What IELTS Scores Do You Need To Get Admitted to the Best MBA Programs in Europe?

Are you thinking about studying for an MBA? Then you might be looking for a course, selecting a concentration, or researching the employment options that will be open to you.

One requirement of an MBA course that you will definitely have to consider is the language requirement. Many MBA courses in Europe are taught in English, and if you're not a native English speaker then you will need to prove your ability to speak, write, listen, and read in English.

If you've studied in English before, for example if your undergraduate course was in English, then this will fulfil the language requirement for most courses. But if you haven't, then you'll need to take a language test like the TOEFL or IELTS.

If you decide to take the IELTS, then what kind of scores will you need to be accepted onto an MBA program? To give you a feel for this, we've compiled a list of the required IELTS scores for MBA programs at some of the best universities in Europe.

MBA, University of Oxford (Saïd)

“IETLS: Minimum Score: 7.5, Minimum required on each component: 7.0”

MBA, Imperial College Business School

“IELTS (academic): A minimum score of 7.0 with minimum scores of 6.5 in all elements”

MBA, Cambridge Judge Business School  

“IELTS score of at least 7.5”

MBA, HEC Paris

“Minimum IELTS: 7.0, with a minimum of 6.5 on each part of the test”

MBA, London Business School

“IELTS score of at least 7”

Executive MBA, Stockholm School of Economics 

“IELTS score of at least 7”

The Copenhagen Full-time MBA, Copenhagen Business School

“[An] IELTS score of 7 [is] recommended”

MBA, INSEAD

A recommended IELTS score of at least 7.5.

Clearly, these schools require a high degree of English competence to apply for their MBA programs, typically requiring IELTS scores of 7 to 7.5. This is equivalent to a TOEFL score of around about 100.