# TOEFL University Requirements 2026: 40 Schools | topin On this page ## How to read the tables Each row names the exact policy we checked: a graduate school, a department or an undergraduate office. The same university can set different rules for different degrees, so don't borrow a School of Education figure for an Engineering application. * R, L, W and S are Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking. * "Sections not stated" means the page gives no section minimum, not that your department has none. * The old 0–120 column is the university's own published rule, not our conversion. * MyBest "Not verified" means the page didn't say; ask admissions before relying on it. * Some figures are recommendations (Duke, NYU SPS) or teaching rules (Yale), and are labelled as such. ## United States: 14 graduate school policies __Own institutional pages checked 4 October 2026\. Scope, entry year and condition are part of each requirement.__ | University and policy scope | New 1–6 requirement | Published legacy rule | MyBest | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- | ------------------------ | | Harvard University — Griffin GSAS graduate admission | 5; S 4.5 | 95; S 23 | No | | Columbia University — GSAS graduate admission | 5.5; sections not stated | 100 | Yes; see GSAS FAQ | | Stanford University — Central graduate minimum; programmes can be higher | 4.5; sections not stated | 90 | Yes | | University of California, Berkeley — Graduate admission, Fall 2027 policy | 5; S and W 4.5 | 90 for specified pre-redesign tests | No | | University of California, Los Angeles — Graduate admission; placement is separate | 4.5; departmental sections may apply | 87 | No | | Cornell University — Graduate interim Summer/Fall 2026 policy | No overall floor stated; R 4, L 3.5, W 4, S 4; research Tier A S 5.5 | R 20, L 15, W 20, S 22; Tier A S 27 | Yes; some fields opt out | | Yale University — GSAS; doctoral teaching/summer-course rule | No general overall floor stated; teaching S 5.5 | Teaching S 26 | No | | Duke University — Graduate School benchmark, “generally seeks” | 5; sections not stated | 90 benchmark | Not verified | | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — Graduate limited/full admission status | 4 limited; 5 full; teaching S 5 is separate | 79 limited; 103 full | No | | Georgia Institute of Technology — Graduate admission minimum | 4.5; R/L/W 4, S 3.5 | 90; each 19 | No | | Pennsylvania State University — Graduate GCAC-305 standard admission | 4.5; S 3.5 | 80; S 19 | Not verified | | Purdue University — Graduate school minimum; departments may be higher | 4; R 4, L 3.5, W 4, S 3.5 | 80 | No | | University of Washington — Epidemiology MPH; Academic English courses condition | 4 minimum; 4.5 avoids AEP requirement | 80 minimum; 92 avoids AEP | Yes | | Ohio State University — Graduate admission | 4; sections not stated on checked page | 79 | No | Harvard Griffin GSAS asks for 5 with Speaking 4.5, Columbia GSAS for 5.5 and Stanford's central graduate minimum is 4.5 (some Stanford programmes ask for more). Three top schools, three different targets, which is why a single "top university" band doesn't exist. Watch for second thresholds. UCLA admits from 4.5 but sets a writing placement test below 5; Illinois gives limited status at 4 and full status at 5; Stanford and Yale have separate placement or teaching rules. Cornell's section minimums are interim for Summer and Fall 2026, and it expects them to rise for 2027 entry, so recheck before you apply. ## United States: 14 more policies __General university, school and departmental policies must be read at their stated scope. No band is inferred for the Texas legacy-only FAQ.__ | University and policy scope | New 1–6 requirement | Published legacy rule | MyBest | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | | University of Wisconsin–Madison — Graduate regular admission | 5; sections not stated | 92 | No compiled scores | | Northwestern University — Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences graduate admission | 4.5; sections not stated | 90 | Not verified | | New York University — SPS graduate recommended scores | 5 generally; 6 for Division of Business and Schack programmes | 100 generally; 110 for specified programmes | Not verified | | Johns Hopkins University — School of Education admission | 5; sections not stated | 100 | No | | University of Minnesota Twin Cities — Graduate admission | 4.5; R 4.5, W 4.5 | 79; R 19, W 21 | No | | Iowa State University — Graduate College general admission | 4.5; programmes may impose higher requirements | 79 | Not verified | | East Tennessee State University — Undergraduate English proficiency | 3.5; graduate requirement differs | 61 | Not verified | | University of Michigan — School of Music, Theatre & Dance master’s admission | 4.5; each 4.5; doctorate overall 5 | 88; each 20; doctorate overall 100 | No | | University of Texas at Austin — Middle Eastern Studies graduate FAQ; legacy-only checked page | New band not published on checked page; ask programme | 79 | Not verified | | North Carolina State University — Graduate Handbook general requirement | 4; each 4 | 80; each 18 | Not verified | | Boston University — Graduate Medical Sciences admission | 5; new section floors not stated | 97–100; each 20 | Not verified | | Arizona