The University of Toronto is Canada's highest-ranked university and one of the top research institutions in the world. For international applicants, meeting the English proficiency requirement is a mandatory step — and at UofT, the thresholds are among the highest in Canada.
This guide covers TOEFL requirements across every UofT faculty and major programme, what competitive scores look like among admitted students, and how to use this information to set your preparation target.
Does the University of Toronto Accept TOEFL?
Yes. The University of Toronto accepts TOEFL iBT as proof of English language proficiency for both undergraduate and graduate admissions. IELTS Academic is also accepted. UofT does not accept TOEFL Essentials or TOEFL ITP.
TOEFL MyBest Scores: UofT does not accept TOEFL MyBest (superscore) for most programmes. A single valid test sitting is required. Verify this for your specific programme before relying on superscore results across multiple sittings.
University of Toronto TOEFL Requirements — Overview
| Level | Min Overall | Per-Skill Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 100 | Writing 22, Speaking 22 |
| Graduate (most programmes) | 100 | Writing 22, Speaking 22 |
| Graduate (select programmes) | 93–110 | Varies by faculty |
| Rotman School of Management (MBA) | 100 | Writing 24, Speaking 24 |
UofT sets one of the highest standard TOEFL minimums among Canadian universities. A score of 100 is the baseline for most programmes — but admitted students in competitive programmes consistently score above 105.
Undergraduate TOEFL Requirements
Faculty of Arts & Science
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum TOEFL iBT | 100 overall |
| Min Writing | 22 |
| Min Speaking | 22 |
| Competitive score | 105–115 |
| Notes | Humanities and Social Sciences within A&S have the same threshold |
Faculty of Engineering (U of T Engineering)
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum TOEFL iBT | 100 overall |
| Min Writing | 22 |
| Min Speaking | 22 |
| Competitive score | 103–112 |
| Notes | Engineering Science and ECE programmes are highly competitive overall |
Faculty of Music
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum TOEFL iBT | 100 overall |
| Min Writing | 22 |
| Min Speaking | 22 |
| Notes | Audition performance is primary; language threshold is standard |
Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum TOEFL iBT | 100 overall |
| Min Writing | 22 |
| Min Speaking | 22 |
John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum TOEFL iBT | 100 overall |
| Min Writing | 22 |
| Min Speaking | 22 |
| Notes | Portfolio is central to admission; language score is secondary gate |
Faculty of Information (iSchool)
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum TOEFL iBT | 100 overall |
| Min Writing | 22 |
| Min Speaking | 22 |
Graduate TOEFL Requirements by Programme
School of Graduate Studies (SGS) — General
The School of Graduate Studies sets minimum standards that all graduate programmes must meet or exceed. Individual departments may set higher thresholds.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| SGS Minimum TOEFL iBT | 93 overall |
| Min Writing | 22 |
| Min Speaking | 22 |
| Notes | Most departments set their own higher minimums |
Rotman School of Management
| Programme | Min TOEFL | Min Speaking | Min Writing |
|---|---|---|---|
| MBA (Full-Time) | 100 | 24 | 24 |
| MBA (Morning & Evening) | 100 | 24 | 24 |
| Master of Finance (MFin) | 100 | 22 | 22 |
| Master of Management Analytics (MMA) | 100 | 22 | 22 |
| Master of Financial Risk Management (MFRM) | 100 | 22 | 22 |
Rotman is one of Canada's top business schools. The typical admitted MBA student scores 105–115 on TOEFL iBT. A score at the 100 minimum with a weak Speaking or Writing section would stand out negatively in an application.
Faculty of Law (JD & Graduate Law)
| Programme | Min TOEFL | Competitive Score |
|---|---|---|
| JD | 100 | 110–120 |
| LLM | 100 | 105–115 |
| SJD | 100 | 105–115 |
| Notes | Writing-intensive programme — Writing 24+ expected |
Temerty Faculty of Medicine
| Programme | Min TOEFL | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MD | 100 | Speaking 24+ for clinical programmes |
| MSc (medical sciences) | 93 | Graduate research minimum |
| PhD (medical sciences) | 93 | Graduate research minimum |
Clinical medicine requires excellent spoken English for patient communication and clinical teaching. A Speaking score below 22 would be a serious concern for the MD programme.
Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum TOEFL iBT | 100 |
| Min Speaking | 26 |
| Min Writing | 22 |
| Notes | One of the highest Speaking minimums at UofT — reflects patient communication requirements |
Nursing at UofT has an unusually high Speaking minimum of 26. This reflects the clinical reality that nurses must communicate precisely and clearly with patients, families, and medical teams.
Faculty of Dentistry
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum TOEFL iBT | 100 |
| Min Speaking | 24 |
| Min Writing | 22 |
Faculty of Pharmacy (Leslie Dan Faculty)
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum TOEFL iBT | 100 |
| Min Speaking | 24 |
| Min Writing | 22 |
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)
| Programme | Min TOEFL | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MEd | 100 | Speaking 24 recommended |
| EdD | 100 | Writing-intensive |
| MA (Education) | 93 | SGS minimum applies |
| PhD (Education) | 93 | SGS minimum applies |
Dalla Lana School of Public Health
| Programme | Min TOEFL |
|---|---|
| MPH | 100 |
| MSc (Public Health) | 93 |
| PhD | 93 |
Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work
| Programme | Min TOEFL |
|---|---|
| MSW | 100 |
| PhD | 93 |
Department of Computer Science
| Programme | Min TOEFL | Competitive Score |
|---|---|---|
| MSc | 93 | 100–110 |
| PhD | 93 | 100–110 |
| MScAC (Applied Computing) | 93 | 100–110 |
School of the Environment
| Programme | Min TOEFL |
|---|---|
| MEnv | 93 |
| MSc | 93 |
| PhD | 93 |
Faculty of Information (Graduate)
| Programme | Min TOEFL |
|---|---|
| MI (Master of Information) | 93 |
| PhD | 93 |
Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy
| Programme | Min TOEFL | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MPP | 100 | Writing 22, Speaking 22 |
| MGA | 100 | Policy writing intensive |
| PhD | 93 | SGS minimum |
UofT TOEFL Requirements — Quick Reference Table
| Faculty / Programme | Min TOEFL | Key Per-Skill Min |
|---|---|---|
| Arts & Science (UG) | 100 | W22, S22 |
| Engineering (UG) | 100 | W22, S22 |
| Architecture (UG) | 100 | W22, S22 |
| Rotman MBA | 100 | W24, S24 |
| Faculty of Law (JD) | 100 | W24+ expected |
| Temerty Medicine (MD) | 100 | S24+ expected |
| Nursing | 100 | S26 |
| Dentistry | 100 | S24 |
| Pharmacy | 100 | S24 |
| OISE (MEd) | 100 | S24 recommended |
| Dalla Lana MPH | 100 | W22, S22 |
| Munk School MPP | 100 | W22, S22 |
| SGS General Graduate | 93 | W22, S22 |
| Computer Science (grad) | 93 | Competitive 100+ |
| Social Work MSW | 100 | W22, S22 |
Minimum vs. Competitive: What Admitted Students Actually Score
UofT's stated minimums are gatekeeping thresholds — they do not reflect the range of admitted students. Here is what competitive admitted applicants typically score:
| Programme | Typical Admitted Score |
|---|---|
| Rotman MBA | 105–115 |
| Faculty of Law JD | 108–120 |
| Temerty Medicine MD | 105–115 |
| Nursing (BScN/MN) | 103–110 |
| Engineering programmes | 100–110 |
| Arts & Science (competitive streams) | 100–110 |
| Graduate research (MSc/PhD) | 97–107 |
| MPP / MPH | 100–108 |
For any programme where the stated minimum is 100, treat 105+ as your working target. For Law and Medicine, 108–110 is a safer goal.
TOEFL Score Validity at UofT
UofT requires TOEFL scores to be no more than two years old at the time of application. A score taken more than 24 months before your application deadline will not be accepted.
