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International Applicants

The University of San Diego welcomes applications from students all over the world. We have over 500 international students from 75 countries currently enrolled in our undergraduate and graduate programs.

Admission Eligibility

If you are not a US citizen or permanent resident, you should apply for admission as an international student. If you are a US citizen or permanent resident who studies abroad, you are considered a domestic applicant and, depending on your school curriculum, will follow the requirements for first-year applicants.

No matter your residency status, if you’ve completed your studies abroad, we’ll review your application within the context of your international curriculum and academic rigor. We value the diverse educational backgrounds our applicants bring and aim to understand your achievements in the setting where they were earned.

To learn more about international undergraduate admission requirements, please review the following information.

As we continue to achieve national and international recognition, the profile of our entering students continues to grow. We are looking for students who are academically strong, have challenged themselves in school and have worked hard to make a difference in their schools and communities. Learn more about what we look for in an applicant.

You’re a first-year applicant if you’re currently enrolled in high school and expect to graduate at the end of this academic year, or if you’ve already graduated from high school but haven’t yet taken college courses. Attending a college summer session right after high school graduation doesn’t count as college enrollment for this purpose.

When applying as an international first-year applicant, please follow the international application checklist to guide you through the application process.



Secondary School Credentials

Credentials Accepted for Admission
Algeria Baccalaureate of Secondary Education (Baccalauréat de l‘Enseignement Secondaire)
Argentina Baccalaureate (Bachiller)
Australia Australian Capital Territory: ACT Year 12 Certificate
New South Wales: Higher School Certificate (HSC)
Northern Territory: Northern Territory Certificate of Education (NTCE)
Queensland: Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE)
South Australia: South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE)
Tasmania: Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE)
Victoria: Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE)
Western Australia: Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE)
Austria Matura (Reifeprüfung)
Bahamas Official General Certificate of Education (GCE) and CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate)
Bahrain Secondary School Leaving Certificate
Bangladesh Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC)
Barbados Official General Certificate of Education (GCE) and CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate)
Belgium Certificate of Higher Secondary Education (Certificat d’Enseignement Secondaire Supérieur (CESS)/Diploma van Hoger Secundair Onderwijs/Abschlußzeugnis der Oberstufe des Sekundarunterrichts)
Bolivia The Bachillerato
Brazil High School Leaving Certificate (Certificado de Conclusão de Segundo (2º) Grau / Certificado de Ensino Médio)
Bulgaria Diploma of Completed Secondary Education (Diploma za Zavurcheno Sredno Obrazovanie)
Canada British Columbia: Secondary School Graduation Diploma
Ontario: Ontario Secondary School Diploma
Québec: Secondary Leaving Certificate and up to one year of CEGEP
Other Provinces: High School Diploma
Chile Diploma of Middle Education (Licencia de Educación Media)
China Senior High School Graduation Certificate (高中畢業證書 (高中))
Colombia Secondary School Diploma (Bachiller)
Cyprus Secondary School Leaving Certificate (Apolyterion)
Czech Republic Maturity Certificate (Maturitní vysvědčení)
Denmark Upper Secondary School Leaving Examination (Studentereksamen (STX))
Dominican Republic The Bachillerato
Ecuador The Bachillerato
El Salvador The Bachillerato
Egypt General Secondary Education Certificate (Thanawiyya al-A’aamaI)
Advanced Level Certificate of Nile International Secondary Education (CNISE)
Finland General Upper Secondary School Completion Certificate (Lukion päättötodistus / Avgångsbetyg)
Matriculation Examination Certificate (Ylioppilastutkintotodistus/Studentexamensbetyg)
France French Baccalaureate (Baccalauréat général)
Germany Abitur
Greece Upper Secondary School Certificate (Apolytirio Lykeiou)
Guatemala The Bachillerato
Honduras The Bachillerato
Hong Kong HKDSE
HK A-Levels
HKCEE and Lower Form VI transcript
Iceland Upper Secondary School Certificate (Stúdentspróf)
India Higher Secondary Certificate/ISC (State board exams may also be considered for admission)
Indonesia Upper Secondary School Diploma (Ijazah Sekolah Menengah Atas)
Ireland Leaving (Senior) Certificate (Ardteistiméireacht)
Israel Matriculation Certificate (Te’udat Bagrut (תעודת בגרות))
Italy Diploma of Maturity (Diploma di Maturita)
Japan Upper Secondary School Leaving Certificate (Kotogakko Sotsugyo Shomeisho (高等学校卒業証明書)
Jamaica Official General Certificate of Education (GCE) and CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate)
Jordan General Secondary Education Certificate
Kazakhstan Certificate of Secondary Education (Attestat o Srednem Obrazovanii (аттестат о среднем образовании)
Lebanon Lebanese Baccalaureate (Baccalauréat Libanais)
Malaysia Malaysian Higher School Certificate (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM)/Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM))
Mexico Baccalaureate Certificate (Certificado de Bachillerato)
Morocco Baccalaureate (Baccalauréat)
The Netherlands University Preparatory Education Diploma (VWO (Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs))
New Zealand National Certification of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 3
Nicaragua The Bachillerato
Nigeria Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSSC)
Norway Upper Secondary Leaving Certificate (Vitnemål fra den Videregående Skole)
Pakistan Higher Secondary School Certificate
Panama The Bachillerato
Paraguay The Bachillerato
Peru Certificate of Completion of General Secondary Education (Certificado de educación secundaria común completa)
Republic of Korea Senior High School Diploma (인 문계 고등학교 졸업장)
Russia Certificate of Complete Secondary General Education (Attestat o Srednem Polnom Obshchem Obrazovanii (Аттестат о среднем полном общем образовании)
Saudi Arabia General Secondary Education Certificate (Shahadat Al-Marhalat Al-Thanawiyyat)
Singapore 2 years of GCE A-Level Study (Students with 1 year of A-Level study – completion of AS Levels only – may also be considered for admission)
South Africa National Senior Certificate (NSC)
Spain Baccalaureate (Título de Bachillerato)
Sweden Leaving Certificate from Upper Secondary School (Hogskoleforberedande Examen/Slutbetyg from a Gymnasieskolan/Afgangsbetyg from Kommunal Vuxenutbilding)
Switzerland Matura (Certificat de Maturité/Maturität/Attestato di Maturità)
Taiwan, R.O.C. Senior High School Diploma (高級中學文憑)
Thailand Certificate of Secondary Education (Mathayom Suksa 6 (M6))
Trinidad and Tobago Official General Certificate of Education (GCE) and CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate)
Turkey General Secondary School Diploma (Lise Diploması)
United Kingdom 2 years of GCE A-Level Study (Students with 1 year of A-Level study – completion of AS Levels only – may also be considered for admission)
Uruguay The Bachillerato
Venezuela Baccalaureate (Título de Bachiller)
Vietnam Senior High School Certificate (Bằng Tốt Nghiệp Phổ Thông)