English Language Proficiency

All international undergraduate and graduate applicants must submit an English language proficiency test score to be considered for a Kent State program unless they meet specific exceptions.

 

Undergraduate

All undergraduate applicants must obtain one of the following:

  • TOEFL iBT: 71; Home Edition iBT: 71 (MyBest score not accepted)
  • Revised PBT: 18 (average score)
  • IELTS Academic and IELTS indicator: 6.0
  • Duolingo English Test (DET):100
  • PTE Academic and PTE Academic Online: 48
  • Completion of the Kent State University ESL Center Level 8 Intensive English program with a minimum of 3.75 out of 4.0 GPA
  • ELS Level 112 Intensive English Program completion
  • OHLA Advance 2 completion for undergraduate applicants and OHLA Elite for graduate applicants
  • SAT: a minimum of 510 evidence-based reading and writing
  • ACT: a minimum of 21 in English

Please note, Kent State accepts MyBest™ scores for the TOEFL iBT® test, in addition to TOEFL iBT scores from a single test date.

Graduate

Graduate programs set their own English requirements. Please review the Graduate Program English Requirements before submitting your application.

Conditional Admission

All international applicants must provide proof of English language proficiency unless they qualify for a proficiency waiver.

  • Undergraduate applicants who do not meet the minimum language score for admission may be admitted conditionally if they meet academic requirements.
  • Some graduate programs offer Conditional Admission. Graduate applicants who are interested in Conditional Admission should still provide an English language proficiency test to be considered.

Conditional Admission means students will take English language classes at our ESL Center before entering their programs.

  • If you only want to apply for the ESL program then you should submit an ESL application.
  • If you are looking for Conditional Admission, then you should submit a regular undergraduate application.

Submitting your English test score

When applying as an undergraduate or graduate student to Kent State, there are a variety of ways to submit your score depending on which type of test you took.

  • Students should request that ETS send official TOEFL scores directly to Kent (institution code: 1367).
  • An IELTS or PTE report needs to be uploaded as a scanned PDF into our online application system..

All English scores will be verified for authenticity. Students with fraudulent documents will result in denial of admission or immediate dismissal.

Proficiency Waivers

Depending on your educational background, you may be eligible for an English language proficiency waiver, meaning you do not need to take a language exam. See our country list and related requirements.

Check Eligibility for an English Proficiency Waiver

Academic Resources

Once you are enrolled and throughout your time with Kent State University, there are numerous academic resources that you can take advantage of such as tutoring, peer mentoring, advising drop-ins, study groups, language or conversation clubs. We offer a variety of options to assist you with your academics and your personal wellbeing too.

Explore our Campus Resources