What IELTS score do you need for UCLA?

If all of your secondary education was in English you are considered proficient. If you had less than three years of instruction in English, you must take TOEFL, IELTS or the Duolingo English Test. UCLA says it looks for "competitive" scores rather than stating a hard minimum: TOEFL 5 with sub-scores of 5 (revised scale) or above 100 with sub-scores above 24 (old scale), IELTS 7.5, or Duolingo 135. Scores are self-reported on the UC application by January; IELTS and Duolingo results must be sent to each UC campus separately. Admitted students may also have to take UCLA's ESL placement exam. See UCLA Admission.

All graduate applicants must show proficiency. You are exempt with a bachelor's or higher from an accredited US university or from a country where English is the sole language of instruction according to the World Higher Education Database. Otherwise you need TOEFL iBT 87 (before 21 January 2026) or 4.5 (on or after), or an overall IELTS Academic band of 7.0. Some majors require higher overall or section scores. MyBest TOEFL is not accepted.

TOEFL iBT Home Edition and IELTS Online count. Scores are valid for two years and must be valid when you apply; if you test more than once, only the most recent score is considered. Admitted students with lower scores (for example TOEFL below 100 on the old scale) face a separate academic writing (ESLPE) requirement. See UCLA Graduate Programs.

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