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TOEFL iBT Score Requirements by University

Find the minimum TOEFL iBT score you need for 100+ universities across the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and beyond.

Why requirements vary: Each university and faculty sets its own language policy. A business school and an engineering department at the same university can have TOEFL requirements 10–15 points apart.

Total score vs section minimums: Many universities set a floor for individual sections — most commonly Speaking and Writing. Meeting the total score is not enough if any section falls below its stated minimum.

MyBest Scores policy varies: Some universities accept ETS MyBest Scores (best sections across multiple sittings); others require all scores from a single sitting. Always check the specific university policy before relying on MyBest Scores for an application.

Higher requirements for competitive programs: Medicine, law, education, and business programs routinely require higher scores than the general university minimum.

TOEFL iBT only: All scores on this page refer to TOEFL iBT (the standard internet-based test) unless stated otherwise — not TOEFL Essentials or TOEFL ITP. Always verify which test version your university accepts.

TOEFL iBT Requirements at Top Universities

Filter by country, study level, score threshold, or MyBest Scores policy. Click Min Total to sort by score. Colour coding: amber = 79–89, green = 90–99, dark green = 100+.

Showing 89 of 89 universities

UniversityCountryLevelMin Total Section MinimumsMyBest AcceptedNotes
ANUAustraliaUndergrad80—Single sitting only—
Boston UniversityUSAUndergrad84Speaking 18Accepts MyBest—
Carnegie Mellon UniversityUSAPostgrad100Speaking 22Not specifiedCS: 100; Tepper MBA: 100
Columbia UniversityUSAPostgrad100—Accepts MyBestVaries by school
Cornell UniversityUSAPostgrad100—Not specifiedVaries by college
Dartmouth CollegeUSAPostgrad100—Not specifiedTuck MBA: 100
Delft University of TechnologyNetherlandsUndergrad90—Not specified—
Duke UniversityUSAPostgrad100—Not specified—
Durham UniversityUKUndergrad90—Not specified—
Erasmus University RotterdamNetherlandsPostgrad90—Not specifiedRSM MBA: 100
Georgetown UniversityUSAUndergrad100—Not specified—
Harvard UniversityUSAPostgrad100—Not specifiedVaries by school — some require Speaking 80 (iBT)
Heidelberg UniversityGermanyPostgrad90—Not specified—
Imperial College LondonUKUndergrad92—Single sitting onlyMedicine: higher
Johns Hopkins UniversityUSAPostgrad100—Not specifiedBloomberg School of Public Health: 100
King's College LondonUKPostgrad95—Not specifiedHealth: 100
Leiden UniversityNetherlandsUndergrad90—Not specified—
LMU MunichGermanyPostgrad95—Not specifiedEnglish-taught programs
LSEUKPostgrad107—Single sitting only—
McGillCanadaUndergrad90Speaking 20Not specifiedMedicine: higher
McGillCanadaPostgrad100Speaking 20Single sitting only—
McMaster UniversityCanadaUndergrad86—Not specifiedHealth Sciences: higher
MITUSAPostgrad90—Not specifiedRecommended minimum — some departments require higher
Monash UniversityAustraliaUndergrad79—Single sitting onlyMedicine: 94
Newcastle UniversityUKUndergrad87—Not specified—
Northeastern UniversityUSAUndergrad79—Accepts MyBest—
Northwestern UniversityUSAPostgrad100—Not specifiedKellogg MBA: 100
NTUSingaporeUndergrad90—Not specified—
NUSSingaporeUndergrad90—Not specified—
NYUUSAUndergrad84—Accepts MyBestVaries by school — Stern: 100
Ohio State UniversityUSAUndergrad79—Not specified—
Penn StateUSAUndergrad80—Not specified—
Princeton UniversityUSAPostgrad100—Not specified—
Purdue UniversityUSAUndergrad77Speaking 18Not specified—
Queens UniversityCanadaUndergrad88—Not specified—
Rice UniversityUSAPostgrad100—Not specified—
Simon Fraser UniversityCanadaUndergrad86—Not specified—
Stanford UniversityUSAPostgrad100—Accepts MyBestSome programs accept 89
Trinity College DublinIrelandUndergrad92—Not specified—
TU MunichGermanyPostgrad95—Not specified—
UBCCanadaUndergrad90Speaking 20Not specifiedSome programs: 100
UBCCanadaPostgrad100Speaking 20Single sitting only—
UC BerkeleyUSAPostgrad90—Accepts MyBestSome programs: 80
UCLUKUndergrad92—Single sitting onlyVaries by faculty
UCLAUSAUndergrad87—Accepts MyBestMost programs
University College CorkIrelandUndergrad88—Not specified—
University College DublinIrelandUndergrad90—Not specified—
University of AdelaideAustraliaUndergrad79—Single sitting only—
University of AlbertaCanadaUndergrad90—Not specified—
University of AmsterdamNetherlandsUndergrad92—Not specified—
University of AucklandNew ZealandUndergrad90—Not specifiedMedicine: 100
University of BirminghamUKUndergrad88—Not specified—
University of BristolUKUndergrad88—Not specified—
University of CambridgeUKPostgrad110—Single sitting onlyVaries by course — some require 100
University of ChicagoUSAPostgrad104—Not specifiedBooth MBA: 104
University of EdinburghUKUndergrad92—Not specifiedVaries by school
University of ExeterUKUndergrad85—Not specified—
University of FloridaUSAUndergrad80—Not specified—
University of GlasgowUKUndergrad90—Not specified—
University of IllinoisUSAUndergrad79Speaking 18Not specifiedEngineering: 96
University of LeedsUKUndergrad87—Not specified—
University of ManchesterUKUndergrad90—Not specifiedPG Business: 100
University of MelbourneAustraliaUndergrad79—Single sitting onlyMedicine: 94
University of MelbourneAustraliaPostgrad94—Single sitting only—
University of MichiganUSAPostgrad100—Accepts MyBestVaries by program
University of North CarolinaUSAUndergrad90—Not specified—
University of NottinghamUKUndergrad87—Not specified—
University of OtagoNew ZealandUndergrad90—Not specified—
University of OttawaCanadaUndergrad86—Not specified—
University of OxfordUKPostgrad110Sp 25, Wr 25, Li 22, Re 22Single sitting onlyMost graduate programs — varies by course
University of PennsylvaniaUSAPostgrad100—Not specifiedWharton: TOEFL preferred over IELTS
University of QueenslandAustraliaUndergrad87—Single sitting only—
University of SheffieldUKUndergrad87—Not specified—
University of SouthamptonUKUndergrad88—Not specified—
University of SydneyAustraliaUndergrad85—Single sitting onlyLaw: 95
University of SydneyAustraliaPostgrad94—Single sitting only—
University of Texas AustinUSAUndergrad79—Accepts MyBestMcCombs Business: 90
University of TorontoCanadaUndergrad100Speaking 22, Writing 22Not specifiedVaries by program — Engineering: 100
University of TorontoCanadaPostgrad100Speaking 22, Writing 22Single sitting onlyRotman MBA: 100
University of VirginiaUSAUndergrad90—Not specified—
University of WarwickUKUndergrad90—Not specified—
University of WashingtonUSAUndergrad76—Accepts MyBest—
University of WaterlooCanadaUndergrad90Speaking 20Not specified—
UNSWAustraliaUndergrad85—Single sitting only—
UWAAustraliaUndergrad80—Single sitting only—
Vanderbilt UniversityUSAPostgrad100—Not specified—
Victoria University WellingtonNew ZealandUndergrad90—Not specified—
Western UniversityCanadaUndergrad86—Not specified—
Yale UniversityUSAPostgrad100—Not specifiedGraduate School of Arts and Sciences

