A valid TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test (DET) is required of all international graduate applicants whose native language is not English.

An acceptable score must be reported directly to the Office of Admissions at CU Boulder (address below) by December 1 in order for the application to be considered complete. There are no exceptions to these requirements. Exams that are more than two years old are considered invalid for admission purposes.

Fall 2023 applicants

Note: The College of Music does not accept the MyBestScore score report.

The minimum acceptable scores for the College of Music are shown below.

  • Artist Diploma programs: TOEFL 75 | IELTS 6.5 | DET 120
  • All Master’s degree programs:  TOEFL 80 | IELTS 6.5 | DET 125
  • All Doctor of Musical Arts and PhD programs:  TOEFL 93 | IELTS 7 | DET 135

All students whose native language is not English are encouraged to take an English placement exam with the English as a Second Language Department (ESL) upon arrival on campus and to consider the recommendations made for additional ESL coursework.

International applications mailing address

Office of Admissions
University of Colorado Boulder         
3100 Marine Street
65 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0065
USA

CU Boulder TOEFL Code
4841