What IELTS score do you need for the University of South Dakota?

International graduate applicants meet one of: TOEFL iBT 79 (4 on the scoring in effect from January 2026), TOEFL Essentials 8.5, IELTS Academic 6.0, Duolingo 110, PTE 53, Cambridge English 169 (B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency) or Trinity ISE 93. Applicants holding a conferred degree from a listed country, including Australia, Canada, Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa and the UK, are exempt. India and Pakistan are not listed. See international graduate admission.

USD accepts unofficial copies of English test scores for contingent admission. Full admission is granted only once official English proficiency documentation and official transcripts arrive.

First-year applicants meet one of: TOEFL iBT 71 (4 on the new scoring), TOEFL Essentials 8, IELTS Academic 6.0, Duolingo 105, PTE 48, Cambridge 169, Trinity ISE 90 or ELS level 112. Successful completion (equivalent to a GPA above 2.6) of British O Level/GCSE/IGCSE, AS/A Levels, the IB, WAEC, a US high school or a US-accredited English-medium high school abroad also counts, as does a college English composition course at a US institution with a C or higher. See international undergraduate admission.

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