What IELTS score do you need for the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)?

TOEFL iBT tests taken from 21 January 2026 need an overall 4.5 with at least 4.0 in listening and speaking and 4.5 in reading and writing; earlier tests need 85 with at least 20 in each section. If you reach the overall score but miss a section minimum, SCAD reviews you case by case for an exemption; no exceptions are made below the overall score. TOEFL scores can be up to two years old, and SCAD's TOEFL institution code is 5631. The FAQ links PTE Academic alongside TOEFL, IELTS and ACTFL, but neither June 2026 document gives a PTE score that earns the waiver. See the graduate document and the FAQ.

Otherwise-qualified applicants who miss the waiver scores may still be considered for admission. They take a two-hour SCAD Language Studio placement test (listening, structure, reading, vocabulary and writing, plus an interview) at international orientation, which decides whether they need ESL classes and at what level. A student with a waiver who later fails a course because of language problems can be required to take the placement test. See the first-year document.

Besides test scores, SCAD lists English as your native language, an SAT reading score of 550 or ACT reading and writing scores of 22 and 8, all high school years at an English-medium school, a GRE verbal score of 153, and completing the SCAD Language Studio less than two years before your degree starts. Graduate applicants with a degree from a college where English is the official language of instruction can qualify too, but this needs SCAD's approval and documentation of the language of instruction, or further proof will be required. India is not named. See the graduate document.

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