International Student Admissions

Bethany Lutheran College is a private, Christian, university-level American institution. Its 20 hectare campus is located just outside downtown in the safe city of Mankato, Minnesota, overlooking the Minnesota River Valley.

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With a faculty to student ratio of 12:1 and an average class size of 16, students enjoy close, personal attention from faculty, hands-on learning, and a genuinely friendly environment, enabling students to reach their full potential for employment or graduate school.

Popular major programs include business, media arts, engineering, computer science, biology, and chemistry.

Bethany offers a high-quality, affordable education, with academic scholarships and campus work-study jobs available. International students matriculate in a unique program during their first year, which includes a three-week summer orientation course before the start of the semester, English as a Second Language (ESL) courses as needed, and mentorship.

Students at Bethany enjoy living in the comfortable on-campus dormitories and eating in the cafeteria. Mankato’s public transportation system is low-cost, and you can take the bus to the many stores and restaurants on Madison Ave.

Bethany University students have an excellent track record in getting accepted into top graduate schools in the United States. Over 89% of Bethany graduates have been admitted to their first-choice graduate school program.

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Why Bethany?

Bethany could be a perfect fit for you to earn your Bachelor’s degree from an American accredited university-level institution. Are any of these qualities in a college important to you?

Bethany supports international students.

We have developed a comprehensive international student program to help ensure our students’ success on their way to earning a four-year bachelor’s degree in the field of their choice.

Before and after you arrive at Bethany, our international student services center can help you in a variety of ways, including:

Helping you obtain your I-20
Assistance with personal and cultural adjustment issues
Facilitating any travel abroad and reentry to the United States
Facilitating employment authorization
Facilitating extension of legal stay in the country

Bethany provides an English support plan.

Enrolling in a university level institution after full-time language school or a couple years of American high school can be a big transition. Our three-week, three-credit August course is designed to bridge that gap. International students have a chance to get settled and dig into their studies in a course titled ENSL150 Orientation to American Higher Education. By the time the fall semester begins, students are familiar with their new surroundings, university culture and expectations, and can begin the semester with confidence.

The three-week program also provides valuable input to help students enroll in their fall courses at the appropriate level. Bethany offers an additional six credits of English support during each semester to meet students’ needs. Students in this program also enroll in courses with American students and stay on schedule to graduate in four years. See our English proficiency requirement section for details on how we support students at a variety of proficiency levels. Our goal is to set you up for success.

Bethany is safe.

Bethany is a safe, Christian environment. According to the annual official U.S. government security statistics, Bethany has had ZERO criminal offenses, hate crimes, or arrests on record since 2011 when the reporting begins. We encourage you to compare these numbers with other institutions you are considering. You will feel physically safe here at Bethany. Learn more about safety and security on campus.

Bethany treats every student as an individual.

Bethany is a small college and we see that as our strength. With just 900 students and a student:faculty ratio of 12:1, you’ll be greeted by caring faculty and staff who know your name. Friendly Information Technology Services staff are ready to help you with your technology. Opportunities abound for participating in extracurricular activities, leadership roles, and more. For our size, we are very well-resourced. We care about our students at Bethany!

Bethany has a World Club for international students.

Bethany’s World Club supports international students and sponsors a number of cross-cultural learning opportunities. We would love for you to come and be a part! World Club helps all students at Bethany to learn more about each other, including our cultures, backgrounds, and traditions.

MacKenzie Lindstrom, Business Administration, 2018 Graduate

Hai Trieu Phan, Engineering Sciences, 2018 Graduate

Isaac Rice, Communication, 2013 Graduate

BLC by the Numbers

900

Total Students

12:1

Student:Faculty Ratio

98%

Students Receiving Financial Aid

20+

Countries Represented

30+

Student Clubs & Organizations

Aerial view of the 20-hectare campus of Bethany Lutheran College during fall showing buildings and trees.

Beautiful campus, perfect location

Located in the charming and safe community of Mankato, Minnesota, Bethany is perched atop a large hill overlooking the downtown and the Minnesota River. Our beautiful campus is comprised of modern academic buildings, meticulously maintained dormitories, spacious greens, tall trees, and exceptional athletic facilities for all students.

Regional map showing location of Bethany in Minnesota, United States.

Mankato is located 90 minutes south of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). New students arriving for the first time are welcomed at the airport and transported to campus by a Bethany representative. With a population of over 50,000, Mankato has many of the resources of a big city, without the traffic issues and other big city problems. See campus maps.

Local Climate & Weather Summary

Minnesota enjoys four distinct seasons of weather—summer, fall, winter, and spring.

Summer (June-August): If you arrive in August, you will enjoy our warm summer temperatures, typically between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius.

