This guide collects the facts an international student needs before applying to University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL), a public university in Houston, Texas. Everything below was taken from the official uhcl.edu website on August 6, 2026. Tuition, deadlines and score requirements change every year, so treat the official website’s latest version as the authority when you are actually applying.
About University of Houston-Clear Lake
University of Houston-Clear Lake is a public university located in the Clear Lake area of southeastern Houston, Texas. Its main campus covers 524 acres and, as the official site describes it, sits on a wildlife and nature preserve in the heart of Clear Lake’s high-tech community, at 2700 Bay Area Boulevard. Clear Lake is the home of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, and the university’s own website points out that Houston hosts NASA, the world’s largest medical center and many leading high-tech industries, which students in aerospace, engineering and healthcare fields can draw on for internships and careers. The university is part of the University of Houston System, and its admissions pages state that UHCL offers more than 90 degree programs and over 100 student organizations, with 40-plus minors available. Accreditation, according to the official site, comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC), with the College of Business holding AACSB International accreditation and key high-demand programs in the College of Science and Engineering accredited by ABET.
Academic Programs and Colleges
University of Houston-Clear Lake organizes its degrees and certificates into four colleges: the College of Business, the College of Human Sciences and Humanities, the College of Education, and the College of Science and Engineering. The College of Business covers accounting, decision sciences, economics, finance, marketing, healthcare administration, management and management information systems; the College of Education is recognized by the Texas State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) for its teacher preparation and leadership programs; and the College of Science and Engineering runs many of the high-demand ABET-accredited programs. The official site also lists a healthcare administration (HADM) program based in the Texas Medical Center. Beyond the main campus, UHCL at Pearland has offered undergraduate and graduate programs since 2010 in areas such as education, nursing, business and behavioral science, and from Fall 2024 it offers a Master of Science in Nursing Education and Leadership. Transfer students with more than 45 credit hours can complete selected bachelor’s degrees at Pearland.
Admission Routes for International Students
University of Houston-Clear Lake’s Office of International Admissions and Student Services divides international applicants into three routes: freshman, transfer and graduate. Freshman and transfer applicants apply through Apply Texas, while graduate applicants use the UHCL Graduate Application Portal; the application fee is a nonrefundable $75 in all cases. International freshmen educated outside the United States must hold the equivalent of a U.S. high school diploma, submit official SAT or ACT scores, and meet the English proficiency requirement, after which the office completes a holistic review of each applicant. International transfer admission depends on credit hours completed and cumulative GPA: for Fall 2026 onward, applicants with 0-14 credit hours must meet freshman criteria, while those with 15 or more credit hours need a cumulative GPA of 2.00 (for Spring/Summer 2026 the bands were 0-11 hours, 12-29 hours at 2.75, 30-44 hours at 2.25, and 45+ hours at 2.00). Graduate admission requirements vary by program: the MBA offers a standardized test waiver for a cumulative GPA of 3.000 or higher on a 4.0 scale, the M.S. in Management Information Systems is test-optional, and programs such as the M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling still weigh GRE or MAT scores unless the applicant’s last 60 credit hours average 3.000 or better.
English Proficiency and Supporting Documents
University of Houston-Clear Lake publishes its minimum English test scores on the official freshman admissions page. The minimums listed there are TOEFL iBT 79 (for exams taken before January 21, 2026; the page notes a separate score basis for exams taken on or after that date), IELTS 6.0, PTE 53, Duolingo English Test 115, or completion of ELS Intensive English Language at level 112. Test scores must be no more than two years old, and applicants educated in countries where English is an official language may qualify for a waiver. Transcripts and diplomas must be submitted in the original language with English translations, and translations are accepted only from the issuing institution, consulate or embassy-approved translators, an approved evaluation provider, or the American Translators Association; official documents must be sent directly to the admissions office by the registrar or the responsible records office. Coursework completed at a university outside the United States requires either a course-by-course evaluation from a NACES-accredited member or English syllabi for every course on the transcript. For the student visa documents, F-1 and J-1 applicants must show funding equal to one year of study with official bank statements no older than six months, carrying the bank’s signature or stamp, and each sponsor signs an Affidavit of Support.
Tuition and Cost of Attendance
University of Houston-Clear Lake publishes two cost frameworks on its official website. The first is the 2026-27 cost of attendance table used to build financial aid packages: for non-resident undergraduates, tuition and fees are estimated at $25,828 per year based on 30 credit hours, with books and supplies at $720, room and board at $12,642 on campus, $15,373 off campus or $7,686 living with parents, transportation at $2,179 and personal expenses at $3,065, giving yearly totals of $44,433 (on campus), $47,164 (off campus) or $39,477 (living with parents). Non-resident graduate students, based on 18 credit hours, are estimated at $19,211 for tuition and fees and $540 for books, with yearly totals of $37,637 on campus, $40,367 off campus or $32,681 living with parents. The second framework is the I-20 cost of attendance table (Summer 2024-Spring 2025 edition): undergraduate 9-month total $45,600 and 12-month total $55,900, with graduate 9-month $38,300 and 12-month $51,900, all including an “other” allowance of $4,500 for medical insurance and books, plus about $5,000 per dependent. The two tables use different years and different credit-hour assumptions, so read the assumptions before you budget with either one.
Deadlines and the I-20 Timeline
University of Houston-Clear Lake runs on application deadlines and document deadlines as two separate milestones. International freshmen: Fall applications by June 1 with documents by June 15; Spring applications by October 1 with documents by October 15; no summer intake. International transfer: Fall applications by July 15 with documents by August 1; Spring by December 15 with documents by January 2; Summer by May 1 with documents by May 15. International graduate: Fall applications by June 1 with documents by June 15; Spring by October 1 with documents by October 15; Summer by April 1 with documents by April 15, and some programs (for example Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Fall March 1 / Spring September 1, and the Curriculum and Instruction Ed.D., Fall only by July 15) run earlier. After admission, the official next steps are: activate the goUHCL student account, check the university email, upload financial documents through the international student document (ISD) portal, and download the I-20 from the portal. Because visa appointments can take time, the official site advises finishing the financial document upload as early as possible.
Pearland Campus and Student Life
University of Houston-Clear Lake’s Pearland campus, located just off Pearland Parkway a few miles south of Beltway 8, has served the area since 2010 and offers degrees in business, behavioral science, education and nursing, including programs such as the B.S. in Behavioral Sciences, the M.S. in School Counseling, the M.S. in Engineering Management and the M.S.N. in Nursing Education and Leadership. On the main campus, the university describes student life around more than 100 student organizations, orientation and new student programs, a career development center, campus recreation and wellness facilities, and recreational sports including cricket, rugby, soccer and table tennis. The university police department is a full-service law enforcement agency accredited through CALEA, and the official site presents the campus’s location on a wildlife preserve as part of its safety and environment story. Houston’s cost of living, the site adds, is lower than the other five largest U.S. cities — a promotional claim, so weigh it as context rather than as a budget guarantee.
Final Notes
Every number in this guide came from the official University of Houston-Clear Lake website on August 6, 2026. Fee schedules, deadlines and English requirements are updated each cycle, and the official pages remain the only binding source; the two cost tables, in particular, rest on different years and credit-hour assumptions and should not be mixed into a single budget. International admission at University of Houston-Clear Lake is organized around three routes with distinct deadlines and documents, so the first step is deciding which route fits your record. Because visa lead times and document evaluation add weeks, start from the deadline and work backwards. If you would like to work through whether UHCL suits your academic background, language level and budget, speak with our study-abroad advisers, who can map the official requirements onto your own situation.