English guide
TOEFL score requirements for MIT, Harvard, Stanford, UC Berkeley, Oxford, Imperial, University of Toronto, UBC, University of Melbourne, NUS, Yonsei, Waseda, and more. Includes TOEFL to IELTS to New 2026 Band conversion table. Always verify directly with each university as requirements change annually.
What this guide covers
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Use this page when you need the TOEFL score a university or visa pathway is likely to expect, including total-score targets and section minimums.
Many students check only the overall TOEFL score and miss the section rule. A university may list TOEFL 90 overall, but still require 22 in Writing or 20 in Speaking. That means a score like 95 can still fail the English requirement if one section is too low.
When you compare programs, record three numbers: the overall minimum, the lowest accepted section score, and the score that makes your application competitive. For selective graduate programs, the competitive score is often higher than the published minimum.
If you are close to the requirement, practise the lowest section first. TOEFL Speaking and Writing usually improve fastest with feedback because the scoring criteria are visible: delivery, language use, development, organisation, and source use. Reading and Listening need more repeated timed practice because they depend on vocabulary and processing speed.
Top Ivy League schools require 100–110. Strong universities (UC Berkeley, NYU) require 90–100. Mid-range universities often accept 79–89. Many community colleges accept 61–78.
Oxford and Cambridge require 110+. Imperial College and LSE require 96–100. Most Russell Group universities require 88–95.
The minimum TOEFL score accepted by most accredited universities is 79 (iBT). For graduate programmes, 90–100 is commonly required.
TOEFL 120 ≈ IELTS 9.0, TOEFL 100 ≈ IELTS 7.0, TOEFL 90 ≈ IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 79 ≈ IELTS 6.0, TOEFL 61 ≈ IELTS 5.5.