Quick answer: CMU publishes these English requirements on its official pages (checked October 27, 2026). Undergraduate admission: band 5.0 or 102 on the old scale. Full-Time MBA: recommended band 5.0.
TOEFL requirements at CMU, program by program
| Program | Old scale (0 to 120) | New scale (1 to 6) | Section minimums | IELTS | MyBest | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate admission | 102 | 5.0 | Not required, but CMU gives consideration to subscores of 25+ (0-120 scale) or 5+ (1-6 scale) in each section | 7.5 | Not accepted | Official page |
| Full-Time MBA | Not stated | 5.0 (recommended) | Recommended: 25 in each section (0-120 scale); 5 or above in each section (1-6 scale) | 7.0 | Not stated | Official page |
Checked on each official page on October 27, 2026. Old scale: TOEFL iBT tests taken before January 21, 2026. New scale: tests taken from that date.
Undergraduate admission
“TOEFL iBT or iBT Home Edition : For exams taken before Jan. 21, 2026: We require at least a 102 overall score and give consideration to those with subscores of 25 and above in each section. For exams taken on or after Jan. 21, 2026: We require at least a 5 in the overall score and give consideration to those with subscores of 5 and above in each section. Carnegie Mellon's TOEFL Code is 2074 .”
Required of all nonnative English speakers. CMU uses the single sitting with the highest overall score and does not use MyBest. Home Edition is accepted. IELTS 7.5, Duolingo 135, Cambridge 191 and TOEFL Essentials 11 are also accepted.
Full-Time MBA
“Pro Tip: The recommended TOEFL score is 25 on each section of the Internet-based test. Reading: 25, Listening: 25, Speaking: 25, Writing: 25 Pro Tip: For the new, TOEFL iBT, we recommend at least a 5 in the overall score and subscores of 5 and above in each section.”
Recommended scores, not a hard minimum. No overall 0-120 score is stated, only 25 per section. Waived for a bachelor's or graduate degree where English was the sole language of instruction. IELTS 7 overall and in each band and Duolingo 120 are the recommended alternatives.
What else CMU says about English tests
- CMU's TOEFL institution code is 2074 for undergraduate admission; the Tepper School uses code 2074 with the organization Carnegie Mellon University, Graduate Business Organization. (source)
- If you take the TOEFL more than once, CMU undergraduate admission uses the set of scores from your highest overall score and does not use TOEFL MyBest scores. (source)
- CMU undergraduate admission accepts IELTS (7.5 overall), Duolingo English Test (135 overall, 135 subscores considered), Cambridge English (191) and TOEFL Essentials (11) in place of the TOEFL iBT, and the TOEFL iBT Home Edition is accepted. (source)
- CMU undergraduate admission asks applicants to take the TOEFL or IELTS no later than December of senior year, and scores should be no more than two years old at the time of application. (source)
- CMU has no university-wide graduate TOEFL minimum: each graduate program manages its own admissions process, including exam requirements. (source)
- The Tepper Full-Time MBA waives the English test if you earned a bachelor's or graduate degree where English was the sole language of instruction; TOEFL and IELTS scores must be valid when you submit the application. (source)
How the new 1 to 6 scale applies to CMU
Since January 21, 2026, TOEFL iBT scores are reported in bands from 1 to 6. Each band covers a range of old scores, so the same old minimum can sit anywhere inside a band.
- For Undergraduate admission, CMU asks for 102 on the old scale. On the ETS comparison, 102 falls in band 5.0 (which starts at 95; CEFR C1). CMU itself publishes band 5.0, which matches.
| Band | Old score (from) | CEFR |
|---|---|---|
| 6.0 | 114 and above | C2 |
| 5.5 | 107 and above | C1 |
| 5.0 | 95 and above | C1 |
| 4.5 | 86 and above | B2 |
| 4.0 | 72 and above | B2 |
| 3.5 | 58 and above | B1 |
Source: ETS score scale update. This is the ETS comparison, not a university requirement. Convert your own scores with our TOEFL score converter.
What score should you aim for?
Our advice (not an official CMU rule): treat the published number as a floor. Aim half a band above the minimum for your program, so for a band 5.0 requirement plan for 5.5 on your practice tests, so one weaker section on test day does not take your overall score under the line. Check section minimums too: an overall band can hide a low Speaking or Writing score.
CMU compared with similar universities
| University | Program | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| MIT | Undergraduate (first-year) admissions | band 5.0 or 90 on the old scale |
| Yale | Yale College (undergraduate) | recommended band 5.0 or 100 on the old scale |
| Cornell | Undergraduate admissions | band 5.0 or 100 on the old scale |
| Penn | Undergraduate admissions | recommended band 5.0 or 100 on the old scale |
| UC Berkeley | Undergraduate admission (international) | band 4.5 or 90 on the old scale |
All universities: TOEFL requirements by university.
Prefer a teacher? Epic Exam Prep, the team behind PrepDrills, has taught TOEFL courses since 2010, one to one or in small groups.
By Jaclyn Caruana, MBA, co-founder of Epic Exam Prep. Requirements change: always confirm on the official pages linked above before you apply.