Dartmouth College IELTS requirement: minimum band scores for 2026
Dartmouth College based in Hanover, New Hampshire applies a single IELTS floor at both undergraduate and graduate level: overall 7.0. Programme-specific minimums sit above this floor; the breakdown below lists every programme on this page that does.
Dartmouth College requires a minimum IELTS Academic score of 7.0 overall for undergraduate admission and 7.0 overall for graduate study as of 2026. Individual programmes may set higher thresholds. All figures are sourced from the Dartmouth admissions page and verified on 2026-06-23.
Dartmouth does not publish a hard IELTS cutoff. Most successful undergraduate applicants score above 7.0. English-proficiency testing is required when the applicant's secondary school has not delivered instruction in English for at least two years.
The Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies uses the same 7.0 benchmark. Specific programmes (Health Sciences, QBS) publish hard minimums of 7.0.
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Last verified 2026-06-23. The figures on this page are taken from Dartmouth College's own admissions page. Verify against the official source before relying on a specific number; programme directors can revise English requirements between intakes.
About Dartmouth and its IELTS requirement
Dartmouth uses benchmark language rather than hard cutoffs for most programmes - 'most successful applicants score above 7.0.' Only the Health Sciences and QBS PhD programmes publish firm IELTS minimums. PTE Academic is accepted only at the Tuck School of Business.
Translating the published minimum into a study target
Undergraduate applicants to Dartmouth need an overall IELTS Academic band of 7.0 with no published per-section minimum. In CEFR terms this corresponds to C1. Dartmouth does not publish a hard IELTS cutoff. Most successful undergraduate applicants score above 7.0. English-proficiency testing is required when the applicant's secondary school has not delivered instruction in English for at least two years.
For graduate study the institutional minimum is overall 7.0 with no published per-section minimum (CEFR C1). The Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies uses the same 7.0 benchmark. Specific programmes (Health Sciences, QBS) publish hard minimums of 7.0.
Programmes that raise the bar
Several Dartmouth programmes publish IELTS thresholds that sit above the institutional minimum. The current list on this page includes Dartmouth Health Sciences (MPH/MS) (overall 7.0), Quantitative Biomedical Sciences (QBS) PhD (overall 7.0). Treat these as the target if you are applying to one of them; the institutional minimum does not over-ride a programme-level publication.
How to prepare for the Dartmouth IELTS minimum
A target of 7.0 requires reliable performance across all four sections (CEFR C1). Most candidates at this band drop marks on Writing Task 2 or Speaking Part 3 because those sections reward extended, organised argument rather than accuracy alone. Practise full-length under timed conditions, then drill the weakest section.
Programme-specific IELTS minimums
These programmes publish IELTS thresholds that differ from the institutional minimum above. Verify the programme page for the most current value before you apply.
| Programme | Overall | Per-section |
|---|---|---|
| Dartmouth Health Sciences (MPH/MS) | 7.0 | - |
| Quantitative Biomedical Sciences (QBS) PhD | 7.0 | - |
Other English tests Dartmouth accepts
TOEFL iBT 100+ benchmark (undergraduate and graduate). Duolingo 135+ benchmark for undergraduate and graduate. Cambridge C1/C2 185+ for undergraduate. PTE Academic accepted only at Tuck School of Business.
Alternatives and thresholds change between intakes. Confirm on the official admissions page before relying on a specific alternative test.
Official sources
- Dartmouth College - official English-language requirements (primary source for the bands on this page)
- IELTS.org - IELTS scoring in detail (official nine-band scale and how each band is awarded)
- British Council - IELTS band scores explained
Common questions
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