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

UofL accepts TOEFL, IELTS, the Duolingo English Test and PTE Academic; TOEFL Essentials 9.0 and computer-based TOEFL 213 are also listed. Score reports are valid for two years and count as expired if the test was taken more than two years before the application deadline. Departments can add their own requirements. See English language proficiency.

The requirement is not waived because a previous institution taught in English. It is waived for citizens of listed English-speaking countries, which include Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Singapore, the UK and, unusually, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. India and Pakistan are not listed. A bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited institution in the US, Canada (except Quebec), the UK or Australia may also exempt you.

Undergraduates send official scores directly from the testing service: TOEFL iBT 79 (or 4.0 with 4.0 sub-scores from January 2026), TOEFL Essentials 8.5, IELTS Academic 6.5, Duolingo 105, PTE 55 with no sub-score below 53, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 490, ACT English 18, AP English Language 4 or IB English Language and Literature 5. The TOEFL code is 1838. See undergraduate international requirements.

You can also qualify with two consecutive years of full-time high school in the US or at any high school where English is the primary language of instruction, with a C or higher in English, or two such years of university study with a C or higher in English 101 or 102. These exemptions are granted only on official transcripts.

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