Nursing programs typically require an overall band of 4.5 to 5.0 or higher, and often set some of the highest Speaking and Listening minimums of any field — patient communication is a direct safety concern, so nursing admissions and licensure bodies tend to weight spoken comprehension and clarity more heavily than many other graduate programs do.
Take the free TOEFL Benchmark Test and get your estimated band score in about 45 minutes.
Clear, accurate verbal communication with patients, families, and care teams is a core clinical competency, not just an academic skill — this is why nursing programs and licensing boards frequently set section-specific minimums for Speaking and Listening that are as high as, or higher than, the overall band requirement, unlike many fields where the overall average matters most.
Some nursing programs and licensing boards also accept the Occupational English Test (OET), which is specifically designed around healthcare communication scenarios rather than general academic English. If you're specifically pursuing nursing or another clinical field, check whether your target program and licensing board accept OET as an alternative — for some applicants, its healthcare-specific format may be a better fit than a general academic English test.
In addition to your nursing program's admission requirement, the state nursing board where you intend to practice may have its own English-proficiency standard for licensure — these can differ from your program's admission bar and vary by state. Confirm both requirements separately rather than assuming your program's TOEFL minimum automatically satisfies licensure requirements down the line.
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