List of IELTS 5.5 Band Colleges in Canada

International English Language Testing System ( IELTS )

Raushan
Raushan Kumar
Assistant Manager Content
Updated on Oct 13, 2025 10:49 IST

Many students keep asking if they can study in Canada with IELTS 5.5 band. The short answer is yes, you can, but there are few things you should know. Most top universities in Canada usually want IELTS 6.0 or even 6.5 score.

IELTS 5.5 Band Colleges in Canada

The IELTS exam is the most common test used to show your English level when you apply for study in Canada or even for Canada PR. It’s not always easy to get IELTS 6.0 or above, and many students find it hard because of different reasons. But don’t worry, even with a lower IELTS score, you can still get admission in some good universities in Canada.

Some known IELTS 5.5 band colleges in Canada in 2025 are Brock University, Concordia University, Capilano University, and Kwantlen Polytechnic University. In this article, we talk about the IELTS 5.5 band colleges in Canada and also IELTS 5.5 band universities in Canada. We also explain about the admission process, Canadian student visa, and Canada immigration in simple way so you can understand everything better.

Table of content
  • List of IELTS Accepting Colleges in Canada
  • Sectional Cut-off for IELTS 5.5 Band Colleges in Canada
  • Minimum IELTS Band Requirement for Top Colleges in Canada
  • Admission Procedure for IELTS 5.5 Band Universities in Canada
  • Documents for Canada 5.5 Band Colleges
  • Canada Immigration and IELTS

List of IELTS Accepting Colleges in Canada

Most colleges and universities in Canada ask for an IELTS score above 6.0, but don’t worry if you got less. Even if your score is below 6.0, you can still apply to some Canada colleges that accept 5.5 bands in IELTS exam. Few of these colleges are really good and known for giving quality education. Below you can see the list of IELTS 5.5 band colleges in Canada that you can apply to and start your study journey.

IELTS 5.5 Band Universities in Canada

List of IELTS 5.5 Band Colleges in Canada

Sectional Cut-off for IELTS 5.5 Band Colleges in Canada

The table below shows the section-wise IELTS cut-off for 5.5 band colleges in Canada so you can get a clear idea before applying.

University

Overall IELTS

Listening

Reading

Writing

Speaking

Brock University

6.0

5.5

5.5

5.5

5.5

Athabasca University

6.5

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

MacEwan University

6.5

5.5

5.5

5.5

5.5

Lethbridge College

6.0

5.5

5.5

5.5

5.5

St. Clair College of Applied Arts and Technology

6.0

5.5

5.5

5.5

5.5

Charles Sturt University

6.0

5.5

5.5

5.5

5.5

Camosun College

6.0

5.5

5.5

5.5

5.5

Campion College

6.5

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

Huron University College

6.5

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

IELTS scores for Canadian universities and colleges vary on the basis of courses. For instance, language or linguistic courses might require a higher IELTS cut-off. Hence, it is vital for students to research the English language requirements for their particular course as well.

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Minimum IELTS Band Requirement for Top Colleges in Canada

University

QS 2026 Rank

IELTS Score Requirement

University of Toronto

29

Minimum 6.5 overall, at least 6.0 in each section

McGill University

27

Minimum 6.5 overall, at least 6.0 in each section

University of British Columbia

40

Minimum 6.5 overall, at least 6.0 in each section

University of Waterloo

119

Minimum 6.5 overall; 6.5 in writing, 6.5 in speaking, 6.0 in reading and listening

Western University

151

Minimum 6.5 overall, at least 6.0 in each section

McMaster University

173

Minimum 6.5 overall, at least 6.0 in each section

University of Calgary

211

At least 6.0 overall

Queen’s University

191

Minimum 6.5 overall, at least 6.0 in each section

University of Ottawa

219

Minimum 6.5 overall, at least 6.5 in writing

Dalhousie University

283

Minimum 6.5 overall, at least 6.0 in each section

Admission Procedure for IELTS 5.5 Band Universities in Canada

If you got 5.5 band in IELTS, you can still apply for many colleges and universities in Canada. Students who score below 6.0 in IELTS have few other ways to show their English language proficiency.

