Iceland is one of the most underrated destinations for international students. The country has seven international-recognized universities offering programs in various fields of study. In most institutions, the state is either the main authority or a financial supporter. Out of about 18,000 students enrolled in institutions for higher education, 5% are international students from all over the world. Some of the Icelandic universities offer exchange programs, and that has proven to be one of the attractive features of the system. The country is ranked among the top states in terms of health care and democracy hence making it an ideal home for foreigners. In this article, we are going to look at the IELTS requirements for some of the universities in Iceland.
Iceland Universities’ Required IELTS Bands
1. Holar University College
- IELTS Band Requirement: 6.5
Holar University College is one of the most historical institutions in Iceland and has gone through three main phases in its existence. It was founded in 1106 as the first school in the region and was later renamed to Holar Agricultural College in 1882. In 2007, it became Holar University College and started offering more diverse programs than before. Based on its history, it is undoubtedly one of the oldest existing universities in Europe. Apart from academic requirements, you will also need to be proficient in oral and written English. To prove your level of understanding, the institution requires every student to submit their IELTS and TOEFL tests and should score a minimum of 6.5 and 79, respectively.
2. University of Iceland
- IELTS Band Requirement: 6.5
Founded in 1911, the University of Iceland is definitely not the oldest in the country but is among the institutions in that list. It is also one of the largest in Iceland, which is impressive considering the fact that it began as a small school. The institution currently hosts more than 14,000 students, with some of them being international students. It consists of 25 faculties offering programs in just about every field of study hence giving you a good number of options. Like any other Iceland university, the University of Iceland has an English proficiency requirement where one must submit their test scores during the application process. The IELTS Band requirements for the University of Iceland is 6.5, and TOEFL is 79.
3. The Agricultural University of Iceland
- IELTS Band Requirement: 6.0
Founded in 2005, the Agricultural University of Iceland is one of the youngest universities in Iceland. As the name suggests, it mainly focuses on environmental and agricultural sciences. The institution operates research centers in Arnessysla, Reykjavik, and Eyjafjaroarsysla, with the main station located on Hvanneyri. It is subdivided into two main faculties (environment and agriculture) and one department. Since the institution offers most of its programs in English, you will need to submit your IELTS (6.0) and TOEFL (79 in the internet-based test) scores.
4. Reykjavik University
- IELTS Band Requirement: 6.0
Reykjavik University was founded in 1998 and is located within Reykjavik region. It is made up of four academic schools, which include Law, Business, Science & Engineering, and Computer. Programs in these schools are mainly offered in English and Icelandic, and every international student is required to take international language tests (IELTS & TOEFL). To be accepted at Reykjavik University, you will need an IELTS band of 6.0 and a minimum score of 550 in TOEFL test (213 and 79 in computer-based and internet-based tests respectively).
4. University of Akureyri
- IELTS Band Requirement: 6.0
The University of Akureyri hosts a total of about 2,000 students, some of them being international students from within and outside Europe. The institution has made huge strides since its founding in 1987. It currently has seven distinct faculties offering programs from various fields of study. The campus is located in Akureyri, and its main building is famously known as Sólborg. The university accepts international students who are either beginning their degrees from scratch or come through exchange programs. You can either attend as a guest student, where your parent university and the University of Akureyri have no formal co-operation, and you spend a short time at the institution. Alternatively, you can also decide to complete the rest of your academic life at the university. Either way, all students are still required to prove their proficiency in English by getting the minimum IELTS Band of at least 6.0 or submitting a TOEFL score.
5. Bifrost University
- IELTS Band Requirement: 6.0
Bifrost University was founded in 1918 and is located in Borgarbyggo, Iceland. It started as a business school but has since developed to more diverse university offering courses in various fields. Bifrost University and Holar University College are the only universities in Iceland termed as “real campus universities.” If you want to be part of Bifrost University you will have to meet the basic academic and language-based requirements. The institution accepts different language assessment tests, but the popular ones are IELTS and TOEFL. A minimum score of 6.0 and 72 in IELTS and TOEFL respectively should suffice provided you are among the top scorers in that admission cycle.
6. The Iceland Academy of the Arts
- IELTS Band Requirement: 5.5
The Iceland Academy of the Arts is one of the smallest universities in Iceland with less than 2,000 students. It was founded in 1998, and its classes began a year later. The institution specializes in art programs such as design, architecture, dance, theatre, music, and fine arts. The Iceland Academy of the Arts is the only university in Iceland offering university-level degrees in the field of arts. Interested in joining the institution? Among other requirements, you will need to score at least 70 points in internet-based TOEFL, 510 in computer-based TOEFL, and 5.5 in IELTS tests.
We hope that this article on IELTS Band requirements for universities in Iceland was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Available Programs in Europe!
