How to Apply for Computer Science at Illinois State University: the BS in Computer Science in the School of Information Technology with General and Web Computing sequences, GPA requirements for entering the major and the accelerated master’s, and requirements and timelines for students in China, Canada and transfer students

Illinois State University is in Normal, Illinois. Its computer science degree is offered by the School of Information Technology. This guide summarizes what the university publishes for students at high schools in China (including A-Level, IB and AP students), students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. Degree and sequences

• Accreditation: the BS in Computer Science is accredited by ABET’s Computing Accreditation Commission.
• Two sequences: General Computer Science (software development plus theory, design, hardware and operating systems) and Web Computing (web and mobile application development, including client- and server-side scripting, web interface design, web frameworks, mobile development, web database processing and web application testing). A computer science minor is also offered.
• Accelerated master’s: available for the General sequence only. Students with a 3.20 GPA or higher can apply, usually in the spring of sophomore year or two years before graduating; they take up to 12 graduate hours in the junior and senior years that count toward both degrees, finishing the MS in Computer Science in as little as one more year. Acceptance into the sequence does not guarantee final graduate admission.
• Courses: the catalog’s program page loads by script, so we could not read the full credit and course list; check the BS in Computer Science in the catalog (catalog.illinoisstate.edu). The School of IT planning calendar (revised May 2025) lists IT 168, IT 179, IT 180, IT 191, IT 214, IT 225, IT 261, IT 279, IT 326, IT 327, IT 328, IT 378, IT 383, IT 386, IT 391 and IT 398 among others; starred courses are electives, and IT 354 is for the web sequence only. The transfer page names two of them: IT 168 is Structured Problem Solving Using the Computer (preferably in Java) and IT 179 is Introduction to Data Structures.
• Internships: the School of IT runs an internship program; internships must relate to the student’s program, be on site with daily supervision by an IT/IS professional, and be paid at a level appropriate to the work.

2. Admission and entering the major

• New freshmen: the “New Freshmen” tab of the computer science admissions page only advises applying by the priority deadline for best consideration for the program and scholarships; it gives no extra freshman threshold. The deadlines page says applying before the priority deadline is encouraged for competitive or capacity-limited majors.
• First-year review: high school courses, GPA, SAT/ACT scores if submitted, and an optional personal statement. A core curriculum is required: 8 semesters of English, 6 of math, 4 of lab science, 4 of social science and 4 of foreign language or fine arts. The middle 50% GPA for fall 2026 admitted freshmen was 3.29–4.05.
• External transfers into CS: minimum GPA 2.30, with a middle 50% of 2.85–3.57; no required courses. Recommended: statistics, Calculus I and II, biology, chemistry or physics, IT 168 and IT 179, small group processes, and technical and professional writing. The page states that without IT 168 in Java, or both IT 168 and IT 179 in any language, it is impossible to finish the program in four semesters even with an associate degree.
• Current students: can apply at any time with the “Apply to Your Program” tool on My.IllinoisState.edu; the middle 50% GPA is 2.85–3.57.

3. Deadlines and materials (international)

• Deadlines: fall (August) priority period September 1 to May 1, application and required documents for a decision by July 1, final documents by July 15; spring (January) application by December 1; summer by April 1.
• Application: international undergraduates apply through the Student Application Portal. The undergraduate fee is USD 65 for summer and fall 2027 and USD 55 for spring 2027, nonrefundable.
• Materials: unofficial records from all schools (original language plus a word-for-word English translation), an English score and a passport; official records are required after admission. A Declaration of Finances with a bank statement dated within six months is also required.
• Testing: international freshmen do not need SAT or ACT unless they attended a US high school for three or more years; scores may help with scholarships.
• Pathway: students who do not meet academic or English requirements for direct admission can enter the Undergraduate Pathway, earn undergraduate credit there, and start their degree program after meeting progression requirements.

4. English

• Minimum scores (within two years): TOEFL iBT 81; new TOEFL (from January 2026) 4.5; TOEFL Essentials 8.5; IELTS 6.5; Duolingo 110; PTE Academic 55; Michigan English Test 58.
• Waivers: the waiver-eligible Anglophone countries include Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, among others, reviewed under the university’s English waiver guidelines.

5. Students at high schools in China

• Gaokao: how Gaokao results are used is not published; confirm with international admissions.
• Transcripts: submit records in the original language with a word-for-word English translation.
• A-Level, IB and AP: credit rules are not on the pages we read; check the freshman credit page or ask admissions.
• Scholarship: international freshmen with a 3.0 GPA (4.0 scale) are automatically considered for the International Admissions Scholarship, worth up to USD 5,000 a year; they must meet minimum English requirements, no separate application is needed, and winners are notified at admission. Renewal requires continuous enrollment of 12 or more hours and a 2.75 cumulative GPA, for up to three more years. It cannot be combined with full-tuition scholarships or waivers.

6. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver)

• English: Canada is on the waiver-eligible list.
• Grades: BC grade requirements are not published; confirm with international admissions.
• Deadline: international applications for fall are due July 1 (section 3); confirm with admissions whether Canadian students apply through the international process.

7. Transfer students

• University requirements: official transcripts from every college (cumulative GPA), prerequisite coursework for some programs, and good standing at the last college; with fewer than 24 semester hours, add a high school transcript. Space is limited, the strongest records get priority, and an associate degree does not guarantee admission.
• Exploratory: transfer students with at least a 2.0 GPA may be admitted as Exploratory (undeclared) if program prerequisites are not met or the major is full; students with 75 or more semester hours will not be admitted as Exploratory.
• Computer Science: minimum GPA 2.30; recommended courses are listed in section 2.
• International transfer scholarship: automatic consideration at a 3.0 GPA, a one-time award of up to USD 3,000.

8. Costs (2026-2027 estimate, 15 hours in fall and spring)

• Computer science student, non-Illinois resident, on campus: tuition USD 29,138, fees USD 4,146, food and housing USD 12,902, books USD 830, transportation USD 2,452, personal USD 3,422, total USD 52,890. The page lists Illinois residents and non-residents and does not list international students separately.
• Comparison: on the same site, general undergraduate non-resident tuition is USD 25,338, so computer science tuition is higher.
• Tuition guarantee: new undergraduates’ tuition rate is locked for four years.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply in the priority period (by May 1) for fall; complete documents by July 1 at the latest
• Prepare TOEFL iBT 81 (new TOEFL 4.5), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 110
• A 3.0 GPA brings automatic scholarship consideration
• Ask admissions how Gaokao results are used

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Canada is eligible for an English waiver
• Confirm BC grade expectations with admissions

Transfer students:

• At least a 2.30 GPA; complete IT 168 (Java) and IT 179 first so graduation is not delayed

Sources: Illinois State University, Computer Science; General Computer Science sequence; Web Computing sequence; Computer Science admissions; Accelerated master’s; School of IT advising; Computer Science planning calendar; International students; International admission requirements; Types of admission; International Admissions Scholarship; Deadlines; Freshman admission requirements; Application fee; Transfer admission requirements; 2026-2027 Computer Science cost of attendance. The application fee is for fall 2027 entry and costs are 2026-2027 estimates. Check Illinois State’s website for the latest.