Universities Without IELTS for Scholarship/Admission Applications in 2024

Let’s face it. Studying abroad comes at a huge cost and that is not just in terms of financial backing. You need to cater to a number of terms and conditions set by the universities abroad before you can get admission in one. One of these tedious requirements is submitting the results of English language proficiency tests like IELTS or TOEFL. 

So, in this article, we have tried to lessen your worry by listing several countries and universities that do not require language proficiency test scores. Some of these universities do not require language proficiency scores altogether, while some of them have their own standardized tests which the students have to take to secure admission. These tests are usually not as expensive as IELTS or TOEFL and you have to take them only when you have been granted admission to one of these universities. 

Taking IELTS and TOEFL can be very expensive especially if you take them multiple times (in case you don’t achieve the desired result in the first attempt). There are a number of universities that grant admissions without such tests so you only have to worry about your academic record in order to secure an admission offer.

List of Countries and Universities Without IELTS or TOEFL Requirement

Below is a list of countries and universities that do not require IELTS or TOEFL scores for admission:

#1 Canadian Universities without IELTS or TOEFL:

Canada has a number of universities that exempt international students from submitting language proficiency test scores. If you have attended your last full-time course in an institution where English was the primary medium of instruction, you can get admission in one of the following universities without IELTS.

• • • Carleton University
    • Memorial University
    • Concordia University
    • University of Winnipeg
    • Brock University
    • University of Regina

#2 United Kingdom (UK) Universities without IELTS or TOEFL:

Following universities of the United Kingdom do not require IELTS or TOEFL scores:

• • • The University of Bolton
    • Robert Gordon University
    • University of Bristol
    • University of Warwick
    • Aston University, Birmingham
    • Sheffield Hallam University
    • London Southbank University
    • University of Central Lancashire

Different courses in these universities have different requirements for language proficiency. Students from countries like Ghana, South Africa, and Nigeria are at an advantage as these students are exempted from language proficiency rules (as English is the primary medium of instruction in their universities).

#3 Australia Universities without IELTS or TOEFL:

Following universities in Australia do not require IELTS/TOEFL:

• • • Swinburne University of Technology
    • Bond University
    • The University of Queensland
    • The University of Southern Queensland
    • The University of New South Wales
    • Macquarie University
    • The University of South Australia
    • The University of Adelaide

The University of Queensland grants you admission if you have completed your last degree at a school where English was the primary medium of instruction (you are required to prove it through a letter from your previous institutions) or if you have been employed in an English-speaking company for five years or more.

University of Adelaide and Macquarie University give conditional acceptance to the students and they have to take a language test (one that these universities approve) before the start of their classes. 

The University of Southern Queensland and the Swinburne University of Technology also accept students who have studied in schools where English was the secondary medium of instruction.

#4 Malaysia Universities without IELTS or TOEFL:

Malaysia has become a hotshot country when it comes to studying in an Asian university. After Singapore, Malaysia is the top priority of the students. Malaysian universities do not require IELTS/TOEFL even though 80% of these universities teach their classes in English.

#5 China Universities without IELTS or TOEFL:

Most students pick up China as a study destination because of its top-notch faculties and generous scholarship programs. Most universities (about 80%) in China accept international students without requiring them to submit English language proficiency test scores. There are over 273 Chinese Universities that do not require IELTS for admissions and scholarship applications. The CSC Scholarship applicants also don’t need to submit IELTS.

#6 France Universities without IELTS or TOEFL:

These universities in France exempt students from submitting IELTS and TOEFL scores:

• • • Toulouse Business School
    • SKEMA Business School
    • Paris School of Business
    • NEOMA Business School
    • INSEEC Business School
    • ESLSCA Business School
    • ESC Rennes School of Business, France
    • EPITA Graduate School of Computer Science

#7 Norway Universities without IELTS or TOEFL:

Only the University of Oslo exempts students of South Africa from submitting IELTS/TOEFL scores. Students from other parts of the world or outside of South Africa are obligated to prove their language proficiency.

#8 Turkey Universities without IELTS or TOEFL:

A number of Turkish universities do not require language proficiency scores provided that you earned your last degree in English. Still, different courses in different universities have varying requirements. Most programs in the following universities do not require IELTS:

• • • İstanbul Medipol University
    • Beykent University
    • Bahçeşehir University
    • Fatih Sultan Mehmet University
    • İstanbul Zaim University
    • Istanbul Aydın University
    • Ufuk University
    • Atılım University
    • Çankaya University
    • Başkent University

#9 Cyprus Universities without IELTS or TOEFL:

• • Near East University – Cyprus
  • British University of Nicosia- Cyprus

#10 USA Universities without IELTS or TOEFL:

Following are some of the universities in the United States where you can study without IELTS or TOEFL:

• • • The University of Iowa (doesn’t require IELTS/TOEFL)
    • The University of Delaware (doesn’t require IELTS/TOEFL)
    • The University of New Orleans (you will be exempted if you have attended a high school or graduate school where classes were taught in English)
    • The University of Dayton (requires the Intensive English Language Program (IELP))
    • The University of Arkansas (requires the Intensive English Language Program (IELP))
    • The University of Colorado (countries like Nigeria, South Africa, Botswana, and Ghana are exempted) 
    • Drexel University (requires completing University Preparation Summer Program (UPREP) and Bridge Program if you do not meet the English language requirements set by the university)
    • The State University of New York (requires the Intensive English Language Program (IELP)).
    • California State University (you will be exempted if you have attended a high school or graduate school where classes were taught in English)

#11 Germany Universities without IELTS or TOEFL:

In German universities, you are not required to prove the language proficiency if you completed your bachelor’s degree from a school that taught its classes in English or if you are a native English speaker. The universities ask for a letter from your previous institution which will prove your language proficiency.

#12 Japan, Taiwan, and Korea Universities without IELTS or TOEFL:

Most universities in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan do not obligate international students to submit IELTS or TOEFL scores. Moreover, these countries offer more generous and more fully funded scholarships to international students as compared to some western countries.

#13 India Universities without IELTS or TOEFL:

For the time being, several Indian universities are accepting international students without IELTS or TOEFL. Some of them are:

• • • University of Delhi
    • University of Calcutta
    • University of Mumbai
    • Banaras Hindu University

These institutions do not require proof of English language proficiency even though most of the subjects at these universities are taught in English.

#14 European Union (except the UK) Universities without IELTS or TOEFL:

Universities in the EU or EEA do not require IELTS if you have completed at least the last five years of your school in English or if you are applying to the same university you got your previous degree from. 

#15 Holland Universities without IELTS or TOEFL:

Holland University of Applied Sciences grants admission to South African students without asking them to prove their English language proficiency.