Top 20 IELTS Accepting Universities In USA

IELTS Accepting Universities in USA

Although various universities accept IELTS scores, we have created a list of the top IELTS-accepting universities in the USA to make it easier. The list includes the university's name, the 2024 QS world rank, and the minimum UG and PG course requirements.

The table above shows that students from non-native English-speaking countries must achieve minimum IELTS scores for the UG or PG course to study in the USA. Now, let us discuss the few universities mentioned above in detail:

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

MIT is in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is renowned for its strong engineering, science, and technology programs. The minimum IELTS exam score required for admission is an overall band score of 6.5.

2.  Harvard University

It is one of the most reputed and highly-ranked universities in the United States and is widely accepted as an IELTS exam centre. The minimum IELTS score necessary for admission is an overall band score of 7.0.

3. Stanford University

Stanford University is located in Stanford and is among the top research universities worldwide, and many alumni, including President Obama, have graduated from it. The minimum IELTS score needed for admission is an overall band score of 7.0.

4. University of Chicago

The University of Chicago offers many UG and PG courses in various fields, such as public policy, economics, and law. It is a public research university located in Chicago, Illinois. The minimum IELTS score exam required for admission is 7.0 for the overall band score.

5. University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania is well known for its medicine, business and law courses. It is a private Ivy League research university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Admission to the University of Pennsylvania requires a minimum IELTS band score of 7.0.

6. Cornell University

Cornell is renowned for various programs, such as engineering, business, and medicine. The minimum overall score band for admission to this university is 6.5. It is another member of the IVY League and located in New York State.

7. Yale University

It is a private Ivy League research university that offers many UG and PG programs in different fields, such as medicine, history, law, philosophy, economics, and political science. The IELTS band score required for admission is 7.0.

8. Columbia University

Columbia University is a private Ivy League research university in New York City, New York. It offers various undergraduate and graduate law, business, and medicine courses. An overall band score of 7.0 is the minimum IELTS score essential for admission.

9. Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University, or JHU, is located in Maryland and is renowned for its top-ranking programs in engineering, public health, medicine, and many other fields. For admission, international students must achieve a minimum IELTS score of 7.0. 

10. University of California Los Angeles

UCLA requires a 6.0 Ielts score band. It is one of the most reputable universities situated in California.  Its highly-ranked departments in science and ars are business, law, engineering and more.

11. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

It is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The University of Michigan is known for its vital engineering, business, and public policy programs. The minimum IELTS score for admission is an overall band score of 7.0.

12.  New York University

New York University is a private university in New York City and one of the best research universities. Its popular courses include finance, law, economics,  psychology, business and medicine. The minimum IELTS score necessary for admission is an overall band score of 7.0.

13. Northwestern University 

The University is a private research institute in Evanston, Illinois, offering undergraduate and postgraduate business, journalism, and law courses. The required score band for admission is 7.0. 

14. Duke University

Duke University is a private research institute based in Durham, North Carolina. It is known for its biomedical engineering, history, public policy, and business courses. Your overall score band needs to be 7.0 for admission to Duke University.

IELTS Accepting Universities in USA for MS

As we discussed above about IELTS accepting universities in USA, it is time to discuss IELTS-accepting universities in USA for MS courses. In addition, students can apply to any of these universities without the GRE. Below is a table of universities accepting IELTS.

What are the IELTS requirements for USA?

IELTS is a standardised exam that determines a student's language proficiency to work or study in English-speaking countries. Being an English-speaking country, the USA has more than 3,000 IELTS accepting universities in USA.

The IELTS requirement for USA is a minimum of 5.5 and a maximum of 8.0. The USA accepts IELTS TRF results for admission, so international students must take their IELTS exam scores seriously. During IELTS preparation, students can improve their English comprehension skills and keep up with the medium of instruction in English for MS/MBA courses.

What is the USA Band Requirement?

Different universities have different band requirements. Some accept band 6, some accept 7, and others prefer 8 bands. Let‘s get more profound and more detailed information regarding USA band requirements.

The Universities Accepting Band 6

There are still universities in the USA universities accepting band 6. This score range refers to a “Modest user” who possesses a partial command of the language and can easily understand the overall meaning in most real-time scenarios. Some of the universities in this category are:

• Scott Community College, IA

• Cascadia College, WA

• Arizona State University, AZ

• Texas A and M University, TX

• University of Florida, Fl

• Rutgers University - State University of New Jersey

• Wingate University, NC

• University of Alabama at Birmingham

Besides the above, Ball State University, Brandeis University, Columbia University, Duke University, Auburn University, and Hawaii Pacific University are IELTS accepting universities in the USA, mainly for undergraduate and master's courses.

The Universities Accepting Band 6-7

Various USA universities accept band 6-7 scores from the IELTS exam. It represents a “competent user” with an adequate command of the language but with some inaccuracies, inappropriate usage, and misunderstandings. The specific universities in this category are:

• University of Pittsburgh, PA

• Houston Community College, TX

• Art Centre College of Design

• Jackson State University, MS

• Case Western Reserve University, OH

• University of South California, CA

• Indiana University Bloomington, IN

• The University of Texas at Austin, TX

• University of Minnesota, MN

• Saint Peter’s University, NJ

• Clinton Community College, NY

• Purdue University, IN

• The Pennsylvania State University, PA

• Michigan State University, Michigan

• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL

The `Universities Accepting Band 7-8

Several top universities in the USA accept IELTS 7 - 8 band scores. This score refers to a “good user” who has an operational command over the language but has some inaccuracies and misunderstandings. These universities are:

• Columbia University, NY

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA

• Princeton University, NJ

• Stanford University, CA

• University of Washington, WA

• California Institute of Technology, CA

• University of Pennsylvania, PA

• Harvard University, MA

• Duke University, NC

• Yale University, CT

• New York University, NY

• Johns Hopkins University, MD

• University of California, Berkeley

• Northwestern University, IL

• University of California, Los Angeles

• The University of Chicago

The Universities Accepting Band 8

In IELTS, a band 8 score refers to an “excellent” skill level. It means the candidate has a complete command (expert) in English with occasional inaccuracies. Since band 8 represents a very high rank, only a few universities are on the list. They are:

• Brown University, RI

• Union Presbyterian, VA

Conclusion

The USA is known for its English language proficiency, which is required for international students. By now, you would know all the necessary IELTS-accepting universities in USA based on courses and band scores. Interestingly, 99% of American 4-year colleges and universities that enrol 1000+ international students accept IELTS Test Report Form (TRF) results as proof of English proficiency for their international applicants. You can plan your exam, complete the IELTS Syllabus, and attain the desired band score.

We hope you liked the blog. If you want complete knowledge about IELTS-accepting universities in the USA, we recommend you sign up for our IELTS Courses designed by our experts. Please contact Prepare IELTS exam (PI) expert counsellors for further guidance. Our team of education experts is dedicated to assisting you in the best possible way for the IELTS exam. You can also get a one-on-one counselling session online via our platform. Contact us at info@prepareieltsexam.com or call us at +91 9773398388.