Lehman College Admissions: Eligibility, Process and Cost 2026-27

Lehman College Application Deadlines for Indian Students

Lehman College accepts international applications for two intakes each year, Fall (August) and Spring (January), per the Lehman international admissions page. Indian applicants face earlier deadlines than US-educated applicants because visa and document verification take longer.

The CUNY Application is a single form used across all CUNY colleges for undergraduate entry and lets Indian applicants list up to six college choices with one payment. Graduate applicants apply directly through Lehman’s own portal, not through CUNY.

Planning note: Indian applicants for Fall 2027 UG should aim to submit by mid-November 2026, since transcripts and financial documents must reach CUNY by 15 December 2026, and WES evaluation adds two to four weeks.

Lehman College Eligibility for Indian Students

Lehman College follows CUNY’s baseline entry requirements plus program-specific floors for its graduate schools. The bars below are institution-wide minimums that any Indian applicant must clear before their file is even sent to a department for review.

• UG general entry: Class XII with at least 75 percent, or GPA equivalent of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
• UG competitive majors (Nursing, Accounting): Class XII around 85 percent, plus prerequisite Biology or Mathematics.
• PG general entry: Four-year bachelor’s from a recognised Indian university with a minimum 3.0 GPA (around 65 percent), evaluated course-by-course by WES or ECE.
• Three-year Indian bachelor’s: Accepted for many master’s programs if WES or ECE confirms US bachelor’s equivalency; some professional programs still require a four-year degree.
• Standardised tests: Lehman is test-optional through Spring 2027, so SAT and ACT are not needed for UG; GRE is not required for most graduate programs.

Lehman College IELTS Waiver for Indian Students

Indian applicants may be exempt from IELTS or TOEFL if they meet any one of these waivers, per the Lehman international students page:

• Completion of Class XI and XII in an English-medium school with English as the language of instruction, evidenced by a school-issued Medium of Instruction (MOI) certificate.
• A bachelor’s degree completed in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or Ireland.
• Two years of full-time academic study in an English-medium environment abroad.

Insider note: An Indian CBSE or ICSE Class XII marksheet with English scores of 80 percent or higher, plus an MOI certificate from the school principal, is the most reliable evidence Indian students use to secure the waiver.

Note: Program-specific entry requirements, fees, and intake availability may differ from the institution-wide minimums shown above. Always confirm on the official Lehman College admissions page for your chosen program before applying.

Lehman College PG Programs for Indian Students

Lehman College graduate programs sit across seven schools including Business, Education, Nursing, and Natural and Social Sciences. Base tuition for graduate non-residents is USD 855 per credit (around ₹ 80,798), and most master’s degrees run 30 to 42 credits; see the course-wise fees breakdown for total-cost figures.

Note: Program-specific entry requirements, fees, and intake availability may differ from the institution-wide minimums shown above. Always confirm on the official Lehman College admissions page for your chosen program before applying.

Lehman College UG Programs for Indian Students

Lehman College’s undergraduate offering spans 90-plus majors housed under four schools. Base UG tuition for non-residents is USD 620 per credit (around ₹ 58,590) or USD 15,360 per year (around ₹ 14.52 Lakhs) for a standard 24-credit load, per US News.

Reality check: Lehman’s UG Nursing program has a competitive secondary admission stage after the first two years, so Indian applicants aiming for the RN pathway must maintain a 3.0 GPA at Lehman itself, not just at Class XII.

Lehman College Application Process for Indian Students

The application flow splits by level. Undergraduates use the CUNY Application, which routes a single form to any of the 25 CUNY colleges chosen. Graduate applicants use Lehman’s own admissions portal directly.

1. Create an account on the CUNY Application portal (for UG) or on the Lehman Graduate Portal (for PG); the CUNY UG cycle is already open for Fall 2027.
2. Select Lehman College as one of your college choices; UG applicants may list up to six CUNY colleges on the same form.
3. Fill in academic history, entering Class XII marks by subject and any bachelor’s coursework by year.
4. Upload the personal statement (around 500 words for UG, 750 to 1,000 words for PG) and, for PG, letters of recommendation.
5. Pay the application fee of USD 65 (around ₹ 6,143) for UG or USD 75 (around ₹ 7,088) for PG by credit card on the same portal.
6. Order WES or ECE course-by-course evaluation for all Indian marksheets and degree certificates; delivery takes 15 to 25 business days.
7. Send official English test scores (IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, or Duolingo) directly from the testing agency to Lehman using CUNY’s institution code.
8. Submit all supporting documents to CUNY’s UAPC processing centre by the document deadline of 15 December 2026 for Fall 2027 UG.

The CUNY Application acts as a shared undergraduate gateway across the CUNY system, and any error on the form must be corrected before Lehman’s admissions office can start review.

Lehman College Admission Decisions Timeline

Decisions at Lehman College are released on a rolling basis for both UG and PG, so applying earlier in the cycle usually returns an outcome faster.

• Offer letter: UG applicants typically hear back four to eight weeks after their file is complete; PG timelines vary by department, with Business and Computer Science moving fastest.
• Acceptance deadline: Admitted students must confirm their intent to enrol and pay the enrolment deposit within four weeks of the offer, usually by 1 May 2027 for Fall entrants.
• Conditional offers: Common when English scores or final marksheets are pending; the offer becomes unconditional once the document arrives.
• Deferral policy: Admitted Indian students may request a one-semester deferral to the next intake, subject to program approval; no automatic year-long deferral.
• I-20 issuance: After deposit payment and financial-document verification, Lehman’s ISS office issues the Form I-20 within two to three weeks, unlocking the F-1 visa appointment.

Lehman College Documents Required for Indian Applicants

Every Indian file at Lehman College must carry the same core paperwork, regardless of level. Missing even one item at the document deadline moves the file to the next intake.

• Valid Indian passport with at least six months of remaining validity beyond intended arrival.
• Class X, XI, and XII marksheets and pass certificates (attested photocopies).
• Bachelor’s degree certificate and all semester or year-wise marksheets, for PG applicants.
• WES or ECE course-by-course evaluation report sent directly by the agency to CUNY or Lehman.
• Personal statement or Statement of Purpose describing academic goals and reasons for choosing Lehman.
• Two or three Letters of Recommendation from academic or professional referees (PG only; UG typically waives).
• Updated CV or resume showing internships, projects, and work experience (PG applicants).
• Official English test score report sent electronically from IELTS, ETS (TOEFL), Pearson (PTE), or Duolingo.
• Financial affidavit or bank statement showing at least USD 30,000 (around ₹ 28.35 Lakhs) available for one year of study.
• Passport-size photographs meeting US visa specifications.
• Copy of any prior US visa or SEVIS record, if applicable.

Before you apply: Order the WES evaluation at least eight weeks before Lehman’s document deadline, since the evaluation itself takes three to five weeks and Indian universities can add another two weeks to send transcripts to WES.

Lehman College Acceptance Rate for Indian Students

Lehman College’s overall acceptance rate is 57 percent, per US News 2026, which places it among the more accessible CUNY senior colleges and well above New York’s private research universities. Lehman also holds the Regional Universities North rank of 33 in the same US News 2026 edition; browse the full ranking band for context.

What the 57 percent means for Indian applicants

The published rate is institution-wide. Indian applicants meeting the Class XII 75 percent floor and English minimums are typically admitted to their first-choice major outside Nursing and Accounting, which run competitive secondary reviews.

Lehman College Admission Odds by Program

UG Nursing and PG Accounting are the two most selective tracks, with acceptance dropping close to 30 to 35 percent based on program patterns; Liberal Arts and Education majors run at or above the 57 percent institutional average.

Insider note: A CGPA of 8.0 or higher in a four-year Indian bachelor’s with a clean SOP has historically converted to Lehman graduate offers within four weeks, based on Indian-applicant patterns.

USA F-1 Student Visa Process for Lehman College

Indian students admitted to Lehman College need the F-1 student visa to study full-time in the USA. Once the Form I-20 arrives from Lehman’s International Student Services office, the F-1 process runs through the US Embassy or Consulate in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, or Hyderabad. Applicants pay the SEVIS I-901 fee of USD 350 (around ₹ 33,075), complete the DS-160 form, and pay the machine-readable visa fee of USD 185 (around ₹ 17,483). Financial proof of at least USD 30,000 (around ₹ 28.35 Lakhs) covering one year of tuition and living costs must be shown at the interview, and Lehman’s I-20 lists the exact figure required. The consular officer looks for genuine student intent, ties to India, and post-study plans that align with the 12-month OPT (36 months for STEM) pathway. Read the deeper student reviews and outcomes to see how Lehman alumni have moved into OPT roles in New York.

2026 update: The US visa interview waiver window for renewals continues into 2026, but every first-time F-1 applicant must attend an in-person interview; slot availability in Delhi and Mumbai peaks in May and June, so book by March once the I-20 is in hand.

Lehman College Admissions Tips and Checklist

The following tips and steps are drawn from Indian-applicant patterns at Lehman College across recent Fall intakes and cover both preparation quality and timing.

• Start the WES report 10 weeks early: Indian marksheet delivery from universities like Delhi University or Mumbai University can add two weeks to WES’s own three to five week processing.
• Use the MOI waiver route: If your school issues an official Medium of Instruction certificate for Class XI and XII, submit it upfront rather than sitting for IELTS or TOEFL.
• Complete the CUNY Application by mid-November 2026: Portal load spikes near the 1 December international deadline, and payment issues take three to five days to resolve.
• Draft the personal statement around one Lehman-specific hook: Reviewers respond to references to specific faculty labs, the Bronx location, or Lehman’s Herbert H. Lehman legacy, not generic CUNY praise.
• Order official test scores three weeks ahead of the docs deadline: ETS and IELTS score delivery to CUNY can take up to 14 business days from the score-send request.
• Budget for the enrolment deposit inside admission planning: Lehman requires a non-refundable enrolment deposit before I-20 issuance; keep USD 250 to 500 (around ₹ 23,625 to ₹ 47,250) liquid for this step.
• Book the F-1 visa appointment on the day the I-20 arrives: Peak-season slots in April to July close within hours of release across all five Indian consulates.
• Confirm SEVIS payment 72 hours before the visa interview: The receipt is one of the three documents the consular officer physically checks first.

Lehman College remains one of the most accessible four-year US public colleges for Indian students with a 57 percent acceptance rate, USD 65 UG and USD 75 PG application fees, and a Fall 2027 UG international deadline of 1 December 2026; MOI-based English waivers and no GRE requirement further lower the bar.