What IELTS score do you need for George Washington University?

GW says minimums may change and some schools set higher ones. At SEAS, scores below TOEFL 5.0 (100 on the old scale), IELTS 7.0 or Duolingo 130 mean a first-semester English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course, whose credits do not count toward your degree. SEAS does not accept TOEFL MyBest or IELTS One Skill Retake. Columbian College runs two tiers, the lower one with a required EAP course, and does not accept TOEFL MyBestScore or IELTS Indicator. Conditional admission is not stated.

Graduate Admissions may waive the requirement for a degree from an institution in a country where English is the sole language of instruction. SEAS exempts degrees from the US or listed countries such as Australia, Canada (except Québec), Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa and the UK, or a combined bachelor's with two years there. India is not on the SEAS list. See TOEFL-exempt countries.

First-year applicants need TOEFL 90 (before 26 January 2026) or 4.5 on the new TOEFL, IELTS 6.5, PTE Academic 61 or Duolingo 120. EAP may be waived with TOEFL 100 or 5, IELTS 7.5 or Duolingo 130. The requirement itself may be waived with SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 650, ACT English 29, or your most recent four years of secondary school taught mainly in English. See international applicants.

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