International

Who should use this application?

You should use our International Student Application for Admission if you require a student visa to study in the United States and are not a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, political asylee or refugee. If you hold dual citizenship with the U.S. and another country you should use the appropriate domestic first-year, transfer, or post-baccalaureate student application for admission.

Why study at Western?

Western Washington University is a nationally recognized dynamic, innovative, and challenging public university that welcomes students from around the world. For the past 20 years, U.S. News and World Report has ranked Western the #1 regional public university in the Pacific Northwest.

There are over 175 programs of study at Western Washington University, with both undergraduate and graduate options available. All are of an exceptionally high quality. International students may enroll at Western through general admission, conditional admission, as an exchange student offered through International Student and Scholar Services, or in non-credit English language courses offered through the Intensive English Program in preparation for applying to a degree program. Many international students transfer to Western after earning an associate degree from a Washington state community college. Western's Graduate School programs also attract a number of international students. Currently, Western's student body includes international students from 35 countries.

Our 16,000 student campus is located in the city of Bellingham, Washington, population 89,000. In addition to our excellent academic reputation and affordable tuition, our proximity to Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada is one of the primary reasons students choose Western. Bellingham offers small town benefits – friendliness, safety, and convenience – as well as many of the cultural opportunities of a larger city. Bellingham is also a hub of outdoor activity, with easy access to snowboarding, skiing, mountain biking, hiking and sailing. National magazines such as Forbes, Money, National Geographic Adventure, Outside, Organic Style, Paddler, and Mountain Bike have singled Bellingham out as one of the U.S.A.'s best small cities.

Western is a proud supporter of EducationUSA. EducationUSA centers are the U.S. State Department‘s network of over 400 advising centers in 170 countries designed to assist local students find the appropriate college or university in the United States. To learn more, visit EducationUSA's website.