How to apply to Computer Science at St. Cloud State University: the 120-credit BS, three optional concentrations and senior elective areas, international English requirements, the ACSS scholarship and costs, and requirements and timelines for students in China, Canada and transfer applicants

St. Cloud State University (SCSU) is a public university in Minnesota. Its BS in Computer Science is offered by the Department of Computing, Informatics & Data Science in the College of Business, Engineering, and Technology, on campus in St. Cloud. This guide summarizes the official requirements 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 courses

• Accreditation: the program page says the major is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) of ABET.
• Credits: the 2026-27 catalog lists 120 credits for the degree and 80–92 for the program. SCSU requires at least 120 credits, at least 40 credits at the 300/400 level, and at least 40 Liberal Education credits covering all 10 goal areas.
• Grades: the catalog sets a minimum grade of C- (1.67) for all courses in the program and a 2.5 GPA for graduation.
• Core: 62–69 credits (one catalog note says 62–67), made up of 54 credits of required courses, a 2–4 credit math elective, 3–4 credits of professional communication, and 6–9 credits of science: one course in each of two different areas, at least one with a lab, chosen from BIOL 152, CHEM 207, CHEM 307, CHEM 210, CHEM 211, AHS 220, AHS 260, PHYS 231, PHYS 232, PHYS 234 and PHYS 235.
• Plus one of the following:
  • Electives for BS Computer Science (15 credits): 12 credits of senior electives covering at least three of five areas, plus one additional elective. The areas are Systems (CSCI 411, 413, 415), Theory (CSCI 404, 406), Artificial Intelligence (CSCI 440, 441), Software Development (CSCI 430) and Applications (CSCI 450, 451).
  • Big Data Applications (21 credits): CSCI 411, SE 413, SE 412 or STAT 415, and STAT 321, plus 6 credits of senior electives and a 3-credit concentration elective.
  • Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (18 credits): CSCI 441, STAT 415 or SE 412, and CSCI 440, plus 6 credits of senior electives and a 3-credit concentration elective.
  • Secure Computing (21 credits): CSCI 406, CYB 463, CSCI 415, CYB 433, CSCI 411, CSCI 430 and CSCI 413.
• Starting point: the catalog has two four-year degree maps updated in April 2026, one starting with MATH 115 and CSCI 200 (both prerequisites for CSCI 201) and one starting directly with CSCI 201.
• Other: the program page says select classes are available online, and students can apply for National Science Foundation STEM scholarships of up to USD 12,000 over two years; ask the department about eligibility.

2. How admission works

• Admission to the major: the catalog lists the program’s admission status as “Admission is open” and gives no separate admission requirements. Requirements for current students switching into Computer Science are not published; ask the Computing, Informatics & Data Science department.
• Admission to SCSU: the undergraduate admissions page says applicants with no college credits are guaranteed admission with a 2.5 GPA (4.0 scale); others may be admitted after a review of GPA, curriculum and other academic indicators, and extracurriculars, personal statements and optional recommendations may be considered. The page does not separate domestic and international applicants.
• Testing: SCSU is completely test optional; send ACT/SAT scores only if they help admission or scholarships.
• Application fee: the admissions page says SCSU no longer charges an application fee, and the international page lists none.

3. International first-year requirements and dates

• Deadlines (priority): fall, July 1 if you are outside the US and July 15 if inside; spring, November 1 outside and December 1 inside. Later applications are still considered, but SCSU may defer an applicant to the next semester if there is not enough time to attend the four-day orientation before classes. The page does not show a year.
• Steps: apply online (using the international undergraduate application); have your high school send official transcripts, with official English translations from the school if they are not in English; send all college transcripts if applicable; submit English proficiency; submit financial documents.
• Financial proof: at least USD 29,178 for the first year, with bank documents dated within six months of the application and the university’s financial form.
• IGCSE/O-Level and A-Level: submit Cambridge exam reports; O-Levels must include English, Math, a science, a social science and one other subject at C or above.
• IB and AP: the full IB diploma is accepted with grades of 4 or above on each exam; AP scores of 3 or higher can earn credit.

