Baltimore, Maryland, US
Johns Hopkins University: English test requirements
Johns Hopkins recommends, rather than requires, an English test for undergraduates whose first language is not English, and names the scores competitive applicants typically have. There is no single graduate score: each school sets its own, from preferred scores at the Whiting School of Engineering to stated minimums at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. The Carey full-time MBA gives preferred English scores and requires GMAT or GRE unless a waiver is approved. SAT or ACT is required for first-year entry.
Checked on 1 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 7
MBA 7.0
TOEFL iBT
UG 5
PG from 5.0 / 100
MBA 100
PTE Academic
UG Not on the list
PG 68
MBA 70
Duolingo English Test
UG 120
PG from 130
MBA 130
Undergraduate
A test is recommended if the applicant's primary language is not English or they have not attended an English-language school for the last three years. The page encourages sending scores to anyone below 690 on the SAT reading and writing section or below 30 on both ACT reading and English. The scores below are what applicants 'should typically receive' to be competitive.
| Test | Overall | Each part | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS | 7.0 or higher on each bandrecommended | Accepted | |
| TOEFL iBT | 5 totalrecommended | preferred sub-scores: Reading 5.5, Listening 5.5, Writing 5, Speaking 5 | AcceptedThe page gives no old 0-120 figure and does not name the scale. |
| PTE Academic | – | Not on the listNot named on the page. | |
| Duolingo English Test | composite of 120 or higherrecommended | preferred sub-scores: Literacy 125, Conversation 120, Comprehension 135, Production 105 | Accepted |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced / C2 Proficiency | 185 or higherrecommended | Accepted |
“TOEFL, IELTS, the Duolingo English Test (DET), or the Cambridge English Exam are recommended”
Undergraduate admissions: standardized testing
Graduate (by school)
Graduate programmes may set higher scores. Johns Hopkins requires graduate students to have adequate English for their course of study, but each school publishes its own scores. Applicants whose citizenship country does not have English as its primary language must send scores or apply for a waiver. The Krieger School of Arts and Sciences graduate admissions page asks applicants whose native language is not English for proof of proficiency and offers a waiver request, but prints no scores, so it is not shown as a band. The Whiting School figures are preferred scores, recommended but not required unless a programme states otherwise; the Bloomberg School figures are stated minimums.
| Course group | IELTS | TOEFL iBT | PTE Academic | Duolingo English Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whiting School of Engineering (full-time master's and PhD programmes)Source for this group | 7A preferred minimum, recommended but not required for admission unless a degree programme states it. IELTS Online is also accepted. | 5.0 (internet-based 1-6 scale) / 100 (internet-based 0-120 scale)A preferred minimum, recommended but not required unless a degree programme states it. The page also gives 250 (computer-based) and 600 (paper-based), and accepts TOEFL ITP Level 1 and the iBT Home Edition. TOEFL Essentials is not accepted. | Not acceptedThe page names TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge and Duolingo and says other exams are not currently accepted. | 135A preferred minimum, recommended but not required unless a degree programme states it. |
| Bloomberg School of Public HealthSource for this group | 7IELTS Online and IELTS One Skill Retake are accepted; IELTS General is not. | 100 (iBT before 21 January 2026) / 5.0 (iBT after 21 January 2026)The iBT Home Edition is accepted; TOEFL Essentials and TOEFL ITP are not. | 68PTE Academic Online is also accepted. | 130 composite |
Whiting School of Engineering (full-time master's and PhD programmes), other tests: Cambridge English Qualifications (B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency) 185
“Johns Hopkins University requires graduate students to have adequate English proficiency for their course of study”
Whiting School of Engineering: English Proficiency Policy and Test Waiver Eligibility (full-time graduate programmes)
Carey Business School full-time MBA
Applicants whose first or primary language is not English must send official scores from one of the four tests below. The scores are preferred minimums. Exemptions apply to applicants with a degree from an accredited US institution, a degree taught only in English, or four years living and working in the United States immediately before applying. The Admissions Committee may ask for more evidence of English. TOEFL Essentials is not accepted.
| Test | Overall | Each part | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS | 7.0recommended | Accepted | |
| TOEFL iBT | 100recommended | AcceptedA MyBest score is acceptable. TOEFL Essentials is not accepted. | |
| PTE Academic | 70recommended | Accepted | |
| Duolingo English Test | 130recommended | Accepted |
“The preferred minimum scores for each test are as follows”
Carey Business School: International Applicants
Admissions tests
SAT / ACT · First-year applicants
Required
Hopkins requires SAT (Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing) or ACT (Math, Reading and English) scores from first-year applicants and superscores them. Transfer applicants are not required to submit them. The page gives no start date for the requirement.
“Johns Hopkins University requires first-year applicants to submit SAT (Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing sections) or ACT”
GMAT / GRE · Carey Business School full-time MBA
Required
GMAT or GRE scores are required unless a waiver is approved; the school has no preference between the two and accepts scores up to five years old, from in-person or at-home tests. No minimum score is stated. A waiver needs both conditions set out in the application, and work experience is required to be eligible; applicants with a degree from outside the US need a minimum 3.0 GPA verified by a course-by-course credential evaluation first. A waiver is not guaranteed and does not guarantee admission.
“Applicants are required to submit either GMAT or GRE scores, unless approved for a waiver.”
The page says these are not accepted
- TOEFL Essentials (Whiting School, Bloomberg School and Carey MBA)
- TOEFL ITP (Bloomberg School)
- IELTS General (Bloomberg School)
- PTE Academic (Whiting School full-time graduate programmes)
“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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