An international student (first time college student as well as transfer student) is one who will be attending Biola University on an F-1 student visa. U.S. citizens living abroad should follow the application guidelines for First-Time College Students or Transfer Students.
Please note that our International Admissions Counselor, Fitsum Mulat, serves as the counselor for all global students (Internationals and US Citizens living abroad). Please contact her for any inquires about applying to Biola University.
To apply to Biola as an international student, follow the steps below:
Complete and submit your official application for admission. Every advantage goes to the early applicant, and late applications are charged a non-refundable $55 application fee.
Submit a non-refundable $45 application fee.* If applying online, you may submit the fee by credit card. Otherwise, please send a check or money order made payable to Biola University, with the student's name indicated on the memo-line, to the address below:
Office of Admissions
Biola University
13800 Biola Avenue
La Mirada, CA 90639
* Biola will accept the College Board fee waiver or appropriate letter verifying family financial hardship.
Submit an official transcript from each secondary and post-secondary school attended, current through the time of application. Transcripts must arrive with a certified English translation documenting your coursework, examinations taken, grades received, passing and maximum marks, and evidence of secondary school graduation. Transcripts will be considered official only when sent directly from the institution to Biola via the aforementioned address above.
Submit your scores from one of the following Standardized Tests:
Submit a reference form from a member of the pastoral staff of your church that supports your Christian testimony. In addition, you have the option to submit a reference from a high school teacher, counselor, or a college instructor that attests to your academic ability. Both references should be provided by persons outside of your own family and be sent to the aforementioned address above.
Submit your completed affidavit of support.
Composite 19 score on the ACT
Note: The average Critical Reading/Math SAT score for incoming freshmen at Biola is 1,104. The average Composite ACT score is 24.
600 Paper / 100 iBT score on the TOEFL
IELTS–Band 6
Note: Students with test scores below the requirement may enter most Biola degree programs if they meet all other requirements for admission. These students will be asked to take the Biola English Placement Exam (BEPE) prior to the starting date of classes, and may need additional language training prior to starting major courses.
Financing your education is certainly a large part of planning to enroll at Biola University. And international students are responsible to submit an affidavit of support and bank statement to show how they plan to pay for their education. Biola offers select scholarship opportunities for those who qualify, although this cannot be guaranteed for every applicant. All materials must be received by the appropriate deadline date to qualify for any available scholarships or grants. Please see the link below for detailed information on undergraduate international financial aid options.
Financial Aid Information for International Students
International students studying on an F-1 visa may submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) rather than the SAT or ACT. The necessary level of English proficiency for admission to Biola is demonstrated by a TOEFL score of at least 600 paper / 250 computer / 100 iBT.
Admission to Biola is based on the understanding that a student either already has a sufficient TOEFL score or is actively progressing toward this level of English proficiency. Applicants who do not have this score may still be admitted to Biola in one of two ways:
TOEFL scores between 500-599 paper / 173-249 computer / 64-99 iBT
Students in this range are required to take the Biola English Placement Exam (BEPE). Students are assigned English courses in the [English Language Studies Program][9] (ELSP) based on their test results. Courses assigned may range from one semester part-time to three semesters full-time plus three semesters part-time of English as a Second Language (ESL).
TOEFL scores below 500 paper / 173 computer / 64 iBT
Students in this range may still be admitted to Biola through the English Language Studies Program (ELSP). Contact ELSP for more information.
Dear college-minded International Student,
Why Choose a Christian University?
When considering which university to attend, high school students and their parents should think not only about how a university teaches students and equips them with facts and knowledge, but also about how a university grows a student and enriches their soul. Sadly, many universities in America and across the world have lost their “soul” and drifted away from moral and religious concerns. Many colleges have abandoned their Christian roots or shunned faith altogether, replacing it with aggressive secularism and a sometimes antagonistic prejudice against the role of belief in education.
Christian universities do still exist, however, and their insistence on a robust integration of faith and academic learning provides an important alternative in the contemporary landscape of higher education. At a Christian university you will find top-notch training in a variety of disciplines — science, health, math, art, music, language, business, etc. — that is coupled with and informed by the pursuit of God and the study of Scripture.
At Biola University, where I work, we believe that nurturing the soul and nurturing the mind are both essential for a meaningful education. We teach our students to integrate their faith with their academic and professional development. No matter what their career aspiration or major, each student at Biola receives a foundational education in Bible — taught by some of the brightest biblical scholars today. We believe that the Bible is the center of knowledge, and that out of this focused center we are better able to produce graduates who are prepared for a vocation, spiritually mature, grounded in the Bible, globally minded, and ready to take on the challenges of the world.
Trends in American Universities:
One trend in American higher education that all universities are dealing with right now is the challenge of adapting to the digital revolution. The Internet and other digital technologies have changed everything in culture, including higher education, and universities have been presented with new problems and possibilities as a result. At Biola University, we have prioritized the leveraging of new technology for the purposes of our mission. For example, we have started offering numerous online courses to our students, and we’ve put select courses and lectures on iTunes U, where people across the world can download free Biola University educational resources. Our seminary, Talbot School of Theology, has also started a faculty blog — The Good Book Blog — to provide solid biblical scholarship online to anyone in the world. In coming years, Biola has plans to organize even more of our academic resources to make available to the world beyond our campus borders.
Another, more regrettable trend in American universities is the trend of hyper-fragmentation. American universities are increasingly characterized by fragmentary interest groups and hyper-specialized disciplines, each with their own focuses and agendas. The “uni” aspect of the university is increasingly lost. At many universities, there is no consensus about the end goal of education or what exactly a successful college graduate should look like. Part of the confusion comes from the postmodern attack on the very notion of a unifying ideal, and part of it comes from a resistance to any suggestion that a conviction, ethic, or moral foundation should inform education.
Christian universities like Biola fight against this fragmentation by focusing everything we do around a core conviction — in this case, the all-encompassing conviction that God is the author of all truth and that all knowledge comes from him. The liberal arts education at Biola is not fragmentary; it’s interdisciplinary. It is an education that gives students a reason for learning and a foundation upon which to expand their horizons and explore their vocational purpose. It’s an education that believes in the relevance of a Christian worldview and seeks to apply it to all areas of life.
Sincerely,
Dr. Barry H. Corey
F-1 visa holders who desire to transfer to Biola (from another US high school, college, or university) must complete all requirements listed above, as well as:
Students who desire to get transfer credit for college courses taken outside of the United States must have their transcripts evaluated by an independent Credential Evaluation Agency located in the United States, such as the American Education Research Corporation. A 2.5 GPA is required for international transfer students.
To qualify for an application deadline, all materials must be received in the Admissions Office by the appropriate deadline date. If a student qualifies for a specific application deadline, they will be notified of admission by the corresponding notification date.
| Deadline Type | Apply By | Notified By |
|---|---|---|
| Early Action 1 | Nov. 15 | Jan. 15 |
| Early Action 2 | Jan. 15 | Feb. 15 |
| Regular | Mar. 1 | Apr. 1 |
Note: Applications for the fall semester that are received after March 1 are considered late, charged a late fee of $55, and processed if space is available and time allows.