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

Official TOEFL, IELTS, C1 Advanced or Duolingo scores are required from every graduate applicant, whatever their citizenship, whose native language is not English or who was educated where English is not the native language. The minimums are TOEFL 80 (4.0 from 21 January 2026), IELTS 6.5, C1 Advanced 176 or Duolingo 115. Programs can set their own higher requirements, scores are valid for two years, and applications are not processed until the score arrives. PTE is not listed. See English language proficiency.

You are generally exempt with a high school diploma from a school taught in English, a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited university whose sole language of instruction and examination is English, or your last 30 semester credits completed there with a 3.0 GPA.

To be considered for a graduate teaching assistantship in any department, non-native speakers must show spoken fluency: TOEFL iBT Speaking 26 (5 for tests from 21 January 2026), IELTS Speaking 8 or C1 Advanced Speaking 200. The GTA exemption needs both a degree from an English-only institution and four or more consecutive years of work or teaching in English in a country where English is an official language. See GTA eligibility.

To be competitive, undergraduates send TOEFL 80 with each section at 18 (or 4 with each section at 4 from 21 January 2026), IELTS 6.5 with no band below 5.5, Duolingo 115 with Literacy and Comprehension at 105 and Conversation and Production at 115, or a CAE grade of C. All scores must come from a single test; DU does not superscore or accept TOEFL MyBest. Exemptions are often granted for the final three years at an English-medium high school, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 600 or ACT English 25. See admission standards.

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