Minimum IELTS Score for Universities (2026)
Most universities ask for an IELTS overall band of 6.0 to 7.0, with no individual section below 5.5 to 6.5. The exact minimum depends on the university, the course, and whether you are applying for an undergraduate or a postgraduate programme. This guide compares the published minimum IELTS score for 49 top universities in 2026, by country and by band.
Undergraduate programmes usually accept a slightly lower band than postgraduate ones. Competitive courses such as Medicine, Law, Nursing and Teaching almost always require more, often 7.0 or 7.5 with high section minimums. Always confirm the figure for your specific course on the university page below before you apply.
Figures verified 2026-06-02. “Not fixed” means the university does not publish a single IELTS minimum and assesses English proficiency case by case. Always check the official admissions page, linked from each university below, before you apply.
Minimum IELTS score by university
The table below shows the published undergraduate and postgraduate IELTS overall minimum for all 49 universities, sorted alphabetically. Click any university for the full breakdown, including the no-band-below rule and course-specific requirements.
Universities by IELTS band
If your IELTS band is fixed, work from it. Below are the universities grouped by their undergraduate overall minimum, so you can quickly see where a 6.0 or a 6.5 is accepted.
Universities accepting IELTS 6.0 (undergraduate)
| University | Country | Undergraduate IELTS | Postgraduate IELTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 6.0 | 6.5 |
| University of Adelaide | 🇦🇺 Australia | 6.0 | 6.5 |
| University of Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 6.0 | 6.5 |
| University of Leeds | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 6.0 | 6.5 |
| University of Nottingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| University of Otago | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 6.0 | 6.5 |
Universities accepting IELTS 6.5 (undergraduate)
6.5 overall is the single most common requirement, used by 31 of the 49 universities here.
Universities requiring IELTS 7.0 or higher (undergraduate)
| University | Country | Undergraduate IELTS | Postgraduate IELTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| London School of Economics and Political Science | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| University of Cambridge | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| University of Oxford | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 7.5 | 7.0 |
Universities with no fixed IELTS minimum
These universities, mostly highly selective US institutions, do not publish a single IELTS cut-off and assess English proficiency as part of the whole application. A strong score (7.0+) is still expected in practice.
| University | Country | Undergraduate IELTS | Postgraduate IELTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia University | 🇺🇸 United States | Not fixed | 7.5 |
| ETH Zurich | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | Not fixed | 7.0 |
| Harvard University | 🇺🇸 United States | Not fixed | Not fixed |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 🇺🇸 United States | Not fixed | 7.0 |
| Princeton University | 🇺🇸 United States | Not fixed | Not fixed |
| Stanford University | 🇺🇸 United States | Not fixed | 7.0 |
| Technical University of Munich | 🇩🇪 Germany | Not fixed | 6.5 |
| University of Pennsylvania | 🇺🇸 United States | Not fixed | 7.0 |
| Yale University | 🇺🇸 United States | Not fixed | Not fixed |
IELTS requirements by country
Requirements are broadly similar across the main study destinations, but each country has its own norms. Here are the IELTS minimums for the universities in our directory, grouped by country.
🇬🇧 IELTS requirements for universities in United Kingdom
| University | Country | Undergraduate IELTS | Postgraduate IELTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham University | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 6.5 | 7.0 |
| Imperial College London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| King's College London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 6.5 | 7.0 |
| London School of Economics and Political Science | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| The University of Bristol | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| The University of Edinburgh | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 6.5 | 7.0 |
| The University of Glasgow | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| The University of Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 6.5 | 7.0 |
| The University of St Andrews | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 6.5 | 7.0 |
| The University of Warwick | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 6.5 | 7.0 |
| University College London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 6.5 | 7.0 |
| University of Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 6.0 | 6.5 |
| University of Cambridge | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| University of Leeds | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 6.0 | 6.5 |
| University of Nottingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| University of Oxford | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 7.5 | 7.0 |
🇺🇸 IELTS requirements for universities in United States
| University | Country | Undergraduate IELTS | Postgraduate IELTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia University | 🇺🇸 United States | Not fixed | 7.5 |
| Harvard University | 🇺🇸 United States | Not fixed | Not fixed |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 🇺🇸 United States | Not fixed | 7.0 |
| Princeton University | 🇺🇸 United States | Not fixed | Not fixed |
| Stanford University | 🇺🇸 United States | Not fixed | 7.0 |
| University of California, Berkeley | 🇺🇸 United States | 6.5 | 7.0 |
| University of Pennsylvania | 🇺🇸 United States | Not fixed | 7.0 |
| Yale University | 🇺🇸 United States | Not fixed | Not fixed |
🇨🇦 IELTS requirements for universities in Canada
| University | Country | Undergraduate IELTS | Postgraduate IELTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| McGill University | 🇨🇦 Canada | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| McMaster University | 🇨🇦 Canada | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Queen's University | 🇨🇦 Canada | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| University of Alberta | 🇨🇦 Canada | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| University of British Columbia | 🇨🇦 Canada | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| University of Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| University of Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | 6.5 | 7.0 |
| University of Waterloo | 🇨🇦 Canada | 6.5 | 7.0 |
🇦🇺 IELTS requirements for universities in Australia
| University | Country | Undergraduate IELTS | Postgraduate IELTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian National University | 🇦🇺 Australia | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Monash University | 🇦🇺 Australia | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| The University of Queensland | 🇦🇺 Australia | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| University of Adelaide | 🇦🇺 Australia | 6.0 | 6.5 |
| University of Melbourne | 🇦🇺 Australia | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| University of New South Wales | 🇦🇺 Australia | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| University of Sydney | 🇦🇺 Australia | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| University of Western Australia | 🇦🇺 Australia | 6.5 | 6.5 |
Ivy League IELTS requirements
The Ivy League universities are among the most competitive in the world. Several do not set a single IELTS minimum and expect a high score as part of an outstanding application. Here is where the Ivy League institutions in our directory stand.
| University | Country | Undergraduate IELTS | Postgraduate IELTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard University | 🇺🇸 United States | Not fixed | Not fixed |
| Yale University | 🇺🇸 United States | Not fixed | Not fixed |
| Princeton University | 🇺🇸 United States | Not fixed | Not fixed |
| Columbia University | 🇺🇸 United States | Not fixed | 7.5 |
| University of Pennsylvania | 🇺🇸 United States | Not fixed | 7.0 |
For these universities, aim well above the stated minimum. A 7.0+ overall with no section below 7.0 is a realistic target for a competitive application.
How to check whether you meet the requirement
Once you know the band your target university asks for, the next step is to find out your own current band and close the gap:
- Take a free, full IELTS mock test to get an honest overall band and a band for each of the four sections.
- Use the IELTS band score calculator to convert your Reading and Listening raw scores to a band.
- Compare your weakest section against the university's no-band-below rule, not just the overall. A single low section is the most common reason strong candidates miss the bar.
- See how your band compares globally in our average IELTS score by country guide.
Find your target university above, note its exact minimum, then take a free mock test to see how far you have to go.