Fall (September-November): As the fall semester begins, the trees will change color from green to beautiful reds, purples, oranges, and yellows, and the temperature will drop to a cooler 15 to 25 degrees Celsius.

Winter (December-February): When winter rolls around, snow will fall and provide an elegant cover on our evergreen trees. Temperatures during this time of year are cold, so bring along a coat! One nice amenity to take advantage of at Bethany during colder days is the tunnel connection between academic buildings, so you don’t necessarily need a coat to go to class!

Spring (March-May): In March, spring begins, temperatures begin creeping back up to melt the snow away.

Distance to Bethany from major U.S. cities

Distance to Bethany from major U.S. cities
City	Distance	By Car
Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota	130km	90 minutes
Sioux Falls, South Dakota	250km	2.5 hours
Des Moines, Iowa	340km	3.3 hours
Duluth, Minnesota / Lake Superior	380km	3.8 hours
Madison, Wisconsin	470km	4.5 hours
Milwaukee, Wisconsin / Lake Michigan	575km	5.5 hours
Chicago, Illinois	700km	6.5 hours
St. Louis, Missouri	850km	8.2 hours

Safe, beautiful campus in a perfect location

Bethany is the best USA University for learning in North America.

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Bethany provides hands-on learning experiences.

Bethany has optimal resources for hands-on learning in your major field or discipline, to give you opportunities to apply what you have learned. For example, our Communication and Media Arts departments have state-of-the-art facilities that allow students to film and produce television broadcasts that have won national awards. Our engineering sciences program students have constructed catapults, instruments, and even boats! Whatever your major, Bethany wants you to be applying what you learn so that you have real world work experiences prior to earning your degree.

Discover a new world while earning your university diploma

Learn in the USA—the home of the world’s #1 economy

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Preparing you for top graduate school programs

Many students desire to go to graduate school after earning their Bachelor’s degree. Admission into a reputable American graduate program in any field of study is competitive, and requires a quality undergraduate education.

Learn more about graduate school programs

At Bethany, we have an excellent track record in making this dream a reality for students who want to get into a leading graduate program. Over 89% of Bethany graduates have been admitted to their first choice graduate school program.

Examples of top graduate schools nationwide into which our recent graduates have been accepted include:

Princeton University
Harvard University
University of Chicago
Duke University
Johns Hopkins University
Washington University in St. Louis
New York University
University of Wisconsin
University of Florida
University of Minnesota
Marquette University
Florida State University

English Proficiency

International students seeking admission to Bethany Lutheran College need to meet English proficiency requirements. You must satisfy the requirements of any one of the following tests: TOEFL: 60; IELTS: 5.5; Duolingo: 90; SAT: 1000

How to Apply to Bethany Lutheran College

Important Dates

For Spring 2025 Enrollment:

October 15, 2024 – Application deadline (Apply Now!)
October 31, 2024 – Tuition deposit deadline
November 15, 2024 – Registration deadline
November 30, 2024 – Payment deadline
January 2, 2025 – Arrive at Bethany's campus
January 6, 2025 – Spring Semester classes begin

For Fall 2025 Enrollment:

April 30, 2025 – Application deadline (Apply Now!)
May 15, 2025 – Tuition deposit deadline
May 31, 2025 – Registration deadline
June 30, 2025 – Payment deadline
August 6, 2025 – Arrive at Bethany's campus
August 19, 2025 – Fall Semester classes begin

Application Requirements

Bethany is looking for students of high moral character and high academic achievement. All prospective students who are non-U.S. citizens must show evidence of past academic success. To consider your application, the international admissions department will review the following items, which you may begin gathering now

Educational Records

High school transcript (or college transcript for transfer students)
Copy of any certificate or degree obtained

Test Scores

Results from TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or another approved English proficiency indicator.
If the student is from an English-speaking country, then official ACT or SAT scores shall be evaluated instead of English proficiency test.
For students transferring from another US college or university, the test requirements may be waived pending review of official college transcripts.

Other Application Requirements

One letter of recommendation
Certificate of financial responsibility and supporting documents (bank statement)
Passport copy

Admitted International Students

If you have been admitted to Bethany, you will need to complete the following important steps before you are able to enroll in classes:

Pay the USD $300 tuition deposit. You can use FlyWire as a low-cost way of sending your tuition payments to Bethany. Please contact us if you have questions about FlyWire or making payments.
Housing Form
Certificate of Financial Responsibility
A statement of health from your doctor (including current immunization records)

Contact Us

Fast response email: usa@blc.edu

Need help? Please contact either of the people below:

Nick Cook
+1-507-344-7752

Rachel Kerkow
+1-507-344-7431

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Address

700 Luther Dr.
Mankato, MN 56001
United States