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

Proof is required of applicants who are not US citizens or permanent residents and were educated in a country where the official national language is not English. UC accepts in-person and at-home TOEFL (Essentials and MyBest not accepted), in-person and online IELTS Academic (One Skill Retake not accepted), Duolingo and PTE, sent directly by the testing agency. Self-reported or below-minimum scores do not complete an application. See graduate requirements.

Some programs set higher minimums. CEAS lists TOEFL 92 (4.5 from January 2026), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 110 and Pearson 54. See the CEAS FAQ.

The test is waived automatically for a bachelor's or higher from a listed country such as Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, Nigeria, Singapore or the UK; India is not on the list. You can ask Graduate Admissions for a waiver after applying if your degree is from an entirely English-instructing institution, meaning every program there is taught only in English, with documentation, or after passing USMLE, Cambridge C2 Proficiency at grade B, or ELS level 112.

Undergraduates can also use SAT reading and writing 480, ACT English 19, Cambridge 176 or ELS 112. Exemptions cover a year of high school in the US or a listed first-language English country with a C in standard English, IGCSE or O-Level first-language English at C, set IB results, or 24 US credit hours; India is not on that list (exemptions). Conditional admission is offered in certain colleges and terms (conditional admission).

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