What IELTS score do you need for Loyola University Chicago?

First-year applicants submit official TOEFL, IELTS, PTE or Duolingo scores: TOEFL 4.5 for tests after 1 January 2026 or 79 before, IELTS 6.5, PTE 53 or Duolingo 110. Loyola states that it does not waive English proficiency based on country of origin or medium of instruction, so English-medium schooling in India does not count by itself. Loyola can review AP or IB coursework for a waiver, and you may submit the SAT or ACT as proof instead. See international students.

Graduate minimums differ by program. The Computer Science department says the requirement is waived for US citizens, permanent residents and citizens of certain countries, and everyone else takes TOEFL, IELTS, PTE or Duolingo (CS admissions). The School of Law asks LLM, MJ and SJD applicants for IELTS 7 with 7 in Reading and Writing, TOEFL 95 with 24 in Reading and Writing, Duolingo 125 or PTE 75. Law scores are valid for two years from the test date, and the school's TOEFL and IELTS code is 1412.

The Graduate School catalog adds an English-language requirement after admission for degree students whose bachelor's was not taught in English: a placement test by Loyola's ESL department and, depending on the result, ESL coursework that must be completed before the degree is awarded.

If you meet every other requirement but not the English minimum for direct admission, Loyola admits you through the International Conditional Admission Program (ICAP), with one or more semesters of full-time study (18 hours) in the English Language Learning Program. ICAP covers all undergraduate majors and all graduate and professional programs except the Stritch School of Medicine, and ICAP students who complete the program do not need a new TOEFL or IELTS score. See conditional admission.

The US F-1 student visa sets no English test score of its own. What counts is the requirement Loyola University Chicago 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 Loyola undergraduate international students page again before you book a test, and check your own program page, which can set a higher bar. To see where you stand now, take a timed IELTS mock test.