Bethel's campus wraps around Lake Valentine in Arden Hills, a northern suburb of St. Paul. The university grew out of a Swedish Baptist seminary founded in 1871, and it's still an evangelical Christian university where faith is part of daily life. Nursing, business, the sciences and a physician assistant master's are its best-known programmes. Downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis are each about 20 minutes away.
Arden Hills, Minnesota, United States
Official website: bethel.edu
1871
Private evangelical Christian university
Lake Valentine, Arden Hills
$40,000 – $44,000
International students, undergraduate tuition before scholarships
$12,000 – $15,000
Rent, food and local transport
Approximate figures for 2026-27, please verify. Fees change every year and vary by course, so check the latest amount on bethel.edu before you apply.
BS Nursing
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
BA Business
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
BS Biology
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
BS Computer Science
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
MS Physician Assistant
Masters DegreeDuration
24-28 Months
Intake
Jun
Exam Score
IELTS: 7.0, TOEFL: 100
A lakeside campus in the Twin Cities suburbs.
Nursing with clinical placements in Twin Cities hospitals.
Christian faith woven into courses and campus life.
Nursing graduates join hospital systems such as Allina Health and Fairview.
Business graduates work for Twin Cities employers including 3M, Target and Medtronic.
F-1 graduates can apply for OPT after their degree.
Undergrad
Main intake
Postgrad
Selected programmes
Undergrad
Limited
Postgrad
No PG intake
The campus sits on wooded hills around Lake Valentine, with residence halls, walking trails and a big student centre.
Downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis are each about 20 minutes by car, with buses into both. Winters are long, dark and snowy, and spring arrives late.
Form I-20 issued by Bethel University
Proof of funds for one academic year
SEVIS I-901 fee payment receipt
Completed DS-160 online application
US embassy or consulate interview
Passport valid six months beyond stay
Bethel reviews undergraduate applications on a rolling basis, with scholarship priority dates in the autumn and winter. International students should apply by spring for fall. The physician assistant programme has its own earlier deadline.
Most undergraduates start in August, with a smaller spring intake in January.
International students come in on an F-1 visa. The I-20 comes from Bethel University after you confirm your place and show you can cover a year of costs; you then pay the SEVIS fee, fill in the DS-160 and book your consulate interview.
Nursing, business, biology, computer science and the physician assistant master's are popular. Undergraduates need school results and TOEFL 80 or IELTS 6.5. The PA programme needs a bachelor's degree, science prerequisites and patient care hours.
Bethel gives merit scholarships to undergraduates, including international students, at the point of admission. Graduate aid is more limited.
