PTE appears in the English-language guidance for these ten US master's programmes at four universities. Published requirements include scores of 53, 60 and 61. The three ASU entries need particular care because university and school guidance give different kinds of score information. Do not treat a university baseline as confirmation of a programme's final requirement.
Official pages checked 28 September 2026. These are the current published requirements, not a guarantee that every programme has opened your intended 2027 intake. Check the exact campus, entry term and admission conditions before booking. Where a source does not state separate PTE skill minimums, we say so rather than inventing them.
Try the shortlisting exercise, or explore PTE Academic practice if your department has already confirmed its requirements.
What this list does and does not establish
A listed test and score can satisfy one part of an application. They do not establish academic eligibility, admission, funding, an assistantship or a visa. Some entries below state the score directly on the programme page; others explicitly refer to the institution's English policy. Both sources are linked when that mapping is needed.
“Skill minimums not stated” is not the same as “no skill requirements.” Ask the programme contact whether there are additional requirements for your route. Keep the overall score printed on your report; do not manufacture an overall result by averaging your skills.
Ten programmes and their published PTE guidance
1. Iowa State University: MS in Artificial Intelligence
Published PTE minimum: 53. Separate PTE skill minimums are not stated in the programme's score table.
The Graduate College programme entry lists PTE alongside other accepted tests and provides the department's application links. Check the named major and current application deadline.
2. Iowa State University: MS in Materials Science and Engineering
Published PTE minimum: 53. Separate PTE skill minimums are not stated in the programme's table.
The programme entry covers multiple degree options, including the MS. Confirm the research route you want and distinguish any funding deadline from the final application deadline.
3. Iowa State University: MS in Cyber Security
Published PTE minimum: 53. Separate PTE skill minimums are not stated in the programme's table.
The Cyber Security entry includes on-campus and distance-study information. An online option is not interchangeable with an on-campus plan that requires immigration documents.
Iowa State's Graduate College English requirements also describe separate communication requirements for teaching assistants. Do not interpret the admission minimum as proof that you can immediately take a teaching role.
4. Arizona State University: MS in Computer Science
University PTE baseline: 60; the programme-specific minimum needs confirmation. Separate PTE skill minimums are not stated in the cited PTE entries.
The Computer Science graduate page links to the university policy. However, the school admissions FAQ also refers to 65 for Pearson as an average used for admission. This does not establish a clear cutoff. Ask which score applies to your MS, campus and entry term; neither 60 nor 65 is confirmed here as the programme minimum.
5. Arizona State University: MS in Computer Engineering
University PTE baseline: 60; programme-specific requirements remain to be confirmed. Separate PTE skill minimums are not stated in the cited guidance.
The school admissions page lists Computer Engineering MS. The distinction between university and school scores noted above also applies to this listing. Ask about your concentration before setting a test target.
6. Arizona State University: MS in Software Engineering
University PTE baseline: 60, subject to the same school-policy clarification above. No programme-specific cutoff is confirmed here; separate PTE skill minimums are not stated in the cited guidance.
Software Engineering MS appears in the same school admissions guidance. ASU's graduate English policy excludes PTE Academic Online and specifies a two-year window before the start date. It warns that programmes may impose higher requirements or test restrictions; confirm your offer rather than treating 60 as a university-wide guarantee.
7. University of Arizona: MS in Atmospheric Sciences
PTE Academic minimum: 60. Separate PTE skill minimums are not stated in the programme's PTE entry.
The Atmospheric Sciences MS admissions section explicitly lists Pearson PTE Academic. Its research and academic requirements are separate from that English threshold.
8. University of Arizona: MS in Mining, Geological and Geophysical Engineering
PTE Academic minimum: 60. Separate PTE skill minimums are not stated in the school's entry.
The school's graduate funding and admissions page describes the MS and gives the English threshold and two-year result window relative to the application term. Read the MS section; the separate professional ME has different academic arrangements.
9. Drexel University: MS in Mechanical Engineering
School of Engineering PTE minimum: 61. Separate PTE skill minimums are not stated in the school's English exam table.
The Mechanical Engineering MS page describes the degree; the separate engineering admission guidelines provide the school baseline. Check the programme's current requirements with its department, including any additional English conditions.
10. Drexel University: MS in Electrical Engineering
School of Engineering PTE minimum: 61. Separate PTE skill minimums are not stated in that table.
The Electrical Engineering MSEE catalogue entry directs applicants to the school's admission guidelines. Those guidelines list PTE 61 and ask applicants to check department-specific conditions. Do not assume a lower number on an older third-party directory still applies.
Try it: what can you conclude from a score of 60?
A fictional applicant has PTE Academic overall 60, taken at a test centre. They are considering Iowa State AI, ASU Computer Science and Drexel Mechanical Engineering. Test age, skill conditions, academic eligibility and application deadlines have not yet been checked.
- Which published overall minimums does 60 reach?
- Which listed programme has a higher published minimum?
- Can the applicant mark any application “fully eligible” from this information alone?
Reveal the shortlisting answer
1. It reaches Iowa State's listed 53 and ASU's university baseline of 60. ASU's school also cites an admission average of 65, so the Computer Science programme requirement still needs clarification.
2. Drexel's published engineering minimum is 61, so 60 is one point short. ASU's average-score statement is not a confirmed cutoff.
3. No. Overall-score comparison is only one check. Confirm skill conditions, accepted test format, validity, the named programme's academic requirements and the correct intake. A missing number in a public table must not be treated as an automatic exemption.
Why not include every famous university?
Acceptance must be checked at the relevant school or programme. For example, Stanford Graduate Admissions currently specifies TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic when an English test is required. We therefore do not use a broad “Stanford accepts PTE” statement for this graduate list. Separate professional schools may have their own policies; check the exact route.
Likewise, a PTE entry for a pathway, undergraduate degree or online programme is not evidence for every campus-based master's course. Keeping these distinctions in your shortlist can prevent an unnecessary test booking.
Does PTE acceptance mean a US student visa is approved?
No. The US Department of State's student visa guidance describes a separate process and says an officer may request academic records, test scores required by the school, funding evidence and other documents. A university accepting PTE does not turn a score into a visa guarantee. Follow the school and consular instructions for your circumstances.
Make the next practice session useful
Once your course confirms the test and targets, compare your four skills with the requirement. If you do not yet have a report, use practice to find recurring mistakes rather than assuming every task needs equal time.
For Writing, use the PTE essay guide. Draft a response, check that each paragraph develops a relevant point, and revise sentences that obscure your meaning. For Listening, use the Write From Dictation guide to examine omissions, word endings and spelling. These exercises support practice; one task does not determine your entire official skill score.
Continue with a focused practice set: create a BandLadder account and open PTE Academic Writing. The selected exam and task carry into the next step. See the PTE Academic overview for the broader practice options. Platform feedback is a practice estimate, not a university decision or official PTE result.
Before you pay for a test or application
- Record the exact degree, campus, study mode and intended entry term.
- Confirm the PTE test version and delivery format accepted for that route.
- Copy the overall minimum and ask about any unstated skill minimums.
- Check the result's validity against the university's specified date.
- Ask whether assistantship or professional requirements are separate.
- Check application, funding and English-evidence deadlines individually.
A useful admissions question is: “For this programme and entry term, do you accept my proposed PTE Academic test format, what overall and skill scores must I meet, and until what date must the result remain valid?” Keep the answer with the linked official sources and review it again before booking.