TOEFL Section Score Minimums — What They Mean and Why They Matter

Total Score Minimum

The minimum TOEFL iBT total score (out of 120) a university will accept. Your four section scores (each out of 30) are summed to produce the total.

Section Score Minimum

Many universities set a floor for individual sections. Even if your total exceeds the minimum, a single section below its stated floor will disqualify your application.

Worked Example — Rejected Despite Exceeding Total Score

University requirement: total 90, Speaking minimum 22

Reading26/30
Listening27/30
Speaking19/30(min 22 required)
Writing25/30

Total: 97 — exceeds the 90 requirement. But Speaking 19 is below the minimum of 22. Result: does not meet requirements.

Which Sections Have Minimums Most Often?

Speaking

Most common

Programs with oral communication requirements (business, education, healthcare) often set Speaking 22–25. This is the most frequent blocking section.

Writing

Second most common

Essay-heavy programs scrutinise Writing. Commonly set at 22–24 for competitive programs.

Reading

Less common

Reading minimums are set independently less often, but still appear — particularly at research-intensive universities.

Listening

Least common

Rarely the sole blocking section, but Oxford is a notable exception with a stated Listening minimum of 22.

TOEFL MyBest Scores — Which Universities Accept Them?

What is MyBest Scores? MyBest Scores combines the best section scores from multiple TOEFL iBT attempts within the past 2 years. ETS reports both single-test scores and MyBest Scores on every official score report sent to universities.

