IELTS Requirement for United States Universities: Minimum Score

Typical minimum: 6.5 overall, commonly with a minimum of 6.0 in each section, verified 7 September 2026.

US universities set their own English test thresholds rather than following a national minimum. 6.5 overall is the figure most commonly published among the large public universities researched for this project's own university dataset, though individual institutions range from about 6.0 to 7.0 depending on the university and program.

Verified universities in United States and their minimum

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, United States, public

$35,540
IELTS 6
Arizona State University

Tempe, United States, public

$42,810
IELTS 6 · 89.89% admitted
University of Washington

Seattle, United States, public

$61,050
IELTS 6 · 41.75% admitted
Texas A&M University

College Station, United States, public

$39,350
IELTS 6
Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, United States, public

$37,330
IELTS 6 · 12.82% admitted
Indiana University Bloomington

Bloomington, United States, public

$44,340
IELTS 6.5
University of Texas at Austin

Austin, United States, public

$42,550 to $51,110
IELTS 6.5
University of California, Davis

Davis, United States, public

$57,350
IELTS 6.5 · 45.8% admitted
The Ohio State University

Columbus, United States, public

$47,370
IELTS 6.5
University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, United States, public

$46,060 to $50,170
IELTS 6.5
University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, United States, public

$57,480
IELTS 6.5 · 10.5% admitted
Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, United States, public

$37,260
IELTS 6.5
Michigan State University

East Lansing, United States, public

$45,040
IELTS 6.5
North Carolina State University

Raleigh, United States, public

$34,960
IELTS 6.5
Purdue University

West Lafayette, United States, public

$32,100
IELTS 6.5 · 43.4% admitted
University of California, Irvine

Irvine, United States, public

$59,380
IELTS 6.5 · 30.3% admitted
University of California, Los Angeles

Los Angeles, United States, public

$55,700
IELTS 6.5 · 10.8% admitted
Pennsylvania State University

University Park, United States, public

$44,570
IELTS 6.5
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, United States, public

$44,190
IELTS 6.5
Rutgers University-New Brunswick

New Brunswick, United States, public

$40,840
IELTS 6.5
Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, United States, public

$40,180
IELTS 6.5
University of California, San Diego

San Diego, United States, public

$60,900
IELTS 7 · 27.2% admitted
University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, United States, public

$45,480
IELTS 7
Boston University

Boston, United States, private nonprofit

$74,590
IELTS 7 · 12.84% admitted
University of Maryland

College Park, United States, public

$44,090
IELTS 7

Sources, checked 7 September 2026

https://admissions.purdue.edu/become-student/english-proficiency/