Applicants wishing to be considered must submit all application components by November 30.

Once a complete application has been processed, a confirmation email will be sent to the applicant. Final admissions decisions will be released no later than March 31.

Accepted international students will be issued an I-20 after they have submitted the required $2,200 deposit and completed all required forms (e.g. passport bio page, medical history form).

All admitted international students receive financial aid and scholarships that cover 100% of tuition, housing, food, and fees. As part of their participation in the College’s Work Program, international students are encouraged to save money to contribute toward their personal expenses. The College does make summer jobs available to international students. Accepted international students are also expected to pay a $2,200 (US) deposit to confirm their enrollment. This deposit can be used by international students for certain expenses during their four years of enrollment. For students who are unable to pay all or a portion of the deposit, additional financial aid is available.

Students who have been offered admission to Berea will receive communication from the Office of Admissions with specific details on the payment deadline and instructions for submitting payment. The College does have some sources of financial aid to help cover this amount, depending upon the student’s family financial circumstances. The I-20 is not issued until the required payment has been received.

Applicants must meet university entrance requirements in their own country and present outstanding secondary or leaving exam results.  Applicants must also present scores from one of the following approved standardized tests:  TOEFL, IELTS, SAT, ACT or Duolingo. The minimum score required for each test is:

TOEFL:  520 (paper-based); 190 (computer-based); 68 (internet-based)

IELTS: 6 overall, 5 in each area

ACT: 19 Composite

SAT:  980 Combined Score

Duolingo: 95

Berea will almost never consider scores from a test taken more than two years ago.

All applicants must submit scores from either the TOEFL, IELTS, SAT, ACT, or Duolingo. There are no exceptions to this requirement.

Berea will almost never consider scores from a test taken more than two years ago.

Unfortunately, we are unable to admit students who have previously earned a bachelor’s degree and we do not offer any master’s programs. 

No. New international students may enroll only in the Fall Term of each year.

Yes, and many do. While you may only submit one application for each academic year, many students choose to apply for the next academic year if they are not admitted. Sometimes, taking an English proficiency exam again and improving the score gives an applicant a better chance.

Each year, we admit about 40 or less new international students. In a typical school year, there are about 120 international students enrolled (nearly 10% of the student body) from over 70 different countries around the world.

Berea College is located in the small town of Berea (population 14,000) which is located in central Kentucky about 40 miles south of the moderately sized city of Lexington (population 300,000). The terrain is hilly. Temperatures range from 60-90 degrees Fahrenheit during spring and summer and from 20-40 degrees Fahrenheit during the fall and winter. However, it can and does get hotter and colder, but usually not for extended periods of time.

Yes, many families in the Berea area participate in this program, providing international students a “family away from home” and an opportunity to get to know the American lifestyle better. It is, however, not a home-stay program and not a source of financial aid. All international students are encouraged, but not required, to participate.

No, international students must have mastered the English language sufficiently to understand and participate in class lectures and discussions, read required texts and other materials, and complete written and other assignments.

However, all enrolled international students will take an exam when they arrive on campus to determine if the student needs to take one ESL course. Even the most fluent speakers of English sometimes have a little difficulty at first getting accustomed to American speech (and particularly American speech in the South).

Because the Berea College Work Program is considered part of our educational and financial aid programs, international students are able to participate even without work permits. Each student is required to work at least ten hours per week. Most international students work 15 – 20 hours per week and earn over $2,000 during the school year. Students may also remain in Berea during holiday periods and the summer months. During these times, students may work a full 40 hours per week.

No, Berea College is not prepared to provide accommodations or financial support for families. Students should also be advised that their earnings in the Berea College Work Program are not sufficient for them to provide for both their own expenses while enrolled and support for their family at home.

No, Berea College offers only undergraduate work leading to a baccalaureate degree. Students who have already earned a baccalaureate degree are not eligible for admission.

We suggest that you give very careful attention to your personal essay, which will help the International Admissions Committee get to know you as a person and understand your purpose in applying for admission to Berea College, as well as plans for your career.

Admission to Berea College is extremely competitive. We receive hundreds of applications each year from very well-qualified applicants from all over the world, and can enroll less than 40 new international students each year.

Berea is very interested in the cultural diversity which international students bring to our campus and we strive to have students from all parts of the world. It is rare that more than one student from any country be offered admission each year.

Members of the International Admissions Committee read and review all eligible applications using a holistic approach which considers academic credentials, financial need, ambition and sense of purpose, and recommendations.

Berea College is a fully accredited college of the liberal arts and sciences by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission of Colleges. Courses taken at Berea are transferable to any regionally accredited college or university in the United States.

International students can participate in most pre-professional programs. However, international students should be aware that after they complete their courses of study at Berea College, they must go through a separate application process with the college, university, or institute that they will wish to attend after Berea College.

Although Berea College does consider applications for international transfer students, we typically reserve our very limited space for students who have had no opportunity to study higher education whether in their home country or abroad. Also, if you have earned any university credit after completing secondary school, you must follow the international application guidelines and include all transcripts from universities previously attended.

We understand that students may have financial restrictions which prevent them from affording the full deposit.  If admitted, your individual situation will be considered and an adjustment to the amount made as appropriate.

It is not necessary to submit bank statements when completing the International Financial Questionnaire.  

We are unable to provide coupon codes for the DET. We advise asking your school administration to request the coupon code for you through the Duolingo website.

The Nursing program has higher English proficiency requirements (TOEFL iBT 83, with a 26 on the spoken section). If admitted to Berea with lower English proficiency, students will not be admitted to the major until the required scores are achieved. Students will be given the opportunity to retest, however, students failing to meet the TOEFL iBT requirement by the first day of their third term of enrollment at Berea are ineligible to pursue the Nursing major.

Please note that credit is only transferable from U.S. regionally accredited agencies and we strongly discourage the use of an outside accreditor to evaluate transfer work. Consideration for transfer admission will be given primarily to students who have less than 1.5 years of earned credit. ​​​​​​​The agencies listed below are regionally recognized and a student should feel confident that their credit will transfer to other regionally accredited institutions.

• Middle States Commission on Higher Education
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

We are unable to grant extensions beyond the deadline. Students who are unable to submit all application components by the deadline should apply for the next academic year.