University admissions guide
Penn State English Language Requirements — IELTS, TOEFL & PTE
Pennsylvania State University English language requirements for undergraduate and graduate admission. IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, and PTE Academic score targets with a free checker.
Admission score requirements
Undergraduate
IELTS Academic
6.5 overall
Min. 6 each band
Published minimum for penn-state; program-specific requirements may be higher.
TOEFL iBT
80 total
Min. 20 per section
Minimum 80 (pre–Jan 21, 2026) or 4.5 (on or after January 21, 2026). MyBest scores not accepted.
PTE Academic
53 overall
Min. 50 per skill
Not listed among Penn State undergraduate accepted exams.
Duolingo
120 overall
Graduate
IELTS Academic
6.5 overall
Min. 6 each band
STEM and professional programs often require IELTS 7.0+.
TOEFL iBT
80 total
Min. 20 per section
Graduate school baseline; programs may require higher. Jan 2026 scale applies.
PTE Academic
58 overall
Min. 50 per skill
Program-specific.
Duolingo
120 overall
Program-specific.
Graduate departments frequently set higher minimums than the graduate school baseline.
Check your scores
Enter your practice or official test scores to see whether you appear to meet common requirements.
Penn State undergraduate — IELTS Academic
Scores appear below the requirement
Estimated overall: 0 (target 6.5). Improve: listening, reading, writing, speaking (min 6 each).
Practice IELTS AcademicPlanning reference only
Requirements change by program, faculty, and intake. Always confirm current rules with official immigration or admissions sources before applying.
Data version: university-admissions-2026-06-30-v3
Last verified: 2026-06-30