TOEFL iBT Requirements
TOEFL Score for Australia
TOEFL iBT is accepted by Australian universities for admission and by the Department of Home Affairs as English evidence for the student visa.
Quick answer
Australian universities generally require a TOEFL total between 78 and 90 for undergraduate programs, with graduate programs often asking for 90 to 100. TOEFL iBT is also accepted as one of several approved English tests for the subclass 500 student visa, alongside IELTS and PTE Academic, so most applicants can use a single TOEFL score for both admission and visa purposes provided they meet the required section minimums.
Typical TOEFL iBT requirements for Australia
| Purpose | Typical TOEFL total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation / pathway program | 46-60 | Combined with English support modules |
| Undergraduate degree | 78-90 | Group of Eight courses may ask for more |
| Postgraduate / Master's degree | 90-100 | Research and professional programs vary |
| Student visa (subclass 500) | 46-93 | Depends on evidentiary requirement level and course |
| Health / education professional programs | Often higher | Check the professional registration body directly |
Approximate; verify with each institution and current Department of Home Affairs guidance.
Australia is one of the most popular international study destinations, and its universities generally take a flexible approach to English proficiency testing, accepting TOEFL iBT alongside IELTS Academic, PTE Academic, and Cambridge English qualifications. Both the university admissions process and the Australian government's student visa process, the subclass 500 visa, recognize TOEFL iBT as valid English evidence, which makes Australia comparatively straightforward for TOEFL takers compared with some other destinations that separate admission tests from visa tests. That said, individual universities and individual visa risk categories set their own specific minimums, and some courses, particularly in health sciences or education where professional registration bodies get involved, set higher or additional requirements beyond the university's general international entry standard. This flexibility makes Australia one of the more straightforward destinations to plan around once you know your target course and its associated evidentiary requirement level.
TOEFL Acceptance in Australia
TOEFL iBT sits on genuinely equal footing with IELTS and PTE Academic across most of Australian higher education. Group of Eight universities and smaller regional institutions alike typically list TOEFL as an accepted test on their international admissions pages, and the Department of Home Affairs includes TOEFL iBT on its list of approved English language tests for the subclass 500 student visa. This dual acceptance, for both academic admission and visa purposes, is a meaningful advantage for TOEFL takers targeting Australia, since it avoids the need to sit two separate tests as can happen in some other countries. The practical decision between TOEFL and IELTS for Australia usually comes down to personal test-taking preference and test center availability in your home country, rather than any difference in how seriously either test is taken by Australian institutions or immigration authorities. Because Australia aligns its university and visa requirements so closely, applicants rarely need to think about the two processes separately once they have identified the score their specific course requires.
Common Use Cases
Undergraduate admission
TOEFL 78-90Australian undergraduate degree programs commonly require a TOEFL total in the 78 to 90 range, with more competitive courses at Group of Eight universities sometimes requiring closer to 90 or setting minimum section scores in addition to the overall total.
Graduate / Master's and PhD admission
TOEFL 90-100Postgraduate programs typically expect a TOEFL total of 90 to 100, with research degrees and professional programs such as business or education sometimes asking for higher Writing and Speaking section scores specifically given the coursework and thesis demands involved.
Student visa (subclass 500)
TOEFL 46-93 depending on evidentiary levelTOEFL iBT is one of the Department of Home Affairs' approved English tests for the subclass 500 student visa. The required score depends on your visa evidentiary requirement level and course type, but is generally aligned closely with your university's own admission minimum for the same program.
Health and education professional programs
Often higher than general entry, verify with the registration bodyCourses leading to registration in fields like nursing, teaching, or allied health often set English requirements above the general university minimum, sometimes tied to professional registration body standards rather than the university's own general international entry benchmark, so these need separate verification.
Score requirements vary by program and institution. Always verify current requirements directly with the institution before booking your test.
How to Plan Your Preparation
Check both your target university's admission minimum and the Department of Home Affairs' current subclass 500 visa evidentiary requirement for TOEFL, since these are usually aligned but worth confirming separately before you commit to a target score.
If you are applying to a health, education, or other professional registration pathway, check the relevant Australian registration body's English requirement directly, since it can sit above the university's general international entry standard.
Practice full-length TOEFL tests under exam conditions to get comfortable with the pacing, since Australian universities often expect balanced section performance rather than just a strong overall total.
Focus extra practice on Speaking and Writing if you are targeting a Group of Eight or research-intensive university, since these programs frequently emphasize seminar participation and thesis-level academic writing.
Book your test with enough lead time before your course's semester intake deadline, since Australian universities typically run two main intakes per year, visa processing needs your finalized English test evidence submitted early, and some course and country combinations require a higher score under the subclass 500 risk assessment framework than the university's general admission minimum would suggest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Compare TOEFL With Other Tests
TOEFL Scores for Other Countries
the USA
TOEFL iBT is the traditional home-turf English test for US university admission, and most American schools still list it alongside IELTS as an accepted option.
Canada
TOEFL iBT is widely accepted by Canadian universities for admission, but it generally cannot be used for Canadian immigration programs like Express Entry.
the UK
Many UK universities accept TOEFL iBT for direct admission, but student visa routes often require a specific UKVI-approved Secure English Language Test instead.
Germany
TOEFL iBT is widely accepted for English-taught bachelor's and master's programs at German universities, most of which charge little to no tuition.