Admission Requirements for International Students
Other Pages In University of California Minimum Admission Requirements
International students are governed by the same undergraduate admission regulations that apply to U.S. students. In addition, nonimmigrant applicants whose native language is not English—and who do not have three years of high school completed with the language of instruction in English—must demonstrate written and oral competence in English by:
- Taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 80 or better on the Internet-based test and 550 or better on the paper-based test.
- Taking the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam with a minimum 6.5 or better band score (academic modules).
- Taking the Duolingo English Test (DET) with a score of 115 or higher.
- Scoring 24 or higher on the combined ACT English/Writing or English Language Arts.
- Scoring 560 or higher on the Writing section of the SAT Reasoning test or a score of 31 or higher on Writing and Language in the SAT with Essay (new SAT).
- Scoring 3, 4, or 5 on the AP examination in English Language and Composition, or English Literature and Composition.
- Scoring 6 or 7 on the IB Standard Level examination in English: Literature, or Language and Literature.
- Scoring 5, 6, or 7 on the IB Higher Level examination in English: Literature, or Language and Literature.
- Any one of these exams must be taken by the December test date prior to enrollment and sent directly from the testing agency to:
UCSB Office of Admissions
1210 Cheadle Hall
University of California Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
For more information, please visit the UC English language proficiency page: admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/admission-requirements/international-applicants/english-language-proficiency-toefl-ielts.html.