,·Private (nonprofit)·Est. 1897
“A small evangelical Christian university in suburban Chicago, best known for its internationally-known Divinity School.”
Trinity International University (TIU) is a small private Christian university on a wooded 111-acre campus in Deerfield, Illinois, about 30 miles north of downtown Chicago. TIU traces its founding to 1897, when the Swedish Evangelical Free Church started a ten-week Bible course in the basement of a Chicago church; a century of mergers and moves later, the school took its current name in 1995 and is now the only university affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America. Its Deerfield-based Illinois campus combines the undergraduate Trinity College, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS), and a graduate school of counseling and business — each of which shapes the character of the place. Academically, TIU is best known nationally for Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, a world-recognized evangelical seminary that draws international pastors, missionaries, and scholars into the heart of its MDiv, ThM, and PhD programs. The undergraduate college is much smaller — around 450 students — and offers a focused liberal-arts and pre-professional curriculum centered on business, psychology, communication, education, and biblical studies, usually taught in small seminar-style classes with significant faith integration. The counseling psychology and marriage-and-family programs are notable regionally for preparing clinically licensed Christian counselors. Campus life reflects the university's size and mission: residential students live in close community, Trinity athletics compete at the NCAA Division III level as the Trinity Trolls, and weekly chapel, small groups, and short-term missions are part of the rhythm. International students have historically gravitated toward TEDS from Korea, China, Brazil, and across Africa, and the Divinity School's global alumni network is one of the densest in evangelical theology anywhere in the US.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceFall Rolling
Rolling review for undergraduate and graduate fall intake.
Spring Rolling
Rolling review for spring intake.
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$12,320
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
Faith-integrated liberal arts college offering 30+ majors and emphasizing biblical worldview, small classes, and mentoring relationships.
One of the leading evangelical seminaries in the world, with global MDiv, ThM, and PhD programs and strong international enrollment.
Graduate programs in counseling, mental-health, leadership, and business for practitioners pursuing clinical licensure or ministry-adjacent careers.
Separate California law school associated with TIU (not Illinois-based), serving working professionals pursuing JD degrees.
3 years
TEDS's flagship professional ministry degree, globally recognized and heavily international; multiple concentrations including biblical studies, missions, and counseling.
2 years
Clinically-oriented, faith-informed program preparing students for Illinois LPC licensure.
4 years
Small-cohort undergraduate business program emphasizing ethics, leadership, and Chicago-area internships.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $12,320
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
