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The minimum IELTS scores for Canada universities

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7 April 2025

It’s not just the jaw-dropping views or the iconic landmarks — Canada also boasts a range of world-class education institutions, vibrant culture, communities, and food that make you feel right at home. All that consistently makes it one of the most popular study destinations for students from all over the world.

If you’ve got your eye on the Great White North for the next chapter of your studies, you may be required to sit for an English proficiency test both for gaining admission into university or to have your study permit approved by Canada’s immigration, such as the IELTS Academic test.

Attaining a minimum IELTS band score may lead you to enroll successfully into the school or program of your choice,e and also helps if you decide to stay on to work in Canada post-graduation.

Minimum scores for Canadian universities

Should you need an English language requirement as part of your university application, you have to attain a minimum overall score of 6.5 in the IELTS Academic test at either undergraduate or postgraduate level.

International students looking to enter a Canadian Designated Learning Institution (DLI) will have to provide a provincial attestation letter or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) before applying for a study permit.

Among other study permit requirements for eligibility, you will need a letter of acceptance (LOA) for enrolment into the university as well as a letter of explanation stating your reasons for studying in Canada.

Keep reading for the minimum IELTS scores required by top-ranked universities in Canada.

Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings in 2025

One of the world’s most established metrics, the Times Higher Education world rankings assesses universities based on the following five key performance indicators: teaching, research quality, research environment, international outlook and industry income.

Rank	University	Global rank	IELTS minimum requirement (undergraduate programmes)	IELTS minimum requirement (postgraduate programmes)
1	University of Toronto	21	6.5	7.0
2	University of British Columbia	41	6.5	6.5
3	McGill University	45	6.5	6.5
=4	McMaster University	=116	6.5	6.5
=4	University of Alberta	=116	6.5	6.5
6	Université de Montréal*	125	-	-
7	University of Waterloo	163	6.5	7.0
8	University of Ottawa	191	6.5	6.5
9	University of Calgary	201 – 250	6.5	6.5
10	Western University	201 – 250	6.5	6.5
11	Université Laval	251 – 300	6.5	6.5
12	Dalhousie University	301 – 350	6.5	7.0
13	Queen’s University	301 – 350	6.5	7.0
14	Simon Fraser University	301 – 350	6.5	6.5
15	University of Victoria	301 – 350	6.5	6.5
16	University of Saskatchewan	351 – 400	6.5	6.5
17	University of Guelph	401 – 500	6.5	6.5
18	University of Manitoba	401 – 500	6.5	6.5
19	York University	401 – 500	6.5	6.5
20	Carleton University	501 – 600	6.5	6.5

*At this university, the language of instruction is French and proficiency in English is not an admission requirement.

QS World University Rankings in 2025

The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) world rankings is another premier global ranking system that rates universities by institution and subject through academic reputation, citation, faculty-to-student ratio, employer, international research, and sustainability indicators.

Rank	University	Global rank	IELTS minimum requirement (undergraduate programmes)	IELTS minimum requirement (postgraduate programmes)
1	University of Toronto	25	6.5	7.0
2	McGill University	29	6.5	6.5
3	University of British Columbia	38	6.5	6.5
4	University of Alberta	96	6.5	6.5
5	University of Waterloo	115	6.5	7.0
6	Western University	120	6.5	6.5
7	Université de Montréal*	159	-	-
8	McMaster University	176	6.5	6.5
9	University of Ottawa	189	6.5	6.5
10	Queen’s University at Kingston	193	6.5	6.5
11	University of Calgary	198	6.5	7.0
12	Dalhousie University	275	6.5	7.0
13	Simon Fraser University	319	6.5	7.0
14	University of Saskatchewan	340	6.5	6.5
15	University of Victoria (UVic)	349	6.5	6.5
16	York University	362	6.5	7.5
17	Concordia University	415	6.5	7.0
18	Université Laval	423	6.5	6.5
19	University of Guelph	456	6.5	6.5
20	University of Windsor	547	6.5	6.5

The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) world rankings is another global premier ranking system that rates universities by institution and subject through academic reputation, citation, faculty to student ratio, employer, international research, and sustainability indicators.

Rank	University	Global rank	IELTS minimum requirement (undergraduate programmes)	IELTS minimum requirement (postgraduate programmes)
1	University of Toronto	25	6.5	7.0
2	McGill University	29	6.5	6.5
3	University of British Columbia	38	6.5	6.5
4	University of Alberta	96	6.5	6.5
5	University of Waterloo	115	6.5	7.0
6	Western University	120	6.5	6.5
7	Université de Montréal*	159	-	-
8	McMaster University	176	6.5	6.5
9	University of Ottawa	189	6.5	6.5
10	Queen’s University at Kingston	193	6.5	6.5
11	University of Calgary	198	6.5	7.0
12	Dalhousie University	275	6.5	7.0
13	Simon Fraser University	319	6.5	7.0
14	University of Saskatchewan	340	6.5	6.5
15	University of Victoria (UVic)	349	6.5	6.5
16	York University	362	6.5	7.5
17	Concordia University	415	6.5	7.0
18	Université Laval	423	6.5	6.5
19	University of Guelph	456	6.5	6.5
20	University of Windsor	547	6.5	6.5

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