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International Students

At NC State we value diversity and welcome international students. We are proud to host students from more than 120 different countries.

Applying to NC State as an international online and distance education student is the same as applying to be an on-campus international student. Depending on where you will be living when you are taking courses, your visa status may be considered. At NC State, we welcome students from around the world. You are considered an international student if you are not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident of the U.S. (also known as resident aliens, permanent residents, and green card holders). 

If you plan to take NC State online courses from your home country, you do not have to follow the university’s immigration criteria. However, if you are an international student living in the U.S. and would like to enroll in NC State’s online and distance education programs or courses you must comply with the university’s visa criteria

To be admitted to NC State’s online and distance education undergraduate programs for a bachelor’s degree, you must have completed an associate degree (A.A. or A.S.) or earned more than 60 credit hours of college-level courses including coursework relevant to the program in which you are interested. Typically, the NC State Office of Undergraduate Admissions considers the following accomplishments and qualifications:

All international applicants whose native language is not English should be advised that a TOEFL IBT Score of 85 or above is recommended for successful completion of an NC State online and distance education course or program.
Note: Applicants who are citizens from countries in which English is the official or commonly spoken language do not need to prove English proficiency.

To be admitted to NC State’s online and distance education graduate programs, you must meet the entrance and application criteria of the Graduate School and the program to which you are applying. Learn more about graduate admissions criteria for online and distance education programs.

International Non-Degree Studies Students

Students interested in pursuing undergraduate certificate programs or non-degree programs should follow the admission criteria for non-degree studies students.