What IELTS score do you need for UW–Madison?

International degree-seeking applicants meet the requirement with a US bachelor's, a US master's or doctorate earned within five years, a bachelor's-equivalent from an institution outside the US where English is the exclusive language of instruction (stated on the transcript or verified), two full-time semesters of graded English-medium coursework within five years, or a test. Scores from multiple tests cannot be combined. See requirements for admission.

For in-person programs, applicants with IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 4.5 (80–91 before 21 January 2026) or Duolingo 115–124 may be admitted under certain circumstances with program approval. They take the English assessment test (ESLAT) on arrival and must complete any recommended ESL course in the first semester.

UW–Madison's entry for India says an English proficiency test is required unless the language of instruction at your degree-granting institution, not your affiliated college, is exclusively English. In other words, the university that awards your degree is what counts, not the college you attended.

First-year applicants educated in non-English-speaking countries submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo unless English was the primary language of instruction in all four years of secondary school. IB, AP, ACT, SAT, Cambridge and PTE scores cannot waive the requirement. In-person and online IELTS Academic are both accepted, score reports cannot be older than two years when you apply, and UW–Madison does not superscore. Transfers can be waived with a college-level English composition course at an accredited US institution. See international admissions.

The US F-1 student visa sets no English test score of its own. What counts is the requirement UW–Madison 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 UW–Madison Graduate School requirements for admission page again before you book a test, and check your own program page, which can set a higher bar.