TOEFL Requirement for United States Universities: Minimum Score

Typical minimum: commonly 79 to 80 on the 0 to 120 scale. From January 21, 2026, TOEFL iBT also reports a parallel 1 to 6 scale during a transition period, with a typical minimum in the 4.0 to 4.5 range on that scale., verified 7 September 2026.

US universities set their own English test thresholds rather than following a national minimum. Scores among the large public universities researched for this project's own university dataset range from about 61 to 95, with 79 to 80 the most common figure.

Verified universities in United States and their minimum

Arizona State University

Tempe, United States, public

$42,810
IELTS 6 · 89.89% admitted
Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, United States, public

$37,330
IELTS 6 · 12.82% admitted
University at Buffalo

Buffalo, United States, public

$35,540
IELTS 6
University of Washington

Seattle, United States, public

$61,050
IELTS 6 · 41.75% 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
The Ohio State University

Columbus, United States, public

$47,370
IELTS 6.5
Michigan State University

East Lansing, United States, public

$45,040
IELTS 6.5
Rutgers University-New Brunswick

New Brunswick, United States, public

$40,840
IELTS 6.5
University of California, Davis

Davis, United States, public

$57,350
IELTS 6.5 · 45.8% admitted
University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, United States, public

$46,060 to $50,170
IELTS 6.5
Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, United States, public

$37,260
IELTS 6.5
Texas A&M University

College Station, United States, public

$39,350
IELTS 6
North Carolina State University

Raleigh, United States, public

$34,960
IELTS 6.5
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
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
Purdue University

West Lafayette, United States, public

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

Berkeley, United States, public

$57,480
IELTS 6.5 · 10.5% admitted
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
University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, United States, public

$45,480
IELTS 7

Sources, checked 7 September 2026

https://undergrad.osu.edu/apply/international-freshmen/apply-step-by-step