Admissions · Canada
McMaster University Acceptance Rate: Admissions Statistics and TOEFL & IELTS Requirements
McMaster made offers to 21,072 of 34,082 applicants from Ontario high schools for 2024, an admission rate of 61.8%, according to its Fact Book. It publishes no rate for international applicants.
McMaster University TOEFL and IELTS requirements at a glance
| Applying for | TOEFL iBT | IELTS Academic |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | TOEFL iBT4.5 overall with at least 4.0 in Reading, Writing and Speaking and 4.5 in Listening for tests completed on or after 21 January 2026 (1–6 scale); 86 overall with at least 20 in each section for tests completed before 21 January 2026 (0–120 scale) | IELTS Academic6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each of Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening |
Full requirements and official sources · Check your TOEFL band with a free mock test
McMaster's Office of Institutional Research and Analysis publishes an admission rate in its annual Fact Book, but only for new applicants coming straight from Ontario high schools: the number who received an offer divided by the number who applied. The table below shows that rate for the three most recent years. McMaster does not publish offers for international or other applicants, so there is no official university-wide or international acceptance rate.
Figures read from official sources on · LingoLeap Admissions Research
McMaster University acceptance rate by year
| Cycle | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 · Ontario high-school applicants | 34,082 | 21,072 offers | 61.8% source |
| 2023 · Ontario high-school applicants | 33,063 | 18,641 offers | 56.4% source |
| 2022 · Ontario high-school applicants | 33,726 | 19,067 offers | 56.5% source |
What else McMaster publishes about admissions
| Group | Cycle | Rate | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration rate (registered of those offered) | 2024 | 25.3% | 5,322 registered of 21,072 Ontario high-school applicants who received an offer; 5,420 confirmed source |
| Registration rate (registered of those offered) | 2023 | 25.9% | 4,834 registered of 18,641 offered; 4,942 confirmed source |
| Registration rate (registered of those offered) | 2022 | 26.4% | 5,026 registered of 19,067 offered; 5,138 confirmed source |
| All undergraduate applications (all origins) | 2024 | Not published | Over 59,900 applications from over 45,400 applicants from Ontario, Canada and around the world; offers not reported source |
| All undergraduate applications (all origins) | 2023 | Not published | Over 64,400 applications from over 46,000 applicants; offers not reported source |
| McMaster as first choice (Ontario high-school applications) | 2024 | 14.6% | 6,607 of 45,342 applications named a McMaster program as first choice source |
What the numbers mean
McMaster's admission rate counts applicants, not applications, and only those applying from Ontario high schools: 21,072 of 34,082 received an offer for 2024 (61.8%), up from 56.4% in 2023 and 56.5% in 2022. McMaster notes that students can submit several choices or applications, and the rate covers the university as a whole, so it is not the chance of getting into a specific program; McMaster does not publish offer rates by program or Faculty.
The figures for 2023 changed between editions. The 2023-24 Fact Book listed 33,421 applicants and 18,940 offers for 2023 (0.57), although its own text gave 33,063 applicants; the 2024-25 Fact Book restates 2023 as 33,063 applicants and 18,641 offers. This page uses the newer edition.
About one in four Ontario high-school students with an offer registers: 5,322 of 21,072 in 2024 (25.3%). McMaster received over 59,900 applications from over 45,400 applicants of all origins in 2024, but it does not report how many of the out-of-province and international applicants received offers, so acceptance rates for international students quoted elsewhere are not McMaster figures. In fall 2024, 15.3% of McMaster's 37,256 students were international.
International applicants must meet McMaster's English proficiency minimums unless they qualify for an exemption, for example four years of full-time study at an English-medium secondary school. The TOEFL minimum for tests from 21 January 2026 includes a 4.5 in Listening, higher than the 4.0 asked in the other sections. Applicants who meet the academic requirements but not the English minimum may receive a conditional offer through the MELD diploma or STEP summer program.
McMaster University TOEFL and IELTS requirements
Minimums for international applicants from the university's own pages. Since 21 January 2026 TOEFL iBT reports a 1–6 band score; the notes give the older 0–120 equivalent where the university states one. Convert TOEFL and IELTS scores.
Undergraduate
TOEFL iBT: 4.5 overall with at least 4.0 in Reading, Writing and Speaking and 4.5 in Listening for tests completed on or after 21 January 2026 (1–6 scale); 86 overall with at least 20 in each section for tests completed before 21 January 2026 (0–120 scale)
IELTS Academic: 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each of Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening
IELTS Academic or Academic UKVI; IELTS One Skill Retake accepted. TOEFL Home Edition accepted; TOEFL Essentials and MyBest scores not accepted. Duolingo English Test: 120 overall (Reading 115, Writing 125, Listening 110, Speaking 115). Results normally valid for two years and must be sent directly by the testing agency. Lower scores may qualify for a conditional offer through the MELD or STEP programs. Graduate programs set their own requirements through the School of Graduate Studies.
McMaster Future Students: English Proficiency · checked 26 October 2026
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FAQ
What is McMaster's acceptance rate?
McMaster publishes an admission rate only for new applicants from Ontario high schools. According to its 2024-25 Fact Book, 21,072 of 34,082 such applicants received an offer in 2024, a rate of 61.8%. The rate was 56.4% in 2023 and 56.5% in 2022. There is no published rate for all applicants.
What is McMaster's acceptance rate for international students?
Not published. McMaster reports offers only for Ontario high-school applicants. It says it received over 59,900 applications from over 45,400 applicants from Ontario, Canada and around the world in 2024, but does not report offers to the other groups.
How many students apply to McMaster?
In 2024 McMaster received over 59,900 undergraduate applications from over 45,400 applicants. Of these, 34,082 applicants came from Ontario high schools, and 5,322 of them registered at McMaster.
What TOEFL score does McMaster require?
For undergraduate admission McMaster requires TOEFL iBT 4.5 overall with at least 4.0 in Reading, Writing and Speaking and 4.5 in Listening for tests completed on or after 21 January 2026. For tests completed before that date the minimum is 86 overall with at least 20 in each section. Home Edition is accepted; TOEFL Essentials and MyBest scores are not.
What IELTS score does McMaster require?
McMaster requires IELTS Academic (or Academic UKVI) 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each of Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, valid for two years. It accepts the IELTS One Skill Retake.