Saint Francis University Admissions 2026: Application Deadline, Eligibility & Fees

Saint Francis University Application Deadlines for Indian Students

Saint Francis University runs rolling admissions with two live intakes a year, but international applicants have their own earlier cut-offs so there is time to arrange an I-20 and a US visa interview. There is no application fee at Saint Francis University, regardless of whether you apply through the SFU Online Application or the Common Application, per the official francis.edu how-to-apply page.

Fall carries the broadest program coverage. Spring is open to most majors but excludes a few cohort-based health programs that start only in August.

Planning note: The university needs you admitted at least 60 days before classes to issue the I-20. Target the June 30 Fall deadline, not the standard August 1 one, so the US consulate interview fits comfortably in July.

Saint Francis University Eligibility for Indian Students

Eligibility at Saint Francis University stays close to the US national baseline: an accredited secondary or post-secondary record, a credential evaluation from a NACES member for Indian transcripts, and an English proficiency score. The university is test-optional for SAT and ACT, so Class XII is the primary academic signal for undergraduate review.

• UG general entry: Class XII with 65 percent, English in the Class XII subjects
• PG general entry: Three or four-year Bachelor’s with 60 percent in the related discipline
• English floor: TOEFL iBT 79, IELTS Academic 6.0, or PTE Academic 54 for most PG health programs
• Credential eval: Course-by-course report from WES, ECE, or another NACES member
• SAT or ACT: Optional for Indian UG applicants, not used for the English waiver

Insider note: Saint Francis University does not accept the Duolingo English Test. Indian applicants planning to skip IELTS and TOEFL will need to re-book a British Council IELTS slot or an ETS TOEFL iBT home-edition slot before the Fall deadline.

Applicants below the English floor are routed into the A.C.E. (Academy for the Communication of English) pathway on campus, which accepts TOEFL iBT 32 or IELTS 4.0 and lets students progress to a degree program on completion. Health-science programs like DPT, OT, and PA have additional prerequisite coursework and may require a higher Bachelor’s GPA — confirm these on the funding and course page for Indian students, since merit awards also hinge on these benchmarks.

Saint Francis University PG Programs for Indian Students

Saint Francis University’s graduate catalogue is weighted toward campus-based health sciences, which are the usable options for Indian F-1 applicants. Base tuition sits at USD 875 per credit (INR 82,687) for business tracks and USD 1,142 per credit (INR 1.08 Lakhs) for the Physician Assistant program, with the full course-wise fees breakdown on the fees page. Business tracks (MBA, HR Management, Strategic Leadership) run fully online and are therefore not F-1 eligible — Indian students targeting a US-campus experience should pick from the health or education cohorts below.

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

Saint Francis University UG Programs for Indian Students

Undergraduate tuition is a flat USD 46,000 (INR 43.47 Lakhs) per year across all majors, with no out-of-state surcharge for Indian students. The 2026-2027 rate is confirmed on the official undergraduate tuition page. Nursing and the direct-entry 3+2 Occupational Therapy and Physician Assistant tracks are the heaviest Indian-student picks because they combine a Bachelor’s with a guaranteed seat in the graduate professional program.

SFU is test-optional for SAT and ACT. A strong Class XII board score plus two recommendation letters is enough for the admission file. Pre-PA, Pre-PT, and Pre-OT undergraduate advising is baked into the first-year curriculum for health-track applicants.

Saint Francis University Application Process

The application process at Saint Francis University is a four-step rolling review once your file is complete. Indian applicants should budget around 10 to 14 days from file completion to a decision letter, then another 7 to 10 days for the I-20 to arrive by courier.

1. Create an account on the SFU Online Application portal or the Common Application, selecting Fall 2027 as the target intake. There is no application fee on either platform.
2. Upload your Class XII marksheet or Bachelor’s transcript along with the WES or ECE course-by-course evaluation. Transcripts not in English need a notarised English translation.
3. Send your TOEFL iBT or IELTS score directly from the testing agency to the admissions office; the Common App upload is treated as unofficial.
4. Submit the notarised financial affidavit and a current bank statement showing coverage for one academic year. Statements must be dated within the past two months.
5. On admission, pay the USD 150 confirmation deposit (INR 14,175) through the student portal to trigger I-20 issuance.

