downtown Dubuque, Iowa—a safe, vibrant city of 67,000 people and only three hours from metropolitan cities such as Chicago, Madison, Milwaukee, and Des Moines.

Undergraduate Degree Students

A limited number of students are accepted to Loras College each semester. To apply for undergraduate admission, please read and complete the following:

Frequently Asked Questions
Undergraduate Application

Review Admission Criteria

First-Year & Transfer Requirements

Apply as a first-year student if you have less than 12 hours of university credit completed. Apply as a transfer student if you have 12 or more hours of university credit completed.

  • High school students need a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for admittance.
  • Transfer students need a cumulative GPA of 2.5 is required for admittance.

Official Transcripts
  • Your high school transcripts need to be in English, including a description of the grading scale.
  •  Transcripts need to come from an official credential evaluation.
  • Transfer students must submit official academic credentials from high school and each university attended.
  • For additional assistance, please visit this webpage: https://myiee.org/university/loras-college 

Personal Statement

The personal statement is required and must be a maximum of two pages, double-spaced, answering the following questions:

  • Why do you want to attend Loras College
  • What are your personal and professional goals
  • How will your Loras College education support these goals

Your CommonApp writing sample does not replace your Loras personal statement.

Test Scores

Please arrange test scores to be sent from official testing organization. Loras will not accept submissions from students.

Non-native English speaking students must present TOEFL, IELTS or SAT scores:

  • English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
    • PBT (paper-based score) 550 or higher
    • CBT (computer-based score) 213 or higher
    • IBT (internet-based score) 79 or higher
    • Loras also accepts the Duolingo English Test (DET). A minimum passing score of 115 is required.
  • IELTS 6.5 or higher
  • Composite SAT test score of 980 or higher.

Financial Support

Financial support documentation indicates you have sufficient funds to cover the costs of attending Loras College. For a single academic year, please consider all finances which may include: books, personal needs, travel, I-20 fees, tuition, housing, and more.  We do accept electronic documentation for your Declaration of Finance form.

Required Documentation

  • Letter(s) of support from those who will be assisting your financial needs while at Loras. May be sent electronically.
  • Notarized bank statement dated within the past 30 days verifying the amount of funds available in English. May be sent electronically or postal from the financial institution.

Housing

Full-time, single students who are twenty-one-years-old and younger prior to the beginning of the academic year are required to live in college residence halls and participate in the meal plan. We do not provide family housing.

International Students in the US

Students currently residing in the US must submit the documentation listed above and a copy of your passport, visa, I-20, and any additional required documentation.

Documents Required

  • Declaration of Finances
  • High School transcripts in English, including a description of the grading scale
  • NACES approved credentials: myiee.org | incredevals.org | SpanTran
  • TOEFL or IELTS scores
    • Loras accepts the Duolingo English Test (DET). A minimum passing score of 115 is required.
  • Copy of valid passport
  • Personal statement essay of academic challenges and successes

Master’s Degree Students

Review Admission Criteria

Before applying, review the admission section on your respective program’s webpage to understand what materials are required for your application.

Master’s Degrees

Applied Analytics*
Applied Psychology*
Athletic Training
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Coaching Leadership*
School Counseling

Postbaccalaureate

Pre-MEdical/Health

*Fully online graduate programs need to be completed from your home country. Loras will not issue an I-20 to come to the US.

Foreign Credit Evaluation

You are required to submit an official foreign credit evaluation report. No exceptions will be given.

If you do not have—or are unable to obtain—an official foreign credit evaluation report, please do not start an application.

Financial Aid

Financial aid, grants, scholarships, or assistantships are unavailable for post-graduate international students,

Undergraduate FAQ

Thank you for your interest in Loras College. Please be sure to read ALL the bullet points below for responses to your questions.

Where do I go to submit the documents required for my application?

Please arrange test scores to be sent from official testing organization. Loras will not accept submissions from students. Transcripts must be sent through a NACES approved credential evaluator.

An email says my application is missing something. What do I do?

Please log into your Loras Student Portal and review your checklist.

If the item we are missing from your application is a final transcript, please contact your high school or university directly and request to submit an official transcript through one of our approved electronic services or by mail.

Unless there are extenuating circumstances, please arrange for us to receive it as soon as possible.

When and how will I be notified of my admission or financial aid decision?

Your admission decision letter and financial aid notification (if applicable) will be posted to your Loras application portal (Also referred to as the “applicant status page”). We post decisions no later than April 1 for regular decision applicants. All applicants will be able to see their decision letters and financial aid offers, if applicable, in the application portal exclusively; they will not receive letters via postal mail.

Does Loras offer full scholarships?

No, Loras does NOT provide full scholarships for any students, foreign or domestic. International students receive a scholarship of $30,000 annually. In addition, students must be responsible for at least $22,000 of their cost of attendance. Loras does not offer scholarships or financial aid to graduate (master’s degree) students.

Do I need to submit any additional requirements?

Other requirements: Students from a country that has a national leaving certificate after secondary school should have a minimum passing score in all subject areas and an overall average above passing.

Students from Africa, for example, are required to submit their National Exam Scores. The name of the exam changes depending on each country:

The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone: West African Examination Council (WAEC).

For applicants who’ve sat an exam from 1999 onwards, please send your qualifications through the WAEC Digital Certificate Platform. Go to the West African Examinations Council Digital Certificate website and follow the steps for sharing your documents with Loras College. Click on the Request for Confirmation button and share your documents with internationaladmission@loras.edu

Please include your Loras College reference number in the additional information field (if applicable).

Ethiopia: Ethiopian Higher Education Entrance Certificate Examination (EHEECE).

Kenya: Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).

Students from Bangladesh and Nepal, submit their Secondary School Certificate Examination.

For applicants looking to have their English proficiency test waived must show a certified letter from their high school stating that the classes were taken in English, as well as, a translated transcript. If not, an examination might be required.

What do I do when I am ready to attend Loras?

A deposit fee of $200 is required to secure your spot for enrollment at Loras College. This fee will go towards covering your housing and registration costs with $100 being applied to your first monthly payment. When you’re ready, please submit your deposit via our secure payment system.

What scholarships am I eligible to apply for?

Upon acceptance, you can log into your Loras Student Portal Page and see the available scholarships that you are eligible for. You can apply directly through your student portal page.

How will I know when my application to Loras is complete?

You will be granted access to an online application portal (i.e., applicant status page) where you are able to view the checklist of documents that you are required to submit. It will show you which documents have been processed into your file and which ones are still outstanding. You are highly encouraged to monitor the status of your checklist requirements regularly to ensure that all your documents arrive at our office as planned and by the application deadline. Your application file will be considered complete when there are no red “x’s” appearing next to any of the required fields.

If your questions do not fall into the above categories, we will respond to your message soon. Again, thank you for your interest in Loras College!

How do I know if I am a permanent resident when filling out my application?

You are a U.S. permanent resident if you have a lawful permanent resident status according to the immigration laws. This means you have a green card that shows your 9-digit Alien Registration Number. If you do not have this, you will not qualify as a permanent resident