All Cornell students—including high school, undergraduate, graduate, and adult students—must have a strong command of the English language to be successful in their engagement in university studies. This is a requirement for enrollment at Cornell.

Who needs to demonstrate ELP?

If you meet one of the following conditions, you do not need to demonstrate English language proficiency:

  • English is your native language.
  • English has been the primary language of instruction throughout your secondary school career.

If you do not meet one of those conditions, you are required to submit an English proficiency exam score from the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test.

Score requirements

For admission to Cornell SCE programs, you must score

  • 100 and above on the TOEFL Internet-based exam
  • 7.5 and above on the IELTS
  • 130 and above on the Duolingo English Test

Note: Cornell SCE follows the language proficiency requirements set forth by Cornell's Undergraduate Admissions Office (UAO). To view the UAO guidelines, visit the UAO international student page and look under the "English Language Proficiency (ELP)" tab.

What if I haven't taken any English language exams?

If you haven't taken any English language exams, you can schedule one today with TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo.

How do I submit my scores?

You can have your official test scores sent directly to us at the School of Continuing Education (Cornell SCE).

Learn about each test service's score-submission process:

See our contact page for Cornell SCE address information.

What if my scores don't meet the requirements?

If your scores don't meet the requirements above, we suggest that you work on strengthening your English language skills this year and apply in the following year.