What IELTS score do you need for Cleveland State University?

Graduate applicants can use TOEFL iBT 78 with at least 17 per section, TOEFL PBT 550, IELTS 6.0 with at least 5.0 per section, PTE 50, iTEP 3.8 or Duolingo 110. Other routes are CSU's Intensive English Language Program Advanced Level with 80% or better, ELS Level 112, or graduating from a secondary school or college in the US or a TOEFL-exempt country. The College of Engineering asks for TOEFL subscores of Reading 20, Listening 21, Writing 17 and Speaking 20. See graduate international admissions.

The exempt country list includes Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and the UK. India and Pakistan are not on it, and CSU says that where a country has more than one official language, including English, it requires the test.

Undergraduates submit TOEFL iBT 4.0 (at least 3.5 in Reading, Listening and Speaking and 4.0 in Writing) for tests from 21 January 2026, or 78 with no section below 17 before that; IELTS 6.0 with no band below 5.0; iTEP 3.8; Duolingo 105; ACT English 20; SAT Reading and Writing 530; or ELS Level 112. Transfers can qualify with a C or better in English 101 and 102 equivalents and 30 credits. If you fall a little short, the ESL Program offers pathway courses. See undergraduate requirements.

The US F-1 student visa sets no English test score of its own. What counts is the requirement Cleveland State University sets for admission, which leads to your Form I-20. For the wider picture of studying in the US with each test, see IELTS for the USA and PTE for the USA.

Requirements change between admission cycles. Check the Cleveland State graduate international admissions page again before you book a test, and check your own program page, which can set a higher bar.