What IELTS score do you need for the University of Chicago?

UChicago says it admits only students with "a superior level of English language competence". You are invited to submit scores from any English proficiency exam you think represents your ability, but if your mastery of English already shows throughout your application you are not required to. Scores may be official or self-reported; self-reporters send official reports only if admitted and enrolling. No minimum is published, and UChicago does not offer an ESL program for admitted students. See College Admissions.

Every graduate applicant, regardless of citizenship, either meets a waiver or submits TOEFL iBT (test center or at home) or IELTS Academic; IELTS UKVI Academic and One Skill Retake Academic (with the original report) also count. UChicago does not accept Duolingo, the IELTS Indicator, TOEFL ITP Plus or any other test. Scores are valid for two years and expire if the test was taken more than two years before the application deadline.

Waivers cover applicants for whom English has been a primary language since childhood, or who completed at least one full academic year as a degree student at an English-medium institution in listed countries such as Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, the UK and the US. Required scores vary by division and sometimes by department, so check yours. See the required scores page.

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