Australian postgraduate IELTS minimums
Band rules differ even at 6.0: CQUniversity asks no band below 5.5 for postgraduate coursework, while Tasmania's postgraduate coursework floor is 6.0 in every band and Murdoch asks 6.0 in each band. Read the guide before assuming 5.5 in one skill is fine.
How we counted: each figure comes from our own guide to that university, which restates its admissions pages (read 4 to 8 October 2026). We took the lowest postgraduate IELTS overall each guide's tables give; where a table could not be read cleanly the university is left out of the count rather than guessed. The full list, with a CSV, is on our IELTS university requirements data. A course page can ask for more than the university minimum, so check yours before you book.
| University | Lowest master's IELTS | Master's PTE |
|---|---|---|
| CQUniversity | 6.0 | 54 |
| Engineering Institute of Technology | 6.0 | – |
| Kaplan Business School | 6.0 | 50 |
| Murdoch University | 6.0 | 50 |
| UniSQ | 6.0 | 50 |
| University of Tasmania | 6.0 | 50 |
| ANU | 6.5 | 64 |
| Charles Darwin University | 6.5 | 58 |
| Crown Institute (CIHE) | 6.5 | 58 |
| Curtin University | 6.5 | 58 |
| Edith Cowan University | 6.5 | 58 |
| Excelsia University College | 6.5 | 65 |
| Flinders University | 6.5 | 58 |
| Griffith University | 6.5 | 55 |
| Macquarie University | 6.5 | 60 |
| Notre Dame Australia | 6.5 | 58 |
| QUT | 6.5 | 58 |
| SISTC | 6.5 | 56 |
| Swinburne | 6.5 | 58 |
| UTS | 6.5 | 58 |
| UniSC (Sunshine Coast) | 6.5 | 58 |
| University of Adelaide (Adelaide University) | 6.5 | – |
| University of Canberra | 6.5 | 58 |
| University of Melbourne | 6.5 | 64 |
| University of Newcastle (Australia) | 6.5 | – |
| Western Sydney University | 6.5 | 58 |
| Bond University | 7.0 | 65 |
If you have 6.0 and your university asks 6.5
Most Australian universities sell an ELICOS or direct-entry English course packaged with the degree. Home Affairs allows that package: for tests from 7 August 2025, IELTS 5.5 with at least 10 weeks of ELICOS, or 5.0 with at least 20 weeks, against 6.0 without (IELTS for the Australia student visa).
Australia accepts PTE widely, and some candidates find it easier to move half a band there; compare with our PTE 58 university list, and try a free IELTS mock test to find your weak skill.
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Frequently asked questions
Which Australian universities accept IELTS 6.0 for a master's?+
In our data: CQUniversity, Engineering Institute of Technology, Kaplan Business School, Murdoch University, UniSQ, University of Tasmania.
What IELTS do most Australian universities need for a master's?+
6.5: 20 of the 27 providers whose postgraduate minimum we could read start there.
What IELTS does the Australian student visa need?+
6.0 overall when Home Affairs asks for evidence, or 5.5 with 10+ weeks of ELICOS and 5.0 with 20+ weeks.
Can I get into Melbourne or ANU with 6.0?+
Not directly: both start at 6.5 in our data. Ask about their packaged English programs.
Keep reading
Related
- IELTS for the Australia student visa
- Australian universities accepting PTE 58
- Countries accepting IELTS 6.0 for a master's
- IELTS for australia
- IELTS university requirements data
- All 970 guides
Verified against the linked official sources on 10 October 2026. Rules change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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