English Language Requirements
All applicants, regardless of citizenship status, must demonstrate proficiency in English to obtain admission to the university. To fulfill this requirement, you must satisfy one of the following criteria:
- Earn a high school diploma, Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited U.S. high school, college or university. Please note that completion of a GED does not satisfy the English Language Requirement.
- Complete the equivalent of a high school education or the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree in one of the following countries:
Recognized English-speaking Countries American Samoa Ghana Saint Kitts & Nevis Anguilla Gibraltar Saint Lucia Antigua and Barbuda Grenada Saint Helena Australia Guam South Africa Bahamas Guyana St. Vincent & the Grenadines Barbados Ireland, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago Belize Jamaica Turks & Caicos Islands Bermuda Liberia United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales) Canada (except the Province of Quebec) Micronesia Islands, Federated States of United States Cayman Islands Montserrat Virgin Islands Dominica New Zealand Zimbabwe Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) Nigeria -
Achieve an Approved English Proficiency Test Score
Take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing Service) or the Duolingo English Test and meet the score requirements below.TOEFL (iBT) IELTS Overall Duolingo English Test 79 6.5 105 TOEFL, IELTS and Duolingo English test scores expire two full years after the test date.
SAT Total/Creative Writing ACT Composite/ English 1170/530 24/21 SAT and ACT test Scorew expire five full years after test date.
How to Send Test Scores
Test scores should be sent directly from the testing agency to the University of Houston.The UH Institution code for TOEFL is 6870. For IELTS and Duolingo English Test scores, the testing agency should send score reports to University of Houston, Undergraduate Admissions.
- Complete Qualifying College-Level Courses
Transfer applicants may have their English Language Proficiency Requirement waived by completing 30 or more semester credit hours from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, including the course equivalent to both UH English Composition 1 and 2 (ENGL 1301 and ENGL 1302) with a grade of “C” or better.
- Complete Level 6 of UH’s Intensive English Program at the University of Houston's Language and Culture Center.