What IELTS score do you need for the University of Houston-Clear Lake?

If you were born or educated in a country where English is not an official language, you prove English with TOEFL iBT 79 (tests before 21 January 2026) or 4 (from that date), IELTS 6.0, PTE 53, Duolingo 115 (some programs may ask for more), ELS Level 112, or a GRE Verbal score at the 11th percentile or higher. See graduate international admission.

The same page lists "English Proficiency Waiver Consideration for Recognized English Speaking Countries", and India is on it, together with Australia, Cameroon, Canada (except Quebec), Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Uganda and the UK. Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh are not listed. The wording is consideration rather than an automatic exemption, and UHCL points applicants to its academic catalogue for the waiver rules, so confirm with International Admissions before you skip a test.

First-year applicants use the same minimums: TOEFL 79 (4 on the new scale), IELTS 6.0, PTE 53, Duolingo 115 or ELS Level 112. UHCL's freshman page lists India among countries where students educated there have "English Proficiency Met". See international freshman admission.

The US F-1 student visa sets no English test score of its own. What counts is the requirement UHCL sets for admission, which leads to your Form I-20. For the wider picture of studying in the US with each test, see IELTS for the USA and PTE for the USA.

Requirements change between admission cycles. Check the UHCL international graduate admission page again before you book a test, and check your own program page, which can set a higher bar.