Example calculation

AttemptReadingListeningSpeakingWritingTotal
Attempt 12422202187
Attempt 22225232292
MyBest2425232294
UniversityCountryMyBest PolicyNotes
MITUSAAccepts MyBest—
HarvardUSAAccepts MyBestSome schools require single sitting — verify per program
StanfordUSAAccepts MyBest—
ColumbiaUSAAccepts MyBest—
NYUUSAAccepts MyBest—
UCLAUSAAccepts MyBest—
UC BerkeleyUSAAccepts MyBest—
University of OxfordUKSingle sitting only—
LSEUKSingle sitting only—
UCLUKSingle sitting onlyVerify per program
University of TorontoCanadaSingle sitting onlySingle sitting required for most programs
University of MelbourneAustraliaSingle sitting onlySingle sitting typically required — verify per faculty

Typical TOEFL Requirements by Subject Area

Program-specific requirements within a university often differ from the general university minimum. Always check the specific program admissions page.

Field of StudyTypical UG MinTypical PG MinCommon Section MinWhy Higher
Medicine & Dentistry94–100100–110Speaking 24+Patient communication and clinical safety
Nursing90–10095–100Speaking 22+Patient interaction requirements
Law100100Writing 24+Complex legal writing and reasoning
Business & MBA90–100100–104Speaking 22Professional communication
Education & TESOL90–100100Speaking 24+Teaching requires strong spoken English
Engineering79–9090–100—Technical documentation
Computer Science79–9090–100——
Social Sciences9090–100Writing 22Essay-heavy coursework
Arts & Humanities90100Writing 22—
Architecture9090——
Foundation Programs61–79N/A—Pathway entry level

What If You Don't Meet the TOEFL Requirement?

Pre-Sessional English Programs

Many UK and Australian universities offer pre-sessional English programs for students who narrowly miss the TOEFL requirement. A student with TOEFL 84 applying for a program requiring 90 may be offered a 6–10 week pre-sessional program. Completing it successfully satisfies the language condition without retaking TOEFL.

Universities with well-regarded pre-sessional programs include: University of Manchester, UCL, and University of Melbourne.

Conditional Offers

Universities often issue conditional offers where TOEFL is one of the conditions. The offer is confirmed once you submit a qualifying TOEFL score before enrollment. Deadlines vary — typically 4–6 weeks before term starts.

TOEFL Retake Strategy

TOEFL can be retaken after 3 days with no limit on total attempts. If your Speaking score is your weakest section, targeted Speaking preparation before retaking is more efficient than general test preparation. Focus on the section holding you back rather than equal revision across all four sections.

MyBest Scores Strategy

If you have taken TOEFL multiple times and your best scores come from different sittings, check if your target university accepts MyBest Scores. If they do, your combined best-section score report may already meet the requirement without retaking.

Foundation and Pathway Programs

If significantly below the requirement (e.g. TOEFL 70 for a 90 requirement) a foundation year with English components is the appropriate route. These are offered by most large UK and Australian universities and accepted for direct degree entry.

TOEFL Essentials Alternative

TOEFL Essentials is a shorter 90-minute adaptive test accepted by some universities. However most competitive universities require TOEFL iBT specifically — always verify which test version is accepted before switching.

TOEFL and Student Visa Requirements

University admissions requirements and student visa requirements are separate. A TOEFL score that satisfies your university may not satisfy your visa authority.

USA (F-1 Visa)

TOEFL sufficient

The US student visa (F-1) does not require a specific English test. The TOEFL requirement is set by the university for admissions, not by USCIS for the visa. Once admitted with a valid TOEFL score, no separate English test is needed for the visa process.

UK (Student Visa)

IELTS also required for visa

TOEFL iBT is not an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) for UK Student Visa applications. Students need IELTS UKVI or another approved SELT for the visa even if their UK university accepts TOEFL for admissions. This means students applying to UK universities with TOEFL may need to take IELTS UKVI separately for the visa.

Australia (Subclass 500)

TOEFL sufficient

TOEFL iBT is accepted for the Australian student visa (subclass 500). The minimum for most student visa categories is approximately TOEFL 46 overall, though individual course requirements are higher. Both the visa minimum and the course minimum must be met.

Canada (Study Permit)

TOEFL sufficient

Canada does not have a language test requirement for the student permit itself. The language requirement is set by the university. TOEFL is accepted by most Canadian universities and no separate visa-specific test is needed. Note: TOEFL is not accepted for Canadian immigration (Express Entry) — if you plan to apply for Canadian PR you will need IELTS or CELPIP.

Frequently Asked Questions