What IELTS score do you need for Fresno State?

Graduate applicants need the new TOEFL iBT at 4.0 (tests from 21 January 2026), TOEFL 80 iBT, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 105 (some programs need 110), PTE 53 or iTEP 4.5. You do not need a test if you earned a bachelor's or master's degree at a US college or university. See Fresno State graduate admission.

Fresno State reads "where English is the principal language of instruction" as a school in a country where English is the everyday language of most residents and where teaching is in English at all levels. India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh are not on its list, so an English-medium degree or Class 12 from those countries does not by itself remove the test. The listed countries include Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada (Quebec needs English evidence).

Undergraduates need TOEFL 61 (3.5 on the new TOEFL), IELTS 6.0 or 5.5 in each section, Duolingo 100, PTE 45, iTEP 3.6, SAT Reading and Writing 550, ACT English 22, AP English 3, GTEC 1095, IB English A HL4, or the advanced level of Fresno State's American English Institute, among other routes. Three years of US high school, or three years of full-time study taught in English in a listed country, also counts. See undergraduate admission.

Fresno State offers conditional admission without a qualifying TOEFL or IELTS score in selected degrees. You receive a two-year language-study I-20 and study at the American English Institute, then get an academic I-20 once you meet the requirement. Graduate students must also meet any GRE or GMAT requirement first. See conditional admission.

The US F-1 student visa sets no English test score of its own. What counts is the requirement Fresno State 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 Fresno State graduate admission page again before you book a test, and check your own program page, which can set a higher bar.