PhD English Requirements USA 2027: TOEFL and IELTS

There is no national English score for PhD admission in the United States. Each university sets a central policy, and individual doctoral programs can require more. For Fall 2027, the second complication is the TOEFL scale change introduced on January 21, 2026.

The practical answer is to build a table for every target program before booking a test. Stanford, Harvard Griffin GSAS, UC Berkeley, and MIT all accept IELTS Academic and TOEFL, but they disagree on minimum scores, section floors, exemptions, score combinations, and what happens after admission.

Key takeaways

• Stanford lists TOEFL 4.5 or IELTS 7 for admission consideration.
• Harvard Griffin GSAS lists TOEFL 5 overall with 4.5 speaking, or IELTS 7 with 6.5 speaking.
• Berkeley lists TOEFL 5 overall with 4.5 speaking and writing, or IELTS 7 with 6.5 speaking and writing for Fall 2027.
• MIT currently recommends TOEFL 100, IELTS 7, Duolingo 135, or Cambridge 190, with department rules taking priority.
• An English taught graduate degree can waive Stanford testing but does not by itself waive Harvard Griffin GSAS or MIT testing.

In this guide: score table | new TOEFL scale | IELTS rules | exemptions | teaching | application plan | FAQ

PhD English scores at four US universities

The table uses central graduate admissions pages current on 27 August 2026. A department page can supersede a central minimum.

This is not a ranking of universities or exams. It shows why a generic answer such as "IELTS 7 is enough for a US PhD" is incomplete.

At Harvard, an IELTS 7 with speaking 6 fails the central section rule. At Berkeley, IELTS 7 with speaking 7 and writing 6 fails the writing rule. At Stanford, IELTS 7 clears the central admission floor but still sits below the score of 8 that avoids the placement test.

MIT creates a different problem. Its live central page still recommends TOEFL 100 rather than publishing a new 1 to 6 number. ETS says score reports show both systems during the transition through January 2028, so the old scale remains visible. Applicants should follow the exact department page rather than converting a requirement themselves.

Students comparing general study routes can also read when a university assesses English itself, but doctoral applicants need the program level check covered here.

How the new TOEFL scale changes 2027 applications

ETS introduced a 1 to 6 TOEFL iBT scale on January 21, 2026. Each section and the overall result now use half point increments. The overall score is the average of the four section scores, rounded to the nearest half point.

For two years after the change, ETS also includes a comparable total on the old 0 to 120 scale. This transition explains why current university pages use three different approaches:

1. Stanford publishes old and new TOEFL thresholds side by side.
2. Harvard and Berkeley publish old thresholds for earlier tests and new thresholds for later tests.
3. MIT still publishes the old 100 recommendation, which remains visible on transition score reports.

Do not convert a section requirement from memory. The new scale is not simply the old score divided by twenty. ETS developed mappings by section and reports the official comparable result.

Our detailed new TOEFL 1 to 6 speaking scale guide explains the reporting change. The admissions decision still belongs to the university.

Stanford

Stanford lists 90 for tests before January 21, 2026 and 4.5 for tests on or after that date. It also publishes a second threshold: 109 on the old scale, 5.5 on the new scale, or IELTS 8 to avoid the Stanford English Placement Test.

This means admission consideration and language placement are separate decisions. A candidate can clear the central application minimum and still need an internal assessment before the first quarter.

Stanford accepts MyBest scores and says programs may set higher minimums or stricter validity periods. It treats English scores as valid for two years for the Autumn 2027 cycle.

Harvard Griffin GSAS

Harvard lists TOEFL 5 overall and 4.5 speaking for tests from January 21, 2026. For earlier tests it lists 95 overall and 23 speaking. The central IELTS rule is 7 overall and 6.5 speaking.

Harvard does not accept TOEFL MyBest scores. Each test date must be listed separately. Its central page accepts home or online versions of TOEFL iBT and IELTS Academic, while programs may set higher scores.

That higher program rule is real, not boilerplate. Harvard's Public Policy PhD page lists TOEFL 5.5 overall while keeping the 4.5 speaking minimum. One program can therefore sit half a point above the central overall floor.

UC Berkeley

Berkeley's Fall 2027 policy is especially explicit. For TOEFL tests from January 21, 2026 it requires 5 overall, 4.5 speaking, and 4.5 writing. For IELTS it requires 7 overall with 6.5 speaking and writing.

For tests from June 1, 2025 through January 20, 2026, Berkeley lists the earlier TOEFL 90 total and IELTS 7 overall rules. Tests before June 1, 2025 are not accepted for the Fall 2027 cycle.

Berkeley accepts TOEFL iBT and Home Edition, plus IELTS Academic and IELTS Online. It rejects TOEFL ITP, MyBest Scores, IELTS Indicator, IELTS One Test Retake, and Duolingo.

MIT

MIT Graduate Admissions recommends TOEFL 100, IELTS 7, Duolingo 135, or Cambridge English 190. Duolingo and Cambridge C1 or C2 are accepted by only a limited number of departments.

