Bluffs rise hundreds of feet above Winona, a river town on the Mississippi in south-east Minnesota. Winona State University was founded there in 1858 as the first normal school west of the Mississippi. It is a public university now, known for nursing, education and a rare composite materials engineering programme. There is also a Rochester campus, close to the Mayo Clinic.
Winona, Minnesota, United States
Official website: winona.edu
1858
Public university, Minnesota State system
Composite materials engineering
Winona and Rochester
$15,000 – $19,000
Non-resident undergraduate tuition and fees
$10,000 – $13,000
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 winona.edu before you apply.
BS Nursing
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 68
BS Composite Materials Engineering
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 68
BS Computer Science
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 68
BS Business Administration
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 68
MS Nursing
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 79
A composite materials engineering degree offered by few US universities.
Nursing links with Rochester and the Mayo Clinic.
A river-town campus with bluffs and a lake next door.
Composites graduates join manufacturers in aerospace, boats, sporting goods and wind energy.
Nursing graduates work in hospitals across Minnesota and Wisconsin after licensing.
Engineering and computing graduates can apply for up to three years of STEM OPT.
Undergrad
Rolling
Postgrad
Varies by programme
Undergrad
Rolling
Postgrad
Selected programmes
Campus is a few blocks from Lake Winona, which has a walking loop, and from the bluffs, where Garvin Heights gives a view over the river valley. The town has old brick buildings downtown and a strong local arts scene.
Winters are long and cold. Amtrak's Empire Builder stops in Winona on its way between Chicago and the Twin Cities, and Rochester is about an hour west.
Form I-20 issued by Winona State 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
Winona State reviews international applications on a rolling basis. Aim for May for fall entry and October for spring. Nursing and some graduate programmes have fixed, earlier deadlines.
Undergraduates start in fall (August) or spring (January). Nursing and many graduate programmes admit only in the fall.
You'll need an F-1 visa. Once you accept your offer and send proof of funding, Winona State University issues the Form I-20. After that it's the SEVIS fee, the DS-160 form and an interview at a US embassy or consulate.
Nursing, composite materials engineering, computer science and business are popular. Undergraduates need secondary school results and IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 68. Nursing is competitive and has its own admission step after prerequisite courses.
Winona State offers some scholarships and tuition reductions for international undergraduates. Ask the international office which awards you can apply for.