State University — Graduate general admission | 4; programmes may be higher | 80 | Not verified | | University of Arizona — Graduate College admission | 4; sections not stated | 79 | Yes, with validity conditions | | University of Colorado Boulder — Graduate Computer Science requirement | 4.5; general graduate baseline is 4 | 91 for Computer Science; general 80 | Not verified | Departments often ask for more than the graduate school. Colorado Boulder's Computer Science programme wants 4.5 against a graduate baseline of 4, and Michigan's School of Music, Theatre & Dance wants 5 for doctoral applicants. NYU SPS's 6 is a recommendation for specific business programmes, not a rule for every NYU applicant. The UT Austin Middle Eastern Studies page still lists only an old total of 79\. That doesn't mean the new test is refused; ask the programme which band it accepts rather than converting the 79 yourself. ## United Kingdom: seven policies __UK requirements checked 4 October 2026\. Several rows describe a named language profile or programme rather than a universal university cutoff.__ | University and policy scope | New 1–6 requirement | Published legacy rule | MyBest | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | ------------ | | University of Oxford — Undergraduate admission; updated TOEFL under review | Tests from 21 January 2026 not currently accepted | 110; R 24, L 22, W 24, S 25 | No | | University of Cambridge — Postgraduate admission; course-specific policy | Tests after 21 January 2026 need an extra Language Centre online assessment; scores set by course | Course-specific; no single university total | Not verified | | University College London — Study Abroad at UCL, Level 1; not all UCL courses | 4.5; each 4 | 92; R/W 24, L/S 20 | Not verified | | King’s College London — Undergraduate Band B, 2027/28 entry | 5; each 4.5 | 100; W 25, other sections 23 | No | | University of Edinburgh — PGDE Secondary, 2027 entry | 4.5; each 4.5 | 92; each 23 for 2027 entry | No | | University of Manchester — General international guidance; individual course controls | Typical overall 4–5.5; lower bands have each-skill minima; case-by-case review | Typical 72–120, course-specific | Not verified | | University of Bristol — Postgraduate Profile B | 5; each 4.5 | 95; R 22, L 21, W 22, S 23 | Not verified | Oxford's undergraduate page says TOEFL tests taken from 21 January 2026 are not currently accepted while it reviews [the new test](/articles/old-vs-new-toefl), so don't book a new TOEFL for an Oxford application on the strength of the old 110 requirement. Cambridge postgraduate accepts the new test only with an additional online assessment at its Language Centre. Entry year matters too: the King's and Edinburgh rows are for 2027 entry and can differ from 2026 tables. For the visa, [TOEFL isn't a UK Secure English Language Test](/articles/toefl-vs-ielts-2026), but a degree-level university can assess your English itself and accept TOEFL for your Student visa; below degree level you need a SELT such as IELTS for UKVI. ## Canada: five policies __Canadian institutional policies checked 4 October 2026\. These are admissions rules, not Express Entry or post-graduation work-permit language rules.__ | University and policy scope | New 1–6 requirement | Published legacy rule | MyBest | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------ | ---------------- | | University of Toronto — School of Graduate Studies general requirement | 4.5; W 4.5, S 4 | 93; W/S 22 | No; SGS calendar | | University of British Columbia — Vancouver graduate general requirement | 4.5; R 4.5, L 5, W 4.5, S 4 | 90; R/L 22, W/S 21 | No | | McGill University — Undergraduate most faculties; exceptions below | 4.5; R/L/W 4.5, S 4; Management/TESL overall 5; Music 4 | 90; each 21 for most faculties | No | | University of Waterloo — Undergraduate admission | 4.5; W 5, S 5 | 90; W 25, S 25 | No | | University of Alberta — Undergraduate English Language Proficiency | 4.5; each 4.5; separate spoken requirement may apply | 90; each 21 | Not verified | Toronto, UBC and Waterloo all ask for 4.5 overall, but UBC wants Listening 5 and Waterloo wants Writing and Speaking 5\. McGill sets 5 for Management and TESL and 4 for Music, and Alberta can add a separate spoken English requirement for some programmes. University admission and immigration are separate in Canada. TOEFL isn't accepted for Express Entry or as language evidence for a post-graduation work permit, so if you're planning to stay, you may need [IELTS General Training](/articles/ielts-academic-vs-general), CELPIP or PTE Core later. ## Test your four bands against a shortlist Take a profile of R 5, L 4.5, W 4.5, S 4\. The average is 4.5, so the overall is 4.5\. That meets Toronto's overall, Writing and Speaking minimums, but misses UBC's Listening 5 and Waterloo's Writing and Speaking 5\. Same overall, three different answers. Or R 5.5, L 5.5, W 4, S 5: an overall 5, but any programme needing 4.5 in every section turns it down on Writing. If one section is blocking you, practise that section rather than polishing one that's already strong. Our [TOEFL score calculator](/toefl/score-calculator) works out the overall from your four bands. ## When a page is unclear or out of date A page that still lists 0–120 isn't necessarily wrong: new reports also