The University of Pennsylvania does not publish one university-wide TOEFL minimum. Instead, each of Penn's twelve schools — from the College of Arts and Sciences to Wharton to the Perelman School of Medicine — sets its own English proficiency threshold. TOEFL iBT is accepted alongside IELTS Academic across every Penn school.
Does Penn Accept TOEFL?
Yes. Penn accepts TOEFL iBT as proof of English proficiency for international applicants at both undergraduate and graduate level, across all twelve schools. IELTS Academic is accepted as an equivalent alternative almost everywhere on campus.
TOEFL MyBest Scores: Most Penn schools evaluate the single best complete test date rather than a MyBest superscore. Some graduate programmes will consider MyBest if it is what the ETS score report displays — always confirm with the specific school's admissions office before applying.
Penn TOEFL Requirements by School
College of Arts and Sciences (Undergraduate)
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Formal TOEFL minimum | No hard minimum published |
| Recommended/typical floor | ~100 iBT |
| Competitive score | 110–120 among admitted international students |
| Notes | Submitted as one part of a holistic file; essays and academic record carry significant weight |
Wharton School — Undergraduate
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum TOEFL | No formal minimum stated separately from the College |
| Competitive score | 110–120 |
| Notes | Wharton undergrad is Penn's most selective school; near-native scores are typical among admits |
Wharton School — MBA
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum TOEFL | ~100 iBT (typical floor for competitive review) |
| Competitive score | 105–120 |
| Notes | Waiver available for applicants with a degree taught in English or several years of English-medium work experience |
School of Engineering and Applied Science (Penn Engineering / SEAS)
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum TOEFL (graduate) | ~100 iBT |
| Per-section guidance | No section typically below 22 |
| Competitive score | 105–120 |
| Notes | Undergraduate applicants follow College-level guidance; graduate applicants face a firmer floor |
Perelman School of Medicine
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum TOEFL | ~100 iBT for the small number of international applicants considered |
| Competitive score | 105–120 |
| Notes | Perelman admits very few international students overall; English proficiency is one of many rigorous requirements |
Penn Carey Law School
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum TOEFL (LLM) | ~100 iBT |
| Competitive score | 105–120 |
| Notes | Writing and Speaking sections weighted heavily given the discussion- and writing-intensive JD/LLM curriculum |
School of Nursing
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum TOEFL | ~100 iBT |
| Per-section guidance | Speaking score closely reviewed given clinical placements |
| Competitive score | 100–115 |
Annenberg School for Communication
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum TOEFL | ~100 iBT |
| Competitive score | 105–118 |
| Notes | Strong Writing and Speaking scores expected given the discussion-based seminar format |
Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE)
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum TOEFL | ~100 iBT |
| Competitive score | 100–113 |
| Programmes | MSEd, EdD, PhD, and various specialised master's tracks |
Penn TOEFL Requirements — Summary Table
| School | Typical Min Overall | Competitive Score |
|---|---|---|
| College of Arts and Sciences (Undergrad) | ~100 (not strict) | 110–120 |
| Wharton Undergraduate | ~100 (not strict) | 110–120 |
| Wharton MBA | ~100 | 105–120 |
| SEAS (Engineering) | ~100 | 105–120 |
| Perelman School of Medicine | ~100 | 105–120 |
| Penn Carey Law | ~100 (LLM) | 105–120 |
| School of Nursing | ~100 | 100–115 |
| Annenberg School | ~100 | 105–118 |
| Graduate School of Education | ~100 | 100–113 |
These figures reflect typical, published-range guidance rather than a single official Penn-wide number. Always confirm current thresholds directly with the school you are applying to.
TOEFL Per-Section Strategy for Penn
Writing — Central at Wharton and Penn Carey Law
Wharton case work and Penn Carey Law's discussion- and brief-writing-heavy curriculum reward strong written English. A Writing score below 22 is a visible weak spot; competitive admits typically land at 24–30.
Target: Writing 24+ across the board; 26+ for Wharton, Law, and Annenberg.
Speaking — Nursing, Medicine, and Business
Clinical rotations at Nursing and Perelman, plus Wharton's case-discussion pedagogy, put a premium on spoken fluency. A Speaking score under 22 stands out negatively in these programmes.
Target: Speaking 26+ for Nursing, Medicine, and Wharton.
Reading and Listening
Both sections should sit at 25+ for a competitive Penn application across any school. Scores below 22 in either section are worth specifically addressing through additional preparation.
Minimum vs. Competitive at Penn
Penn's stated or typical minimums (roughly 100 iBT where a floor exists) sit well below the scores that actually get admitted. Competitive international applicants tend to score:
- Wharton MBA: 105–120, with most admits at 110+
- SEAS graduate programmes: 105–120
- Penn Carey Law LLM: 105–120
- Penn Carey Law JD (international): 110+ where TOEFL is submitted
Rule of thumb: Target at least 105 for any competitive Penn programme, and 110+ if Wharton or Law is your goal.
TOEFL vs. IELTS for Penn
Penn schools generally treat TOEFL and IELTS as equivalent. The choice is largely a matter of preference and test-centre access.
| Feature | TOEFL iBT | IELTS Academic |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Fully computer-based | Computer + face-to-face or video Speaking |
| Speaking | Recorded responses | Live examiner interview |
| Score range | 0–120 | 0–9 (half-band increments) |
| Results | 4–8 days | 3–5 days (online) |
| MyBest / Superscore | Accepted at some, not all, Penn schools | N/A |
Score Validity at Penn
TOEFL scores are valid for two years from the test date, and Penn requires scores to be valid at the time of application submission.
How to Prepare for a Penn-Level TOEFL Score
Reaching 105–120 requires consistently high performance across all four sections.
Writing (target 24–30):
- Integrated task: summarise the lecture accurately and connect it to the reading without adding opinion
- Independent task: take a clear position, support it with specific, well-organised examples
- At 24+, transitions are smooth and vocabulary is precise with few errors
Speaking (target 26–30):
- Use the full response time and stay on topic
- Independent tasks: state an opinion with two well-developed supporting reasons
- Integrated tasks: summarise the lecture or reading with natural, connected speech
Reading and Listening (target 27–30):
- Practise with authentic academic passages and lecture-style recordings
- At 27+, most remaining errors cluster around inference and rhetorical-purpose questions — target these directly
Common Mistakes Penn TOEFL Applicants Make
Treating a low-100s score as sufficient. A score just above the general floor signals adequate, not competitive, English proficiency — Wharton and Law admits are routinely well above 105.
Assuming MyBest is accepted everywhere. Policies differ by school at Penn. Always verify before relying on a superscored result.
Under-preparing Writing for Law and Wharton. Both programmes are writing- and discussion-heavy; a weak Writing subscore alongside a strong overall score draws attention.
A Penn TOEFL score in the competitive range (105–120) removes English proficiency as a point of concern and lets the rest of a strong application — academics, essays, and fit — do the work.
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