text.skipToContent text.skipToNavigation

Minimum IELTS Band Score Requirements For UK Universities

Now that you have made up your mind to study in the UK, it is time to ensure you have all you need for a successful application to a university!

As an international student, you must demonstrate a satisfactory standard of spoken and written English to support your application. This can be done by taking the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Academic test.

University language requirements vary according to the university and programme. To study in the UK, you will need a Tier 4 Visa, which can only be obtained if you meet the English proficiency standard set by your institution.

To Study In The UK, The Minimum Requirements Are As Follows:

Level (Courses)	English Requirement
University Foundation	IELTS 4.5 (4.0+ in all skills)
Bachelor’s Degree	IELTS 6.5 (6.0+ in all skills)
Pre-Master’s	IELTS 5.0 (5.0+ in all skills)
Master’s Degree	IELTS 6.5 (6.0+ in all skills)

However, to study in the world’s top 200 universities in the UK, score requirements are much more stringent.

Free Counselling with IDP Malaysia

Times Higher Education World University Rankings in 2019

The Times Higher Education World Rankings is one of the world’s most established metrics. It judges universities based on 5 key performance indicators- teaching, research, citations, international outlook and industry income.

World rank	Name of institution	IELTS minimum requirement (undergraduate programmes)	IELTS minimum requirement (postgraduate programmes)
1	University of Oxford	7.0	7.5
2	University of Cambridge	7.0	7.0
9	Imperial College London	7.0	7.0
14	University College London	6.5	6.5
26	London School of Economics and Political Science	7.0	7.5
29	University of Edinburgh	6.5	6.5
38	King's College London	7.0	7.0
57	University of Manchester	6.0	7.5
78	University of Bristol	6.0	6.0
79	University of Warwick	6.5	6.5
93	University of Glasgow	6.0	7.0
106	University of Sheffield	6.0	6.5
114	Durham University	6.5	6.5
116	University of Birmingham	6.0	6.5
118	University of Southampton	6.5	6.5
119	University of York	Contact institution	Contact institution
130	Queen Mary University of London	6.0	6.5
141	University of Exeter	6.5	7.0
146	Lancaster University	6.0	6.5
149	University of Nottingham	7.0	7.0
153	University of Leeds	6.0	6.5
158	University of Aberdeen	6.0	6.5
161	University of St Andrews	7.0	7.0
165	University of Leicester	6.0	6.5
167	University of Sussex	6.0	6.5
171	Newcastle University	6.5	6.5
181	University of Liverpool	6.0	6.5
187	Cardiff University	6.5	6.5
190	University of East Anglia	6.5	7.0

QS World University Rankings in 2019

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World Rankings, another of the world’s premier ranking systems, rates the world’s universities by institution and subject through academic, student, employer and international indicators.

World rank	Name of institution	IELTS minimum requirement (undergraduate programmes)	IELTS minimum requirement (postgraduate programmes)
5	University of Oxford	7.0	7.5
6	University of Cambridge	7.0	7.0
8	Imperial College London	7.0	7.0
10	University College London	6.5	6.5
18	The University of Edinburgh	6.5	6.5
29	The University of Manchester	6.0	7.5
31	King's College London	7.0	7.0
38	London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)	7.0	7.5
51	University of Bristol	6.0	6.0
54	The University of Warwick	6.5	6.5
69	University of Glasgow	6.0	7.0
74	Durham University	6.5	6.5
75	The University of Sheffield	6.0	6.5
79	University of Birmingham	6.0	6.5
82	The University of Nottingham	7.0	7.0
93	University of Leeds	6.0	6.5
96	University of Southampton	6.5	6.5
97	University of St Andrews	7.0	7.0
119	Queen Mary University of London	6.0	6.5
131	Lancaster University	6.0	6.5
134	University of York	Contact institution	Contact institution
141	Newcastle University	6.5	6.5
145	Cardiff University	6.5	6.5
154	The University of Exeter	6.5	7.0
158	University of Bath	6.5	6.5
164	University of Liverpool	6.0	6.5
172	University of Aberdeen	6.0	6.5
195	University of Reading	6.5	7.0

If you have not achieved these scores in your first university IELTS Academic test, fret not!

You can still apply to your preferred universities and receive a conditional offer contingent on meeting the language requirements. Then, you can confirm with your offer with the successful results of your second test.

The universities’ language requirements can also be met through other English tests such as TOEFL and A Level English.

IELTS and Equivalent Scores

Exam	IELTS 5.0	5.5	6.0	6.5	7.0	7.5
A Level English	D	D	C	C	B	B
GCSE English	D	D	C	C	B	B
IB**	grade 3& in A or B HL or SL	grade 4 in A or B HL or SL	IB B SL grade 6 IB B HL -grade 4 IB A1/A2 HL/ SL grade 4	IB B SL grade 6 IB B HL -grade 5 IB A1/A2 HL/ SL- grade 5	IB B SL grade 7 IB B HL -grade 5 IB A1/A2 HL/ SL grade 5	IB B HL -grade 6 IB A1/A2 HL/ SL grade 6
TOEFL ibt	60(10, 10, 13, 16)	70(13, 13, 13, 16)	80(17, 18, 17, 20)	90(17, 18, 17, 20)	100(20, 20, 20, 20)	110(22, 22, 22, 22

While understanding the IELTS requirements for your University of entry is key, it is much better to focus get fully prepared for the test itself to score your very best!

Looking to book your IELTS Test? IDP is a co-owner of IELTs and all our test centers are UKVI approved.

Sign-up at IDP today for a paper written test or a computer-delivered one!