print a [comparable 0–120 score](/articles/toefl-score-conversion) during the transition (band 5 prints as 100). Enter the figures printed on your report, never a number you've converted yourself. If you're unsure, email admissions with your degree, entry term, test date, overall band and four section bands, plus the link to the page you're reading. Ask four things: whether the new test is accepted, which minimum applies, whether MyBest counts and what to enter in an old-scale field. ## Set your target * For each section, take the highest minimum among the programmes you're keeping. * Check the overall separately; it won't rescue a missed section. * Confirm the policy covers your degree and entry year, plus delivery mode (Home Edition) and MyBest. * Keep admission, placement, teaching and visa rules apart. * Recheck the live page before booking and again before sending scores. Every row here was checked on 4 October 2026; universities update pages without notice, so treat the linked source as the final word. ## Try a full TOEFL mock free Timed like test day, every section scored, every answer explained. [Take the free mock ](/toefl/login) ## FAQs What TOEFL band do universities require in 2026? There's no universal minimum. In our list of 40, overall requirements run from 3.5 to 6, with 4.5 the most common, and many add section minimums. Is TOEFL 4.5 enough for university? It meets the overall at many universities here, including Stanford, Toronto and UBC graduate schools, but check sections: UBC also wants Listening 5. What TOEFL score does Harvard require? Harvard Griffin GSAS asks for 5 overall with Speaking 4.5 (95 and 23 on the old test). Other Harvard schools set their own rules. Does Oxford accept the new TOEFL? Not currently for undergraduate admission: Oxford says tests taken from 21 January 2026 aren't accepted while it reviews the new format. Can I convert an old university cutoff myself? Use the university's published band where there is one. If it only lists 0–120, compare the comparable score printed on your report, or ask admissions. Do universities accept TOEFL MyBest? Some do (Columbia GSAS, Stanford, Cornell's Graduate School) and many don't (Harvard GSAS, Berkeley, Illinois, Toronto). Check each programme. ## Sources (checked 4 October 2026) * [Harvard University: Griffin GSAS graduate admission](https://gsas.harvard.edu/apply/applying-degree-programs/english-proficiency) * [Columbia University: GSAS graduate admission](https://www.gsas.columbia.edu/content/information-international-applicants) * [Stanford University: Central graduate minimum; programmes can be higher](https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/apply/test-scores) * [University of California, Berkeley: Graduate admission, Fall 2027 policy](https://grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/application-process/requirements/) * [University of California, Los Angeles: Graduate admission; placement is separate](https://grad.ucla.edu/admissions/english-requirements/) * [Cornell University: Graduate interim Summer/Fall 2026 policy](https://gradschool.cornell.edu/admissions/application-steps/required-tests/english-language-proficiency-requirement-2/) * [Yale University: GSAS; doctoral teaching/summer-course rule](https://gsas.yale.edu/admissions/phdmasters-application-process/admissions-frequently-asked-questions/standardized-test-faqs) * [Duke University: Graduate School benchmark, “generally seeks”](https://gradschool.duke.edu/admissions/application-instructions/english-language-proficiency-test-scores/) * [University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: Graduate limited/full admission status](https://www.grad.illinois.edu/admissions/international-applicants) * [Georgia Institute of Technology: Graduate admission minimum](https://grad.gatech.edu/english-proficiency) * [Pennsylvania State University: Graduate GCAC-305 standard admission](https://gradschool.psu.edu/graduate-education-policies/gcac/gcac-300/gcac-305-admission-requirements-international-students) * [Purdue University: Graduate school minimum; departments may be higher](https://purdue.edu/academics/ogsps/admissions/how-to-apply/) * [University of Washington: Epidemiology MPH; Academic English courses condition](https://epi.washington.edu/admissions/apply/mph-eligibility-and-application-requirements/) * [Ohio State University: Graduate admission](https://gpadmissions.osu.edu/intl/additional-requirements-to-apply.html) * [University of Wisconsin–Madison: Graduate regular admission](https://info.grad.wisc.edu/requirements-for-admission) * [Northwestern University: Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences graduate admission](https://deeps.northwestern.edu/graduate/grad-apply.html) * [New York University: SPS graduate recommended scores](https://www.sps.nyu.edu/join/graduate-admissions.html) * [Johns Hopkins University: School of Education admission](https://education.jhu.edu/admissions/international-students-admissions/) * [University of Minnesota Twin Cities: Graduate admission](https://grad.umn.edu/admissions/application-instructions/international-student-resources/english-language-proficiency) * [Iowa State University: Graduate College general admission](https://www.grad-college.iastate.edu/future/english-requirements) * [East Tennessee State University: Undergraduate English proficiency](https://oupub.etsu.edu/international/english%5Fproficiency/default.php) * [University of Michigan: School of Music, Theatre & Dance master’s admission](https://smtd.umich.edu/admissions/international-admissions/) * [University of Texas at Austin: Middle Eastern Studies graduate FAQ; legacy-only checked page](https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/mes/graduate-studies/graduate-admissions/frequently-asked-questions.html) * [North Carolina State University: Graduate Handbook general requirement](https://catalog.ncsu.edu/graduate/graduate-handbook/international-student-admissions/) * [Boston University: Graduate Medical Sciences admission](https://www.bumc.bu.edu/gms/admissions/international-applicants/) * [Arizona State University: Graduate general admission](https://admission.asu.edu/apply/international/graduate/english-proficiency) * [University of Arizona: Graduate College admission](https://www.grad.arizona.edu/admissions/requirements/international-applicants) * [University of Colorado Boulder: Graduate Computer Science requirement](https://www.colorado.edu/graduateschool/admissions/where-begin/international-students/english-proficiency-requirements) * [University of Oxford: Undergraduate admission; updated TOEFL under review](https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying/for-international-students/english-language-requirements-visas) * [University of Cambridge: Postgraduate admission; course-specific policy](https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/before/english-language-requirements) * [University College London: Study Abroad at UCL, Level 1; not all UCL courses](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/study-abroad-at-ucl/how-apply/english-language-requirements) * [King’s College London: Undergraduate Band B, 2027/28 entry](https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/how-to-apply/english-language-requirements) * [University of Edinburgh: PGDE Secondary, 2027 entry](https://study.ed.ac.uk/programmes/postgraduate-taught/123-professional-graduate-diploma-in-education-secondary) * [University of Manchester: General international guidance; individual course controls](https://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/international/admissions/language-requirements/) * [University of Bristol: Postgraduate Profile B](https://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/language-requirements/profile-b/) * [University of Toronto: School of Graduate Studies general requirement](https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/future-students/admission-application-requirements/english-language-proficiency-testing/) * [University of British Columbia: Vancouver graduate general requirement](https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/english-language-test) * [McGill University: Undergraduate most faculties; exceptions below](https://www.mcgill.ca/undergraduate-admissions/apply/english-proficiency) * [University of Waterloo: Undergraduate admission](https://uwaterloo.ca/future-students/admissions/english-language-requirements) * [University of Alberta: Undergraduate English Language Proficiency](https://www.ualberta.ca/en/admissions/how-to-apply/admission-requirements/language-requirements/index.html) * [Columbia GSAS: MyBest FAQ](https://www.gsas.columbia.edu/content/frequently-asked-questions) * [University of Toronto: SGS calendar, TOEFL bands and MyBest policy](https://sgs.calendar.utoronto.ca/general-regulations) * [ETS: score-scale update and comparison tables](https://www.ets.org/toefl/institutions/ibt/score-scale-update.html) * [GOV.UK: approved SELT providers and tests](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prove-your-english-language-abilities-with-a-secure-english-language-test-selt) * [IRCC: approved Express Entry language tests](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/documents/language-test.html) * [GOV.UK: Student visa sponsor English assessment](https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/knowledge-of-english) * [IRCC: PGWP approved language tests](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/work/after-graduation/eligibility/language-results.html) ## Related articles [All TOEFL study guides ](/toefl) * [TOEFLFormat & test dayOld vs new TOEFLStudied for the old TOEFL? Compare the 2026 tasks and timings, see which skills transfer, what to drop, whether it's easier, and a seven-day plan to switch.Updated 4 Oct 2026](/articles/old-vs-new-toefl) * [TOEFLVisas & immigrationTOEFL for Australian visasUsing TOEFL for an Australian visa in 2026? Book TOEFL iBT Australia at a test centre. Student visa totals, Competent to Superior section scores and date rules.Updated 4 Oct 2026](/articles/toefl-australia-visas) * [TOEFLScores & percentilesTOEFL bands and converted scoresTOEFL band 5 = 100? Every 1–6 band with its old 0–120 range, the number printed on new reports, CEFR level, IELTS match, and why 101–103 and 120 are gone.Updated 4 Oct 2026](/articles/toefl-score-conversion) * [TOEFLStudy plans & strategyTOEFL Speaking 2026TOEFL Speaking 2026 has no prep time. How Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview work, how they're scored, drills for common errors and 32 practice questions.Updated 4 Oct 2026](/articles/toefl-speaking-2026)