CanTEST:

Some universities and 5.5 band colleges in Canada accept the CanTEST. It’s a test made to check your English level and can be used instead of IELTS for higher studies in Canada.

MOI (Medium of Instruction) Certificate:







An MOI certificate is given by your old college or university. It tells that your past education was in English. Some 5.5 band colleges and universities in Canada take this as proof of English. Always check with the college before applying.

Documents for Canada 5.5 Band Colleges

If you plan to study in Canada 5.5 band colleges or universities, you have to give few documents for admission. Below is what you mostly need:

  • Your school certificates or proof of past study.
  • Bachelor’s degree with certain CGPA if you going for Master’s or PG Diploma.
  • Some courses need academic or job experience, so check that.
  • CV
  • SOP
  • LORs
  • Admission Essays
  • GRE/GMAT scores of the candidates
  • IELTS/TOEFL/Duolingo scores of the candidates

Canada Immigration and IELTS

Let us now look at how your IELTS score and Canada PR are connected through the Express Entry route. Your IELTS score is connected to a certain CLB level, which in turn is connected to certain scores that are added to your CRS points, which are considered for your Canada PR application. Consider the following points:

  • On the CRS, you are ranked amongst a pool of applications on the basis of your score out of 1200.
  • The following tables will help you understand how your IELTS scores are linked to your CRS score.

First, your CLB level is determined on the basis of your IELTS scores:

CLB Level

Listening

Reading

Writing

Speaking

10 or Above

8.5-9.0

8.0-9.0

7.5-9.0

7.5-9.0

9

8.0

7.0

7.0

7.0

8

7.5

6.5

6.5

6.5

7

6.0

6.0

6.0

6.0

6

5.5

5.0

5.5

5.5

5

5.0

4.0

5.0

5.0

4

4.5

3.5

4.0

4.0

Next, on the basis of your CLB level, you receive your score on the CRS:

CLB Level

Language Scores Without Spouse

Language Scores With Spouse

Less than 4

0

0

CLB 4 or 5

24

24

CLB 6

32

32

CLB 7

68

64

CLB 8

92

88

CLB 9

124

116

CLB 10 or More

136

128

For help with university applications, students seeking to study abroad can contact our Shiksha Study Abroad Counsellors. The comments section below allows candidates to contact us as well.

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The University of Niagara Falls Master of Data Analytics course duration is 18 months. The specializations of this course are Marketing Analytics, General Analytics, and Operational Analytics. After pursuing this course, students can go for career roles like Data Manager, Big Data Specialist, Business Analyst, Customer Intelligence Analyst, etc. The tuition fee for international students is CAD 48,000.

Q:   What is the acceptance rate for Fairleigh Dickinson University Canada for international students?
A:

For FDU Vancouver, the acceptance rate has not been mentioned but, this is one of the campuses of FDU New Jersey University, so, the acceptance rate can be considered as 87%. The acceptance rate signifies that the university is less selective during admission, but, there are a few of the master’s programs of the university that are highly competitive to get into such as MSc in Applied Computer Science.

 

Q:   Which countries require IELTS score for admission?
A:

In order to be eligible to study abroad, IELTS ecam scores will be required in majority of the English speaking countries. In total there are 140 countries which accept IELTS scores for admissions from international students. Some of these top countries are as follows:

About the Author
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Written by
Raushan Kumar
Assistant Manager Content
Raushan Kumar is a skilled writer and a Study Abroad Expert in the Editorial Team at Shiksha. He oversees various aspects of studying abroad, including educational opportunities, entrance exams, colleges, latest new Read Full Bio
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Prayas
UG & PG expert
Armed with a decade of professional experience, Prayas is a connoisseur of the overseas education industry. He holds a post-graduate diploma in marketing and has the knack for finding ideal study options for student Read Full Bio
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