What TOEFL score do you need for Northwestern University?

The Graduate School accepts scores from the TOEFL at-home testing service. It does not accept Duolingo or TOEFL Essentials. Official scores must come from ETS and the test must be taken no more than two years before the intended quarter of entry; for fall 2026 that meant no older than September 2024. The TOEFL code is 1565, and all scores sent to it reach programmes whatever department you pick.

Undergraduate admission accepts the TOEFL iBT but not the TOEFL ITP Plus for China Solution. It does not superscore English tests and will not review MyBest scores. The undergraduate TOEFL code is also 1565.

For comparison, the same Graduate School page sets IELTS at 7.

Neither page describes conditional admission for a low score. Graduate applicants with an undergraduate or graduate degree from an institution that teaches mainly in English can ask their programme for a waiver after submitting the application; approval is at the programme's and The Graduate School's discretion.

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