TOEFL vs. IELTS: Acceptance by Country and Institution
The strategic TOEFL vs. IELTS decision requires matching your test choice to the acceptance policies of your target institutions. United States: virtually all US universities accept both TOEFL iBT and IELTS Academic. TOEFL is historically the dominant test for US university admissions, but IELTS acceptance has grown significantly since 2014. Common US graduate program minimum thresholds: TOEFL 80–100 total (varying by program); IELTS 6.5–7.0 overall. Top research universities (MIT, Stanford, Harvard, Chicago) typically require TOEFL 100+ or IELTS 7.0+. United Kingdom: UK universities accept both, but IELTS is more commonly used and expected. Some UK programs specify IELTS explicitly and do not accept TOEFL — verify individual program requirements. Canada: both accepted at Canadian universities; IELTS may be more common for immigration purposes. Australia: both accepted at Australian universities; IELTS is more commonly required for immigration. If a student anticipates needing both a university admission score and an immigration score, IELTS Academic for UKVI (UK) or standard IELTS (Australia/Canada) may be the more efficient single test covering both purposes. TOEFL score validity: 2 years from test date (same as IELTS).