4. English requirements

• TOEFL: for tests before January 21, 2026, 61 or higher with reading, writing and listening at 15 or above; after that date, 3.5 or higher with reading 3.5 and writing and listening 3.0 or higher.
• Other tests: IELTS 5.5, PTE 47, Duolingo 95, LanguageCERT 60, SAT evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) 400 or ACT English 15. Scores must be less than two years old.
• Other routes: graduating from an English-medium high school or university with a 2.5 GPA, with a letter from the principal confirming English instruction; or IGCSE/O-Levels with C or above in English, Math, a science, a social science and one other subject.
• Conditional admission: available to academically qualified applicants whose English is below the requirement.

5. Students at high schools in China

• Transcripts: sent directly by the school, with official English translations from the school if not in English.
• Gaokao: whether Gaokao scores are used is not published; email world2scsu@stcloudstate.edu to ask.
• A-Level, IB and AP students: submit results as described in section 3; IGCSE/O-Levels with C or above in five subjects also meet the English requirement.

6. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC)

• English: the international page says students from Montreal may need transcripts translated by an official service or the school, with both French and English versions sent by the school, and will need an English test (TOEFL, IELTS, etc.). Graduates of English-medium high schools with a 2.5 GPA can meet the English requirement with a principal’s letter.
• BC: grade requirements and conversion for BC curriculum are not published; ask international admissions.

7. Transfer students

• International transfer: F-1 students in the US can transfer their SEVIS record to SCSU if there is no more than a five-month gap between schools.
• Credit evaluation: after admission and arrival, a professor in your major decides how your courses transfer and which count toward the major; bring detailed course descriptions, syllabi, textbook details and samples of your work.
• Transfer scholarships: international transfer students can receive the Red & Black Transfer Scholarship (automatic with a 3.0 college GPA, USD 500 or 1,000 a year) and the Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship (USD 500).
• Minnesota community colleges: a Computer Science BS transfer pathway with Minnesota State community colleges guarantees junior status and counts all 60 pathway credits; the pathway page says it was updated in January 2022, so follow the current catalog for courses.

8. Costs and scholarships

• Annual I-20 estimate (updated by SCSU on July 25, 2025; 9 months; 15–18 credits a semester): tuition with scholarship USD 5,629 a semester and USD 11,258 a year; fees USD 1,474; on-campus room and board USD 10,970; insurance, books and supplies USD 5,476; total USD 29,178. The I-20 shows tuition and fees without the scholarship as USD 21,384, with the USD 8,652 scholarship on the funding side.
• ACSS scholarship: the Academic and Cultural Sharing Scholarship gives F-1 and J-1 students resident tuition rates, which the page describes as a nearly 50 percent discount. No application is needed for the first semester; students opt in at orientation, then keep a 2.5 cumulative undergraduate GPA and complete two cultural sharing activities each semester. Online programs are not eligible.
• Housing: on-campus room and board is required for all first-year students for the first year.
• First-year scholarships: Presidential Scholarships are automatic with ACT 24 or a 2.6 high school GPA, at USD 2,500, 1,500, 750 or 500 a year; the page does not say whether international students are eligible, so confirm with SCSU.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Prepare TOEFL 61 (3.5 on the new scale), IELTS 5.5 or Duolingo 95
• Submit all materials, including proof of at least USD 29,178, by July 1 for fall or November 1 for spring
• IB and A-Level students: send exam results as required
• Ask international admissions whether Gaokao scores are used

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

• At an English-medium school: prepare a principal’s letter confirming English instruction
• Ask international admissions how BC grades are reviewed

Transfer students:

• Prepare all college transcripts, course descriptions and syllabi
• With a 3.0 college GPA, look out for the Red & Black Transfer Scholarship

Sources: St. Cloud State University, Computer Science BS (catalog); Computer Science program page; International undergraduate application requirements; English proficiency; International costs and scholarships; ACSS scholarship; International transfer students; Undergraduate admissions; First-year and transfer scholarships; Computer Science transfer pathway. Courses follow the 2026-27 catalog and costs are estimates updated by the university in July 2025; check SCSU’s website for the latest.