What TOEFL score do you need for Mississippi State University?

The catalogue treats 79 iBT as proficient. A score from 69 to 78 means enrolling in ESL 5323 Academic Research and Writing, and you can still hold a graduate assistantship. A score from 61 to 68 means ESL 5120, and from 53 to 59 means ESL 5110; in both cases you cannot hold an assistantship until those ESL requirements are met. Below 53 you are not eligible for the Graduate School. If you submit more than one test score, the highest is used.

TOEFL iBT score reports from January 2026 also carry a 1 to 6 band score; our guide to the new TOEFL score scale explains how the two scales appear on a report.

For comparison, the undergraduate page asks for IELTS 6.0, and the graduate catalogue sets IELTS 4.5 as the minimum and 6.5 as proficient.

Graduate applicants below 53 can study at the English Language Institute on a non-credit basis and retake the test before applying again. Undergraduate admissions says non-degree applicants and those without TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores may apply directly to the English Language Institute, and that intensive English training may not waive the test requirement.

Requirements vary by programme and change between admissions cycles. The score that binds you is the one on your Mississippi State programme page and in your offer letter, so check it there before you book a test.