Cleveland, Ohio, US
Case Western Reserve University: English test requirements
Undergraduate applicants whose first language is not English meet one set of minimums, with Duolingo accepted. The School of Graduate Studies sets a standard graduate set, a lower set for Course Focused Engineering master's programmes and higher sets for a few named departments, and it does not accept Duolingo.
Checked on 2 Nov 2026 against the university's own pages. Universities change their requirements, and some courses ask for more. Always confirm on the university's page before you book a test or apply.
IELTS
UG 7
PG from 6.5
TOEFL iBT
UG 4.5 / 90
PG from 4.5 / 80
PTE Academic
UG 61
PG from 61
Duolingo English Test
UG 115
PG Not accepted
Undergraduate (first-year)
Applies to applicants whose first language is not English. Scores may be self-reported on the applicant portal; enrolling students confirm them with official reports. The requirement is waived automatically for applicants who attend an English-medium school for two years by graduation, score 630 or more on SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing, or score 26 or more on ACT English. No section minimums are given.
| Test | Overall | Each part | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS | 7 | AcceptedThe page names the International English Language Testing System without saying Academic or General Training. | |
| TOEFL iBT, including Home Edition and Paper Edition | 4.5 (new 1-6 scale, tests on or after 21 Jan 2026) / 90 (0-120, tests on or before 20 Jan 2026) | AcceptedThe older paper-based test needs 577. | |
| PTE Academic | 61 | Accepted | |
| Duolingo English Test | 115 | Accepted |
“For TOEFL exams taken on or after January 21, 2026, the minimum score is 4.5.”
Undergraduate admission: international applicants
Graduate (School of Graduate Studies)
Scores are valid for two years from the test date. There is no conditional admission without official scores at the minimum, and scores must be reached on a single test date with no superscoring. The requirement is waived for applicants with an English-medium bachelor's or master's degree, applicants from a country whose primary spoken language is English and US permanent residents, except in Molecular and Cellular Biology of Disease and Organizational Behavior, which allow no waiver.
| Course group | IELTS | TOEFL iBT | PTE Academic | Duolingo English Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard graduate minimumSource for this group | 7.0IELTS Indicator and IELTS One Skill Retake are not accepted. | 5.0 (new 1-6 scale, tests on or after 21 Jan 2026) / 90 (0-120, tests on or before 20 Jan 2026)The paper-based TOEFL needs 577 plus a spoken English test with a short writing assessment before admission. TOEFL Essentials and MyBest scores are not accepted. | 61 | Not acceptedThe School of Graduate Studies says it does not accept the Duolingo exam. |
| Course Focused Engineering master's programmesSource for this group | 6.5 | 4.5 (new 1-6 scale, tests on or after 21 Jan 2026) / 80 (0-120, tests on or before 20 Jan 2026) | 61The page gives no separate PTE figure for these programmes; this is the general graduate figure. | Not acceptedNot accepted by the School of Graduate Studies. |
| Art History; Art History and Museum Studiese.g. Art History, Art History and Museum StudiesSource for this group | 7.0 | 5.0 (new 1-6 scale, tests on or after 21 Jan 2026) / 100 (0-120, tests on or before 20 Jan 2026)Paper-based TOEFL 600. | 68 | Not acceptedNot accepted by the School of Graduate Studies. |
| Biomedical Engineering; Chemistry Entrepreneurship; Molecular and Cellular Biology of Diseasee.g. Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry Entrepreneurship, Molecular and Cellular Biology of DiseaseSource for this group | 7.0 | 5.0 (new 1-6 scale, tests on or after 21 Jan 2026) / 100 (0-120, tests on or before 20 Jan 2026)New scale: no subscore lower than 4.0Paper-based TOEFL 600. Molecular and Cellular Biology of Disease allows no language waiver. | 68 | Not acceptedNot accepted by the School of Graduate Studies. |
| Organizational Behaviore.g. Organizational BehaviorSource for this group | 7.0 | 5.5 (new 1-6 scale, tests on or after 21 Jan 2026) / 100 (0-120, tests on or before 20 Jan 2026)New scale: no subscore lower than 5.0Paper-based TOEFL 600. No language waiver is available. | 68 | Not acceptedNot accepted by the School of Graduate Studies. |
“Applicants must achieve a minimum of 5.0 or 90 on one exam date; exams will not be superscored.”
School of Graduate Studies: international applicant info
Admissions tests
SAT / ACT · First-year applicants
Optional
Applicants choose whether to apply with scores or as test-optional candidates and can change their choice until two weeks before the decision release date. No test is needed for any undergraduate programme, the Pre-Professional Scholars Program or scholarships.
“No testing is required for any of our 100+ programs of undergraduate study.”
Other tests the university lists
- TOEFL paper-based test (577 undergraduate and graduate; 600 for the higher-score graduate departments)
The page says these are not accepted
- Duolingo English Test (graduate)
- IELTS Indicator (graduate)
- IELTS One Skill Retake (graduate)
- TOEFL Essentials (graduate)
- TOEFL MyBest Scores (graduate)
“Not on the list” means the test does not appear on the university page we checked. It does not mean the test is refused: the course page or the admissions office may still accept it, so ask them.
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