The department controls the final requirement. MIT warns that programs can ask for supplemental English scores even when an applicant received an exemption or waiver. It also recommends taking the test at least two months before the deadline because verification times vary.

IELTS requirements are not identical

All four universities in the table accept IELTS Academic, and 7 appears in each central policy. That superficial agreement hides five differences.

A doctoral applicant should therefore record the overall score, every section floor, accepted delivery version, retake policy, and department override. The overall band alone is not enough.

The most expensive mistake is booking a retake product that a target university rejects. Berkeley and MIT explicitly reject IELTS One Skill Retake. A candidate should check every target before paying for that route.

If you are choosing between test formats rather than institutions, computer and paper IELTS compared covers delivery, while how to book IELTS covers the official booking path.

English test exemptions compared

Exemption rules vary more than the score table. An English taught degree is not one universal waiver.

Stanford accepts the widest experience routes

Stanford says a score is not required if at least one of these applies:

• The applicant is a US citizen or permanent resident.
• The applicant's first language is English.
• The applicant earned a US bachelor, master, or doctoral degree, or an international equivalent, from a university where all instruction was in English.
• The applicant has at least two consecutive years of full time professional or educational experience in English during the past ten years.

Supporting documents may be requested after an admitted student accepts the offer.

Harvard focuses on the undergraduate degree

Harvard Griffin GSAS accepts an undergraduate degree from an institution where English is the primary language of instruction. Its policy explicitly says a master degree or other graduate degree is not accepted as proof by itself.

A narrow petition route exists for an undergraduate degree from a US institution where English was not the primary language but a significant part of the program was in English. That petition applies only to US institutions.

The contrast with Stanford is direct. The same English taught master degree can matter at Stanford and fail to create a Harvard Griffin GSAS exemption.

MIT limits automatic degree exemptions by country

MIT automatically exempts an applicant whose primary language is English. Its degree route requires three to four years at an English speaking university, an undergraduate degree from that institution, completion within the last five years, and location in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the United States.

MIT explicitly excludes three situations from automatic exemption:

• A medium of instruction letter from a university in another country.
• A graduate degree from an English speaking institution.
• A degree from a US or UK affiliated campus located outside the six named countries.

Some departments consider waiver requests under their own criteria. That is a department waiver, not an MIT wide automatic exemption.

Berkeley uses country and US study routes

Berkeley publishes a country and institution list tied to the bachelor degree. The list creates a result many generic guides miss: an undergraduate degree from India requires TOEFL or IELTS, while an undergraduate degree from the Philippines does not under the current central table.

Berkeley also allows an exemption for a degree from an accredited US institution where instruction was in English, or at least one year of full time academic coursework with grades of B or better at a regionally accredited US institution. ESL and nonacademic courses do not count for the one year route.

Applicants from India can compare broader speaking practice options in English speaking apps for Indian students. Applicants from the Philippines should still inspect the department page, because a central exemption does not prevent a program from evaluating communication during admission or teaching selection.

Admission and teaching are separate gates

Passing the admission language requirement does not automatically authorize a funded PhD student to teach.

Berkeley states this directly. Graduate students who do not speak English as a native language must satisfy a separate oral English proficiency requirement before a Graduate Student Instructor appointment. Berkeley says that teaching level is higher than its admission level.

Stanford uses another mechanism. Students below TOEFL 5.5 or IELTS 8 can be admitted but must take the Stanford English Placement Test. The result can lead to required or recommended language courses.

Harvard Griffin GSAS also describes oral screening for certain incoming PhD students before they can serve as teaching fellows. Research, coursework, seminar discussion, conference presentation, and teaching all place different demands on speaking.

This is why speaking should not be ignored just because a university publishes an overall test minimum. How to give a presentation in English helps with structured delivery, how to speak for two minutes without freezing covers sustained speech mechanics, and daily speaking drills from B1 to C1 build volume without pretending to replace an official test.

A safer application plan

Use one row per university and one subrow per department.

1. Confirm that the program offers a PhD and is accepting applications for the intended term.
2. Open the central graduate admissions English policy.
3. Open the specific department admissions page.
4. Record accepted tests and delivery formats.
5. Record the overall minimum and every section minimum.
6. Check whether the department uses a higher score.
7. Check exemption rules against the exact degree, country, dates, and language of instruction.
8. Record the earliest valid test date and score verification deadline.
9. Check whether funding or teaching creates a second oral English requirement.
10. Book early enough for an official score to arrive before the deadline.

Do not rely on a university name alone. Harvard has several admissions offices with different reporting codes. MIT departments can differ on Duolingo and Cambridge. Stanford programs can set higher minimums. Berkeley makes the Fall 2027 test date part of eligibility.

For general fluency before interviews or teaching screens, test your English speaking level, use a 30 day speaking plan, and practise graduate interview answers. Official TOEFL and IELTS materials remain the authority for exam format.

What we could not verify

We did not check every US doctoral program. The four universities illustrate policy variation and should not be treated as a national list.

We did not convert MIT's recommended TOEFL 100 into a new scale number. MIT's live page publishes 100, and ETS transition reports include a comparable old scale total through January 2028. The department should resolve any ambiguity.

