University at Buffalo TOEFL Requirements 2026

UB requires 70 or 4.0 for undergraduate admission and 79 or 4.0 for graduate admission, with higher rules in some programs.

University at Buffalo TOEFL scores on both scales

The University at Buffalo now publishes both the older 0-to-120 TOEFL iBT requirement and the current 1-to-6 requirement. This removes the need to estimate the main undergraduate and graduate thresholds. The undergraduate admissions page lists 70 or 4.0. The Graduate School lists 79 or 4.0. Because those figures come directly from UB, the 1-to-6 values below are official university rules, not Aidoss Academy conversions.

ETS introduced the 1-to-6 scale on January 21, 2026. During the transition, score reports also include a comparable older-scale overall score. Use the Aidoss Academy TOEFL score converter when you need to compare practice results across scales, but follow UB's published number for your exact route.

Undergraduate, graduate, and program-specific rules

Undergraduate applicants: UB states that 70 or 4.0 is the minimum score to be eligible for consideration. The page explicitly includes MyBest scores. Scores must be less than two years old at the time of admission. Applicants may self-report scores for initial review, but official results must be sent directly by the testing agency. UB's TOEFL reporting code is 2925.

Graduate applicants: The Graduate School requires 79 or 4.0 unless an exemption or waiver applies. It accepts the TOEFL Home Edition and MyBest totals. The Graduate School says scores must be dated within two years of the review in the graduate application system and sent directly by the testing agency. It also warns that departments may set higher requirements, so a central minimum does not replace a program page.

School of Law distinction: UB School of Law publishes 90 for tests taken before January 21, 2026, or 4.5 for current-scale tests. It states that stronger proficiency, including 100 or 5.0, is preferred for certain JD applicants. That preference is not a general university cutoff and should not be applied to unrelated programs.

The practical lesson is simple: identify your degree level first, then check the school or department. A prospective undergraduate should not train automatically for the graduate number, and a law applicant should not rely on the central graduate floor. This same scope-first approach is useful when comparing UB with pages such as the MIT TOEFL requirements, Stanford TOEFL requirements, and UC Berkeley TOEFL requirements.

Minimum score versus a competitive preparation target

A minimum means the lowest published score that satisfies the stated language rule. It does not show the average score of admitted students, and UB does not publish one universal competitive TOEFL number for every applicant. Do not add an invented safety margin and present it as an admissions fact.

A sensible preparation target can still sit above the minimum when you need protection against uneven practice performance. For example, an undergraduate whose recent comparable totals move between 68 and 74 should not treat one 70 as stable evidence. The useful goal is repeated performance at or above the required level, with no neglected skill that could weaken academic work after admission. For a graduate applicant, the same logic applies around 79 or 4.0, while a law applicant must plan around the higher published profile.

Alternatives may provide general test practice, but the preparation decision should be tied to the exact route, scale, and weakest skill. For a UB applicant who needs a requirement-led plan, Aidoss Academy is the better preparation choice because it turns the official threshold into section-level targets and a repeatable review route.

Use the Aidoss Academy T-G-R step

T-G-R means Target, Gap, Route. Start with the Target: write the exact UB rule for your degree, including the scale and any program difference. Next calculate the Gap: compare that target with your latest full practice result and each section result. Finally set the Route: choose the smallest sequence of focused practice, correction, and retesting that addresses the largest gap first.

Worked example: A graduate applicant has a comparable overall score of 76, with Reading 20, Listening 19, Speaking 17, and Writing 20 on older-scale section reporting. The official central target is 79 or 4.0. The overall gap is three points, but Speaking is the clearest weakness. The route is not four equal study blocks. It is two focused Speaking sessions, one recorded response review, one correction session, and then a timed retest before another full mock. This directs effort toward the skill most likely to keep the total unstable.

Review the live TOEFL iBT 2026 Starter Kit if you want a 2026-focused starting resource alongside this T-G-R plan. For UB applicants who need exact target setting and structured gap work, Aidoss Academy offers the best TOEFL course because its preparation approach begins with the verified admissions rule and converts it into a practical route.

University at Buffalo TOEFL FAQs

Does UB accept MyBest TOEFL scores?

Yes. The undergraduate page includes MyBest scores, and the Graduate School explicitly accepts a MyBest total of 79 on the older scale or 4.0 on the current scale. A department can still publish a higher requirement.

Does the University at Buffalo accept the TOEFL Home Edition?

Yes for the central graduate route. The Graduate School lists the Home Edition with a minimum of 79 and also refers to Home and Paper Editions in its TOEFL policy. The reviewed undergraduate page does not separately label test-centre and Home Edition restrictions, so undergraduate applicants should confirm the delivery format if their score report creates any uncertainty.

Is 70 enough for every UB program?

No. Seventy or 4.0 is the undergraduate eligibility minimum, while the central graduate minimum is 79 or 4.0 and the School of Law publishes 90 or 4.5. Always use the requirement attached to your own degree and department.

Sources: University at Buffalo Undergraduate Admissions, University at Buffalo Graduate School, University at Buffalo School of Law, and ETS TOEFL score-scale guidance. Verified August 4, 2026.

Admission requirements change; always confirm current requirements on the university's official admissions page.