See the TOEFL score needed to attend Stanford University.
The TOEFL is an exam that tests your ability to speak, write, read and listen to English as a college student. TOEFL stands for “Test of English as a Foreign Language.”
Many English-speaking colleges require international students to take this exam before the admissions process, so it is a good idea to find out what kind of scores you are expected to get on the TOEFL.
TOEFL Score Range
The highest score you can get on the TOEFL is 120. The points are broken up into four sections, with each one equaling 30 points. Take note that this only applies to the internet-based test, or iBT, which has become much more common than the paper-based test, or PBT.
In fact, the latter is being phased out at most colleges, which you should keep in mind when deciding whether to take the iBT or PBT TOEFL. But if you do take the PBT, know that the scores go up to 677 rather than the iBT’s 120.
Minimum TOEFL Scores
Similar to the SAT, ACT and other common college entrance exams, most schools have a minimum TOEFL score they will accept. The following are the minimum scores for nine top English-speaking universities you might be interested in attending.
Minimum iBT TOEFL Scores:
University of California Berkeley – 68
Massachusetts Institute of Technology – 90
Harvard University – 100
Stanford University – 100
University of Cambridge – 100
Columbia University – 100
University of Chicago – 104
Princeton University – 108
University of Oxford – 110
Minimum PBT TOEFL Scores:
University of California Berkeley – 570
Massachusetts Institute of Technology – 577
Harvard University – 600
Stanford University – 600
University of Cambridge – 600
Columbia University – 600
University of Oxford – 600
Note that the University of Chicago and Princeton University do not list minimum scores for the TOEFL PBT; they are among the schools that no longer accept the paper-based test. If you can, you should take the iBT, as it is accepted in more universities.
As you put together your college application to become an international student, you should be considering the minimum score requirements at the colleges you are interested in.
While the minimum TOEFL score is only a piece of the puzzle, it is an important one that can decide whether you can continue with the college application process involving English-speaking schools.