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What is a Good TOEFL Score?

What is a Good TOEFL iBT® Score?

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"Understand what is a good TOEFL score, the benchmarks for each section, interpret various score ranges, and receive expert insights on achieving your target score."

Understanding what constitutes a good TOEFL iBT® score is key to maximising your opportunities and ensuring you meet your goals. To help you prepare effectively and achieve the score you need, we will cover all the essential points that will give you a clear understanding of what a good TOEFL score is.

ETS, the conducting body of TOEFL, establishes formal benchmarks for TOEFL score proficiency. It provides guidance on setting score requirements for the TOEFL iBT test through a concordance table for institutions that shows the comparison of the TOEFL scores with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels. 

What is a Good TOEFL Score According to ETS?

The table below explores the comparison between the overall TOEFL scores with CERF levels and provides you with an idea about an ideal score that you need to achieve to prove your mastery.

CEFR Level

TOEFL iBT total score (0-120)

C2

114–120

C1

95-113

B2

72–94

B1

42–71

A2

N.A.

A1

N.A.

Below A1

N.A.

Note: Along with your TOEFL results, you will receive a document titled "performance feedback", which includes a synopsis of your overall score in each TOEFL section. However, your performance in each TOEFL section will be described separately. 

TOEFL Score Levels for Reading and Listening

ETS's performance feedback divides the TOEFL score into four range levels: Advanced, High Intermediate, Low Intermediate, and Below Low Intermediate. 

Let us have a look at a quick summary of the TOEFL score levels for the TOEFL TOEFL Reading iBT and TOEFL Listening iBT sections.

Level

Score Range for Listening

Score Range for Reading

Advanced

22-30

24-30

High Intermediate

17-21

18-23

Low Intermediate

9-16

4-17

Below Low Intermediate

0-8

0-3

TOEFL Score Levels for Writing and Speaking

Five TOEFL Speaking performance feedback categories are provided in TOEFL performance reports: Advanced, High Intermediate, Low Intermediate, Basic, and Below Basic. The following are brief descriptions of these five levels.

Level

Score Range for Speaking

Score Range for Writing

Advanced

25-30

24-30

High Intermediate

20-24

17-23

Low Intermediate

16-19

13-16

Basic

10-15

7-12

Below Basic

0-9

0-6

Check out - What is a Good TOEFL iBT® Writing Score in 2024?

What is a Good TOEFL Score According to TOEFL Score Percentiles?

A student's proficiency with the English language is indicated by their TOEFL percentile rank. ETS calculates your percentiles by comparing your TOEFL score against that of other test-takers who are similarly educated, speak the same language, are citizens of the same nation, or are of the same gender as you.

TOEFL Overall Score

Percentile

120

100

116

99

112

96

108

91

104

83

100

73

96

63

92

53

88

44

84

37

80

30

76

24

72

19

68

15

64

12

60

9

Note: The information provided above is based on test-taker data from January to December 2023.

Want to achieve your desired TOEFL score?
Check out our expertly curated TOEFL  practice tests.

What is a Good TOEFL Score for Top Global Universities?

Explore the required TOEFL score of some of the top universities in the four most desired countries for educational opportunities.

Name of University

Country

Minimum Overall TOEFL Score (out of 120)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

USA

90

Harvard University

USA

100

Stanford University

USA

100

University of California (UCB)

USA

90

University of Chicago

USA

80-100

University of Oxford

UK

100

University of Cambridge

UK

100

Imperial College London

UK

100

Durham University

UK

78

University of St Andrews

UK

92

University of Sydney

Australia

96

University of Queensland

Australia

87

Australian National University

Australia

100

Griffith University

Australia

79

University of Adelaide

Australia

79

University of Toronto

Canada

89

University of British Columbia

Canada

90

McGill University

Canada

86

University of Alberta

Canada

90

University of Victoria

Canada

90

What is a Good TOEFL Score for You?

Top-notch international universities or organisations usually have strict rules about TOEFL scores, making them a must-meet criterion for prospective students. It's not just about eligibility; some schools see the TOEFL score as the gold standard for what's considered a ‘good’ score.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. There isn't a one-size-fits-all ideal TOEFL score since different universities set their own minimum requirements. A score between 90 and 100 positions you as a strong candidate for most top-tier universities. Surpassing the 100 mark puts you in good stead to clear the minimum TOEFL cutoffs for prestigious institutions like Ivy League schools. So, prepare accordingly. All the best!

Also Read: 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the minimum TOEFL score for top US universities?

Most top US universities have a minimum TOEFL cut-off score of 90–100. 

How do I know the minimum TOEFL score requirement for a university I want to join?

 You must find out what the precise TOEFL requirements are for the university you want to get admitted to and make sure you have access to the most recent and reliable data on their official site.

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