Plan your test date to ensure validity:
- Applying for September 2027 — your test must be taken after September 2025
- Applying for January 2027 — your test must be taken after January 2025
English Proficiency Waivers
UofT offers English language requirement waivers under specific conditions:
Automatic exemption typically applies if:
- Your first language is English, OR
- You completed at least four years of full-time secondary or post-secondary education at an institution where English was the sole language of instruction, located in a country where English is the primary language
Countries typically qualifying for automatic exemption include: Australia, Canada (outside Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States.
Note: Attending an English-medium school in a non-English-majority country does not automatically qualify. The institution must be located in a qualifying country.
TOEFL vs. IELTS at UofT
| Feature | TOEFL iBT | IELTS Academic |
|---|---|---|
| UofT minimum | 100 | 6.5 overall |
| UofT IELTS per-skill min | — | 6.0 per band |
| Test format | Fully computer-based | Computer or paper |
| Speaking | Recorded responses | Face-to-face examiner |
| Score validity | 2 years | 2 years |
| MyBest Scores | Not accepted at UofT | N/A |
UofT's IELTS equivalent (6.5 overall) is meaningfully lower than the TOEFL equivalent (100 overall) in strict conversion terms. Some applicants find it advantageous to take IELTS if their performance in the face-to-face speaking format is stronger than in front of a microphone.
Improving Your TOEFL Score for UofT
Reaching 100: The Key Barriers
The 100 threshold is where most preparation effort should be targeted for UofT. The skills most likely to hold a score below 100:
Writing (target: 24+)
- Integrated Writing: practice synthesising a reading passage and lecture in 20 minutes
- Academic Discussion: practise producing a clear, on-point 100-word contribution in 10 minutes
- Avoid formulaic responses — UofT programmes are research-intensive; examiners reward nuanced argument
Speaking (target: 24+)
- Integrated tasks (Tasks 2–4) require note-taking, synthesis, and structured delivery in 60 seconds
- Focus on pace, response structure (point → detail → example), and clear pronunciation
- Record yourself — the gap between how you think you sound and how you actually sound is usually significant
Reading & Listening (target: 24+ each)
- At the 100+ level, errors concentrate in inference and vocabulary-in-context questions
- Practise reading authentic academic English daily (research abstracts, journal articles)
- For Listening, practise with university-level lectures and academic discussions
UofT vs. Other Canadian Universities — TOEFL Comparison
| University | Min TOEFL Overall | Min Writing | Min Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Toronto | 100 | 22 | 22 |
| McGill University | 86 | 20 | 20 |
| University of British Columbia | 100 | 22 | 21 |
| University of Waterloo | 90 | 22 | 21 |
| Queen's University | 88 | 21 | 21 |
| Western University | 86 | 20 | 20 |
| McMaster University | 86 | 20 | 20 |
| University of Alberta | 90 | 22 | 21 |
UofT and UBC share the highest standard TOEFL minimum among major Canadian universities. If your score currently sits between 90 and 99, you meet the requirements for most Canadian universities but would need further preparation for UofT and UBC.
Common Mistakes UofT Applicants Make
Applying with exactly 100. A 100 overall with a 22 Speaking and a 22 Writing sits at the floor of acceptability. For Rotman, Law, Medicine, and Nursing, you need meaningful headroom above the minimum.
Not checking per-skill minimums for health programmes. Nursing requires Speaking 26. Dentistry and Pharmacy require Speaking 24. Missing a per-skill minimum disqualifies the application regardless of overall score.
Relying on MyBest Scores. UofT generally requires a single-sitting score. Using superscore results from multiple sittings is not accepted.
Overlooking the two-year validity rule. A score taken three years before application, even a strong one, cannot be used.
Using the SGS minimum (93) as the target. The 93 applies only to graduate programmes that have not set a higher threshold. Most competitive graduate programmes at UofT expect 100 or above — treat 93 as the absolute floor, not the goal.
Reaching a TOEFL score of 100–110 for a competitive UofT application requires targeted preparation at the upper level of the test — not just general English improvement. The difference between 93 and 105 lies in precision: specific vocabulary, structured responses, and accurate inference under time pressure.
Start TOEFL preparation with Gabble — AI-powered speaking and writing feedback with instant criterion-level scores so you know exactly where your score stands before you book test day.