We did not assume that meeting a minimum makes admission likely. English proficiency is one eligibility component. Research fit, academic record, recommendations, statement, writing sample, funding, and faculty capacity are separate decisions.

We did not treat an exemption as proof that no one will evaluate speaking. Interviews, placement, teaching appointments, and laboratory communication can create later language checks.

How we researched this guide

Google autocomplete was measured on 27 August 2026 for US PhD IELTS and TOEFL requirements. It returned named demand for both exam routes. No existing SpeakShark article owned the US PhD admission intent.

We read the current central graduate admissions policies at Stanford, Harvard Griffin GSAS, MIT, and UC Berkeley. We also checked Harvard's Public Policy PhD page as a concrete example of a program raising the central TOEFL overall score, plus MIT's separate exemption page and ETS's current score reporting guidance.

The useful findings came from comparing columns across institutions. IELTS 7 appears everywhere but section rules differ. Stanford accepts a qualifying graduate degree while Harvard and MIT explicitly reject graduate degrees as the automatic route. Berkeley's country table treats India and the Philippines differently. Admission and teaching also use separate gates.

All policies were checked on 27 August 2026 for the Fall 2027 application cycle. University and department rules can change before a deadline, so reopen every source before submitting.

Practise speaking, from SpeakShark

SpeakShark is an AI English speaking practice app. It is useful for research explanations, interview answers, seminar responses, and sustained speech before a placement or teaching interview.

You talk, the AI responds to what you said, and you receive feedback during the conversation. The free tier gives three five minute sessions a day. Premium sessions run for ten minutes with unlimited turns and detailed pronunciation and grammar feedback.

Being precise about the limit: SpeakShark issues no TOEFL or IELTS score, does not evaluate PhD admission, and does not replace official test materials or university advice. It improves general spoken English through conversation.

Start free with no card. Read how SpeakShark works, review current pricing, create an account, or use another free speaking session to explain your research in plain English.

We are a speaking improvement tool. We are not an exam preparation provider, and we are not affiliated with Stanford University, Harvard University, MIT, the University of California, ETS, the IELTS partners or any exam board. For test format, booking and official practice material, go to the exam body directly, and for admissions requirements, read the university and department pages. Use SpeakShark to make your spoken English stronger, and use official material to learn the test.

• Site: speakshark.com
• Support: speaksharksupport@gmail.com
• Free tier: 3 AI conversation sessions per day, no card

FAQ

There is no national PhD IELTS score. In the four official university policies compared here, Stanford, Harvard Griffin GSAS, UC Berkeley, and MIT each use 7 as a central minimum or recommendation. Harvard and Berkeley also publish 6.5 minimums for speaking, or for speaking and writing. Individual departments may set higher requirements.

Requirements differ by university and department. For tests taken from January 21, 2026, Stanford lists 4.5, Harvard Griffin GSAS lists 5 overall with 4.5 speaking, and Berkeley lists 5 overall with 4.5 speaking and writing. MIT still publishes a recommended 100 on the comparable 0 to 120 scale.

Sometimes, but the degree rule varies sharply. Stanford can accept an English taught bachelor, master, or doctorate and certain recent professional experience. Harvard Griffin GSAS accepts an undergraduate degree but not a graduate degree by itself. MIT limits automatic degree exemptions to undergraduate study in six named countries. Berkeley has separate country and US coursework routes.

Choose after checking every target department. IELTS Academic is accepted by all four universities compared here, while TOEFL is also accepted and now reports both its 1 to 6 score and a comparable old scale total during the transition. Policies differ on MyBest, online delivery, one skill retakes, speaking minimums, and score validity.

Not necessarily. Admission and teaching can be separate language gates. Berkeley explicitly says its oral English requirement for Graduate Student Instructor appointments is higher than its admission standard. Stanford can require an English Placement Test below a higher score threshold, and Harvard screens some incoming PhD students for oral proficiency before teaching appointments.

Two years is common, but the application cycle and university deadline control the exact earliest date. Stanford and Harvard publish two year windows for English scores. Berkeley gives a specific earliest accepted test date for Fall 2027. A score must still be valid and reportable when the university or department requires verification.

Sources

• Stanford Graduate Admissions, test scores: English exemptions, old and new TOEFL minimums, IELTS minimum, placement threshold, MyBest policy, and score validity
• Harvard Griffin GSAS, English proficiency: overall and speaking minimums, accepted formats, undergraduate degree route, graduate degree exclusion, MyBest policy, and reporting timeline
• Harvard Griffin GSAS, Public Policy PhD: a program level example with TOEFL 5.5 above the central 5 minimum
• MIT Graduate Admissions, English test policy: recommended scores, department control, verification, timing, and supplemental test authority
• MIT Graduate Admissions, exemptions: primary language route, six country undergraduate route, graduate degree exclusion, medium of instruction exclusion, and department waivers
• UC Berkeley Graduate Division, admission requirements: Fall 2027 scores, section floors, accepted and rejected test formats, country list, exemptions, and separate teaching requirement
• ETS, understanding TOEFL scores: the January 2026 scale, section scores, overall calculation, and transition reporting