York University English test minimums
Undergraduate scores are from York's language proficiency requirements page; graduate scores are from the Faculty of Graduate Studies admission regulations. Undergraduate TOEFL is 88, or 4.5 from January 2026. Undergraduates can also use CAEL 60 or Cambridge C1 Advanced 180.
Graduate groups: fine arts, humanities and social sciences need IELTS 7.5, PTE 76, Duolingo 135 or TOEFL 100. Biology, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Economics need IELTS 7.0, PTE 67, Duolingo 130 or TOEFL 90–91. Other science programs and Mathematics and Statistics need IELTS 6.5, PTE 60, Duolingo 120 or TOEFL 79–80. For the new TOEFL scale York lists 5–6 for all three groups.
| Level | IELTS Academic | TOEFL iBT | PTE Academic | Duolingo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate (most programs) | 6.5 | 88 or 4.5 | 60 | 120 |
| Undergraduate Nursing / Schulich | 7.0 | 94 or 5.0 | 67 | 130 |
| Graduate: science, maths | 6.5 | 79–80 | 60 | 120 |
| Graduate: Biology, EECS, Economics | 7.0 | 90–91 | 67 | 130 |
| Graduate: arts, humanities, social sciences | 7.5 | 100 | 76 | 135 |
One Skill Retake, validity and program examples
York's undergraduate page says "TOEFL iBT Home Edition and IELTS One Skill Retake are also accepted" and that English proficiency tests are valid for two years. Time spent in ESL courses does not count toward meeting the requirement. One Skill Retake is not stated in the graduate regulations.
Lassonde engineering applicants need IELTS 6.5 with no section below 6.0, TOEFL 88 with section minimums, PTE or CAEL with no section below 60, and Duolingo with no score below 105. The TESOL certificate needs IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL 102.
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Undergraduate applicants who need more English can be offered conditional admission through the York University English Language Institute (YUELI), including Integrated Year One, Accelerated English and Academic Credit English options.
Study permit and PGWP: separate rules
York's scores decide admission only. IRCC sets no minimum English score for a study permit; any language condition is written into your letter of acceptance (see IELTS for a Canada study permit). The Post-Graduation Work Permit is a separate test again: university graduates need CLB 7 in all four skills, proved with IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General or PTE Core, not IELTS Academic (see IELTS for the PGWP).
Frequently asked questions
Does York University accept PTE?+
Yes. Most undergraduate programs need PTE Academic 60 (67 for Nursing and Schulich); graduate minimums are 60, 67 or 76 by program group.
Does York University accept Duolingo?+
Yes. Undergraduates need 120 (130 for Nursing and Schulich); graduate programs need 120, 130 or 135.
What IELTS do I need for a master's at York?+
6.5 for science and mathematics programs, 7.0 for Biology, EECS and Economics, and 7.5 for fine arts, humanities and social sciences.
Is IELTS One Skill Retake accepted at York?+
Yes for undergraduate admission. The graduate regulations do not mention it.
Is the York IELTS score the same as the study permit requirement?+
No. IRCC sets no minimum language score for a study permit; the university's score is an admission rule. The PGWP later needs CLB 7 for university graduates, on a General Training-type test.
Keep reading
Related
- University of Toronto IELTS requirement
- PTE for Canada
- IELTS for Canada
- IELTS for the Canada PGWP
- All 711 guides
Verified against the linked official sources on 4 October 2026. Rules change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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