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English Language Proficiency Requirements

If you are applying to Â鶹´«Ã½ an international graduate student, your requirements will be determined by your program. If you do not meet SLU’s direct entry requirements, we encourage you to apply to the Pathway or English Language programs offered by.

Submitting and Scheduling Your Tests

Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s Educational Testing Service (ETS) code for submitting TOEFL and SAT scores is 6629 and for ACT scores is 2352. Your TOEFL and IELTs scores are considered valid for two years.

Schedule Your Test

ESL and Pathway Programs

If you do not meet our English proficiency requirements, you may still be able to come to SLU. Our can provide conditional admission for international students.

Exceptions and Additional Testing

Â鶹´«Ã½ reserves the right to make exceptions on an individual basis and the right to require additional testing of any incoming international student’s English language skills.

International students may be required to take the Â鶹´«Ã½ Writing Exam (SLUWE) upon arrival to campus in order to determine the most appropriate English writing class.

You may be required to take appropriate academic English courses prior to — or in conjunction with — enrolling in the University's academic programs.

To ensure a successful academic experience at Â鶹´«Ã½, international applicants may be required to demonstrate they are proficient in the English language. Applicants must demonstrate their English language proficiency through one of the following options. 

Test Scores

SLU requires scores to be directly submitted by testing agencies. Applicants should allow time for the scores to be connected to their SLU application portal. International applicants may request submission of their scores from any of the standardized tests listed below. (Graduate programs may have higher minimums.) Please note SLU’s ETS code for TOEFL and SAT scores is 6629. Its ACT code is 2352.

Test Type Minimum Score
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) 6.5
Duolingo 110
Evidence-based reading and writing of the SAT 550
English portion of the ACT 21
GaoKao Overall score middle of Tier 2 or better and 125/150 English (100/120 Jiangsu)
Pearson Test of English (PTE) 54
TOEFL ITP Plus for China 627
Computer-based TOEFL (IBT) 80
Paper-based TOEFL (PBT) 550

This policy emphasizes that the scores listed above indicate a minimum level of English and do not guarantee the applicant will have a command of spoken and written English. Therefore, most international students enrolling at Â鶹´«Ã½ will be required to take the Â鶹´«Ã½ Writing Examination (SLUWE).

Undergraduate students scoring a 4 on the SLUWE meet all English proficiency requirements. Students who do not achieve the minimum score are required to follow the recommendations by the English as a Second Language Center. These recommendations may include exemption from ESL courses, concurrent enrollment in ESL and a program, or full-time enrollment in ESL until the desired level of English has been achieved.

College-Level English Course

International applicants may submit proof that they have successfully completed a college-level English course (not an ESL course) at an accredited college or university in the United States to fulfill the English language proficiency requirement.

High School Curriculum in English

International applicants who completed their entire high school curriculum in English, regardless of the school’s physical location, may submit documentation to fulfill the English language proficiency requirement.

Country of Citizenship

International applicants who are citizens of the English speaking countries listed below are not required to submit proof of English language proficiency to complete their application for admission.

  • American Samoa
  • Anguilla
  • Antigua, Barbuda
  • Australia
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Botswana
  • British Indian Ocean Territories
  • Canada (except Quebec)
  • Cayman Islands
  • Christmas Island
  • Cook Islands
  • Dominica
  • Falkland Islands/Malvinas
  • Fiji
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Gibraltar
  • Grenada
  • Guyana
  • Ireland
  • Jamaica
  • Kenya
  • Kiribati
  • Liberia
  • Malawi
  • Marshall Islands
  • Mauritius
  • Micronesia, Federated States
  • Montserrat
  • Namibia
  • Nevis, Saint Kitts
  • New Zealand
  • Nigeria
  • Norfolk Island
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Pitcairn
  • Puerto Rico
  • Rwanda
  • Saint Helena
  • Saint Lucia
  • Saint Vincent, Grenadines
  • Sierra Leone
  • Solomon Islands
  • South Africa
  • Swaziland/Eswatini
  • Tanzania
  • Trinidad, Tobago
  • Turks, Caicos Islands
  • Uganda
  • United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales)
  • United States
  • U.S. Minor Outlying Islands
  • Virgin Islands, British
  • Virgin Islands, U.S.
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe