What IELTS score do you need for Tufts University?

Applicants whose primary language is not English must prove proficiency unless they have spent at least three years at a secondary school taught in English. Tufts accepts TOEFL, IELTS, PTE and Duolingo; it has no minimums, but successful applicants generally have TOEFL 100 (5.0 for tests from 21 January 2026), IELTS 7, PTE Academic 68 or Duolingo 130. TOEFL ITP Plus and IELTS Indicator do not meet the requirement. See applying as an international student.

Self-reported scores are accepted through the Applicant Status Page, with official scores needed if you enrol. Report every section from the same sitting: superscoring, including TOEFL MyBest, is not accepted. The TOEFL code is 3901, IELTS goes directly from your test centre, and Duolingo can be released to Tufts at no cost.

Non-native speakers applying to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences or the School of Engineering submit TOEFL iBT, IELTS or Duolingo; TOEFL 90 (4.5 on the new scale), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 120 is generally advised, and programs can differ. Scores must come from the test provider (TOEFL code 3901), and official scores are accepted up to two weeks after your deadline. See international student requirements.

You do not need a score if you are a citizen of Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, Guyana, an Anglophone African country or an English-speaking Caribbean country; if you earned a degree in the US, one of those countries, or from an institution where English is the medium of instruction; or if you will have completed two consecutive full-time years at a US or English-speaking university before enrolling. An English-medium degree from India therefore qualifies.

The MPH asks for TOEFL 100 (5.0 on the new scale), sent to SOPHAS with code 5688, or IELTS 7.0. It does not accept Duolingo, PTE or USMLE scores. Alternatives include two or more years of study or full-time paid work in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand, or a NACES course-by-course evaluation stating that all your courses were taught in English. See international MPH applicants.

The US F-1 student visa sets no English test score of its own. What counts is the requirement Tufts 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 Tufts graduate international student requirements 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.