IELTS Requirements in United States: Compare University Band Scores
Compare verified IELTS Academic band score requirements for 90 universities in United States. Includes minimum overall scores and critical component requirements for undergraduate and postgraduate admissions.
- Bachelor's degree
- 6.0–7.094% of 87 universities in our list ask for this overall band.
- Master's degree
- 6.5–7.096% of 90 universities in our list ask for this overall band.
- Minimum in each skill
- 6.0–6.5Most common rule among the 10 universities that publish one.
Figures checked against each university's own admissions page, March 2026 – April 2026. Confirm on the official course page before you apply.
Universities Listed
| University | UGUndergraduate | PGPostgraduate | Per skill |
|---|---|---|---|
| MITCambridge · QS #1 | 7.0 | 7.0 | — |
| Stanford UniversityStanford · QS #4 | —Not published | 7.0 | — |
| Harvard UniversityCambridge · QS #5 | —Not published | 7.0 | — |
| Columbia UniversityNew York · QS #7 | 7.0 | 7.5 | — |
| New York UniversityNew York · QS #38 | 7.5 | 7.5 | — |
| University of MichiganAnn Arbor · QS #21 · Per skill 6.5 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 6.5 |
| Princeton UniversityPrinceton · QS #11 | —Not published | 7.0 | — |
| Yale UniversityNew Haven · QS #10 | 7.0 | 7.0 | — |
| University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia · QS #13 | 7.0 | 7.0 | — |
| Brown UniversityProvidence · QS #53 | 8.0 | 7.0 | — |
| Dartmouth CollegeHanover · QS #205 | 7.0 | 7.0 | — |
| Cornell UniversityIthaca · QS #16 | 7.0 | 7.0 | — |
| California Institute of TechnologyPasadena · QS #8 | 7.0 | 7.0 | — |
| University of ChicagoChicago · QS #12 | 7.0 | 7.0 | — |
| Duke UniversityDurham · QS #57 | 7.0 | 7.0 | — |
Show more(75)
Bands are overall minimums. “Per skill” is the lowest band allowed in any one skill; two values mean undergraduate / postgraduate.