Interview rounds are not part of the undergraduate file, but DPT and PA applicants are shortlisted for a video interview conducted by the respective department after the file hits "complete" status.

Saint Francis University Admission Decisions and Offer Timeline

Decisions roll out continuously through the cycle rather than on a fixed release date, which is useful for Indian students chasing the 60-day visa buffer. The office issues three decision types.

• Admit: Letter arrives 10 to 14 days after a complete file, by email and courier
• Conditional admit: Issued if English scores fall below the floor; routes to the A.C.E. pathway
• Deny: Rare at the UG level given the 74 to 75 percent acceptance band; more common for DPT and PA

Offers come with no automatic deferral; a Fall admit who wants to shift to Spring must notify the office before May 1 and re-submit financial documentation. The USD 150 deposit is due within 30 days of admission and secures the seat plus the I-20 release.

Saint Francis University Documents Required for Indian Applicants

Document uploads are consolidated inside the SFU portal, but a few items (official transcripts, test scores) must come by secure channel from the issuing body. Keep clear scans ready before you open the application form to avoid portal timeouts.

• Valid Indian passport, photo page scan
• Class XII marksheet and passing certificate, or Bachelor’s degree certificate for PG
• Course-by-course credential evaluation from WES, ECE, or another NACES member
• Official TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic score report, sent agency-to-institution
• Statement of Purpose or personal statement, 500 to 650 words
• Two letters of recommendation, one academic plus one professional for PG
• Resume or CV, especially for PA (patient-contact hours log) and FNP (nursing experience)
• Notarised financial affidavit and bank statement in English, dated within 60 days
• Signed Declaration of Finances naming the sponsor and relationship

Post-admission items like the immunisation record and the USD 150 deposit receipt are collected separately once you confirm the seat.

Saint Francis University Acceptance Rate for Indian Students

Saint Francis University does not publish a single institution-wide acceptance rate on the francis.edu site. Independent trackers, drawing on IPEDS and Common Data Set filings, place the undergraduate acceptance band at 74 to 75 percent, which lines up with the university’s accessible admissions profile and 14:1 faculty ratio. Health-science programs admit at a much tighter rate.

How Selective Are Saint Francis University PA and DPT?

Physician Assistant admissions move at roughly 8 to 12 percent of the applicant pool, with a GPA cut around 3.2 and 500-plus patient-contact hours as the practical floor. DPT is slightly less competitive at around 20 percent. For Indian students the ranking band context is useful here, since cohort size and competitive density differ sharply from the Nursing and Business pathways.

How Does Saint Francis University Compare on Yield?

Yield (admits who enrol) sits in the mid-20s percent range typical of small Catholic liberal-arts universities. For Indian applicants this means the admit letter is firm — the university rarely over-admits and has no waitlist layer for UG programs.

Insider note: Even with a 74 to 75 percent band at the UG level, Indian applicants should not treat the admit as automatic. Weak English scores and incomplete financial documentation are the two most frequent reject-reason notes on international files.

F-1 Student Visa for Saint Francis University Applicants

Indian students admitted to Saint Francis University apply for the F-1 student visa at the US embassy or consulate (Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, or Hyderabad) once the I-20 arrives. The university’s SEVIS code is listed on the I-20; keep it handy for the DS-160 form. Pay the SEVIS fee of USD 350 (INR 33,075) at least three business days before the visa interview, and the MRV visa fee of USD 185 (INR 17,482) at a HDFC or AXIS designated branch.

The interview is a short in-person appointment focused on three things: your academic plan at SFU, your financial capacity, and ties to India. Carry the I-20, SEVIS fee receipt, DS-160 confirmation, admit letter, bank proofs, and Class XII or Bachelor’s transcripts. On arrival in the US, report to the SFU International Students Office within 15 days of the program start to activate your SEVIS record.

2026 update: F-1 students stepping into a STEM-designated major at SFU (Computer Science, Cybersecurity, General Engineering, Biology-research tracks) qualify for the 36-month OPT, versus 12 months for non-STEM majors like Business Administration or Communications. Confirm the CIP code on your I-20 matches the STEM list before you file for OPT.