What IELTS score do you need for George Mason University?

George Mason requires every applicant to show English proficiency, regardless of citizenship, by exam or waiver. Exam scores older than two years are not accepted. TOEFL at Home and MyBest scores are accepted, as is the IELTS One Skill Retake; the IELTS Indicator is not. The CEC rule applies to both its graduate and undergraduate applicants. George Mason Academic English level 7 also meets the graduate requirement. The CEC row's Duolingo and PTE figures are the general graduate minimums; no separate CEC figure is stated.

Graduate applicants are exempt with a bachelor's degree or higher from a George Mason-recognized institution in the US or a waiver-eligible country, such as Australia, Canada (excluding Quebec), Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, Nigeria, New Zealand, South Africa or the UK. India is not on the list. See the English language requirements page.

First-year applicants need IELTS 6.5 with 6.0 in each section, TOEFL 4.5 with 4.0 per section (80 with 18 each before 21 January 2026), Duolingo 110, PTE 59, ACT English and Reading 20, SAT Reading and Writing 500, IB Higher Level English A 6 or George Mason Academic English level 6. Waivers cover four years at an accredited US secondary school, IB or UK curriculum schools (from fall 2026 applicants), four years at an English-medium school in a waiver-eligible country, or six credits of college English composition. See the English language requirements page.

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