From New York City to California, the United States of America has always had a reputation for being one of the most popular study destinations for those looking to further their studies abroad.
From the global academic renown of its top universities, rich cultural diversity, breathtaking natural landscapes, and buffet of employment opportunities, there’s no question why students still look out to live that American dream as a student until this day.
Whether you’re looking to study abroad in the USA or work there , international students must still prove their proficiency in the English language with recognised tests such as the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
IELTS is the most recognised high stakes English proficiency test in the world and is often a prerequisite to enter most schools in major cities overseas.
This is especially relevant in countries like the US, where English is the first language.
Minimum scores for universities in the United States
With the average minimum IELTS band score between 6.0 to 6.5 in the United States, potential students can enter most universities across the country.
However, students who have the desire to enter some of the world’s top universities need to aim for a band score that is slightly above average.
Given the international standards and reputation of these educational institutions, it can be quite competitive but certainly not impossible.
Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings in 2024
Times Higher Education (THE) is one of the three most established organisations responsible for the publication of global university rankings each year.
The organisation boasts highly extensive and sophisticated performance indicators to provide the most balanced and objective comparisons across all eligible universities in that particular year.
There are five key performance indicators that can be categorised into five aspects: teaching, research quality, research environment, industry income, and international outlook.
In the 2024 rankings this year, nine US universities retain their spots in the global top 15. This includes powerhouse institutions such as Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and Yale, to name a few.
Here’s a more in-depth look into the minimum IELTS requirements for the top universities under the 2024 THE World University Rankings .
Rank | University | Global rank | IELTS minimum requirement (undergraduate programmes) | IELTS minimum requirement (postgraduate programmes) |
1 | Stanford University | 2 | Not available | Not available |
2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | 3 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
3 | Harvard University | 4 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
4 | Princeton University | 6 | 8.0 | 8.0 |
5 | California Institute of Technology (Caltech) | 7 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
6 | University of California, Berkeley (UCB) | 9 | 6.5 | 7.0 |
7 | Yale University | 10 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
8 | University of Chicago | 13 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
9 | Johns Hopkins University | 15 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
10 | University of Pennsylvania | 16 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
11 | Columbia University | 17 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
12 | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | 18 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
13 | Cornell University | 20 | 7.5 | 7.0 |
14 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 23 | 7.0 | 6.5 |
15 | Carnegie Mellon University | 24 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
16 | University of Washington | 25 | 6.0 | 6.5 |
17 | Duke University | 26 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
18 | New York University | 27 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
19 | Northwestern University | 28 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
20 | University of California, San Diego | 34 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
QS World University Rankings in 2024
Alongside Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings is also among the top three most established and internationally acclaimed ranking systems.
This ranking system has a different set of assessment criteria that contribute to a university’s final score in the global performance tables.
Its eight key metrics include academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, faculty-to-student ratio, international student ratio and international faculty ratio, international research network, employment outcomes and sustainability. All of these play a crucial part in determining how an institution is perceived on a global scale.
In 2024, 10 universities made it to the top 20 of QS World University Rankings including Ivy League universities such as University of Pennsylvania, Cornell, Yale and Columbia.
Here are the minimum IELTS requirements for American universities according to the QS world ranking system.
Rank | University | Global rank | IELTS minimum requirement (undergraduate programmes) | IELTS minimum requirement (postgraduate programmes) |
1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | 1 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
2 | Harvard University | 4 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
3 | Stanford University | 5 | Not available | Not available |
4 | University of California, Berkeley (UCB) | 10 | 6.5 | 7.0 |
5 | University of Chicago | 11 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
6 | University of Pennsylvania | 12 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
7 | Cornell University | 13 | 7.5 | 7.0 |
8 | California Institute of Technology (Caltech) | 15 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
9 | Yale University | 16 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
10 | Princeton University | 17 | 8.0 | 8.0 |
11 | Columbia University | 23 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
12 | Johns Hopkins University | 28 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
13 | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | 29 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
14 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 33 | 7.0 | 6.5 |
15 | New York University | 38 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
16 | Northwestern University | 47 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
17 | Carnegie Mellon University | 52 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
18 | Duke University | 57 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
19 | University of Texas at Austin | 58 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
20 | University of California, San Diego | 62 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
Further your studies in the United States with IDP!
Now that you have an idea of the minimum requirements needed to enter the best universities in the United States, it’s time to start preparing for the IELTS test!
If you don’t know where to start, we’re here to guide you each step of the way.
As a joint owner of the IELTS test, IDP has decades of experience in helping students to prepare for and take the test.
Download the IELTS by IDP app to gain all the benefits at your fingertips, from a wealth of official IELTS preparation resources to convenient test locations.
Begin by booking your IELTS test today!