Applying to US Universities from Colombia: Timeline, Documents, and Costs
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 19, 2026
Part of the guide Applying to US Universities by Home Country: Timeline, Documents and Costs
Colombia sent 10,213 students to US colleges and universities in 2024/25, ranking 18th among all origin countries. Budget nine to twelve months before your target start date, and plan for SEVIS, visa, and application fees on top of tuition deposits.
🎓 Undergraduate applicants need a diploma de bachiller, certificado de notas, and usually TOEFL or IELTS.
💵 Application, testing, and evaluation fees are due before you reach the visa stage.
📩 After an offer, your school issues Form I-20, then you pay the $350 SEVIS fee.
🛂 Interviews happen at the US Embassy in Bogotá or the consular agency in Barranquilla.
How the Colombian school calendar lines up with US deadlines
Colombia sent 10,213 students to US colleges and universities in 2024/25, according to the Open Doors 2025 country fact sheet, ranking 18th among all places of origin. Colombian bachillerato ends around age 17 after grade 11, with a diploma de bachiller. Most US bachelor's programs start their main intake in August or September, and admission cycles open close to a year earlier. If you finish school toward the end of the year, you can target a US fall start the following year, which gives you roughly nine to twelve months to prepare documents, tests, and applications.
Graduate programs run on a similar clock. Most US master's and PhD programs admit for a fall start and set deadlines between December and February of the prior year. A smaller group of programs also admit in January, which suits students finishing a título profesional mid-year.
A typical timeline for a US fall start
| When (relative to your target start) | What to do |
|---|---|
| 9-12 months before | Research schools and programs, register for TOEFL or IELTS |
| 7-9 months before | Request transcripts and recommendation letters, start a credential evaluation if needed |
| 6-8 months before | Submit applications ahead of each school's deadline |
| 3-5 months before | Receive decisions, accept an offer, confirm funding |
| 2-4 months before | Receive Form I-20, pay the SEVIS fee, schedule your visa interview |
| 1-2 months before | Attend the visa interview, book travel once the visa is issued |
Documents you need before you apply
Undergraduate applicants submit the diploma de bachiller, or proof you will finish it before enrollment, an official certificado de notas covering all years of secondary school, and a certified English translation of both. Some schools also want ICFES Saber 11 results as supporting evidence of academic level, even though it is not a US-recognized exam on its own.
Graduate applicants submit the university transcript and the acta de grado or título profesional confirming the degree was conferred. Schools that do not read Colombian transcripts directly ask for a course-by-course credential evaluation from a NACES member service, covered in the transcript evaluation guide for Colombian students.
Diploma de bachiller or título profesional
Official certificado de notas, all years
Certified English translations
Letters of recommendation
Personal statement or essays
TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test score
Financial documents showing you can cover a year of costs
Standardized tests and proving your English
A growing number of US universities made the SAT and ACT optional for international applicants, so check each school's current testing policy before you register for either exam. English proficiency proof stays standard at most schools: TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic, or the Duolingo English Test, which a growing number of schools now accept. Confirm which test your target schools take before you pay for one, since scores do not transfer between very different tests.
What the application stage costs
Each school sets its own application fee, separate from anything you pay in Colombia. If cost is a barrier, ask the admissions office for a fee waiver, most US schools grant one for documented financial need. Add the cost of TOEFL or IELTS registration, sending official score reports, and a credential evaluation where a school requires one. None of this is refundable if you are not admitted, so apply to a realistic number of schools rather than the maximum you can afford.
Proving you can afford the program
Every I-20 requires proof you or a sponsor can cover at least one year of tuition and living costs, shown through bank statements, a scholarship or assistantship letter, or a notarized affidavit of support from a sponsor. Colombian banks can issue an official balance certification in English or with a certified translation, ask for this specifically rather than a regular printed statement. If a parent or another sponsor is paying, the school usually wants both the sponsor's bank documents and a signed letter confirming they will cover your costs.
Mistakes that cost applicants time
Waiting until admission to start the credential evaluation, which can take weeks
Submitting a certificado de notas that only covers part of secondary school
Booking the visa interview before the school has issued the signed I-20
Assuming a previous US visa means no interview is needed this time
After acceptance: I-20, SEVIS, and the fees ahead
Once a school admits you and you show you can cover a year of tuition, housing, and living costs, it issues Form I-20. You then pay the I-901 SEVIS fee, $350 for F-1 students, before you schedule a visa interview, according to Study in the States . Add the $185 MRV visa application fee on top. A new $250 Visa Integrity Fee created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act started reaching some visa applicants during 2026, though collection procedures are still being finalized at posts worldwide as of August 2026, according to Boston University's international student office . Budget for all three fees before you book an interview.
Free help while you are in Colombia
EducationUSA runs advising centers across Colombia at no cost, including the Centro Colombo Americano centers in Bogotá and Medellín, the Colfuturo center in Bogotá, and a center in Cali, according to EducationUSA . Advisers help with school selection, application strategy, and test registration, and most run workshops ahead of major deadlines.