Duolingo English Test Accepted Universities USA 2026

Quick answer

Yes, many US universities accept the Duolingo English Test, but the required score is specific to the admission route. Examples include Arizona State, the University of Arizona, Oregon State, CU Boulder, Penn State, Purdue, Yale and Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Use the official sources below to check your exact degree and program before paying for a test or application.

This Duolingo English Test accepted universities USA 2026 guide is a verified starting shortlist, not a complete national directory or a ranking. It separates undergraduate and graduate policies and distinguishes a published minimum from a description of competitive applicants. Those differences matter when you decide whether your current score is sufficient.

Sources checked October 5, 2026. Admissions pages are live and may now discuss a later entry cycle. This is a snapshot of guidance available on the review date, not an archived guarantee for every 2026 intake. Confirm your intended entry term with the institution. The AI-generated cover depicts a fictional campus, not one of the named universities.

US universities accepting Duolingo: undergraduate table

Each university name links to its own admissions guidance. The scores below address English proficiency only; academic eligibility, applications and other selection criteria still apply.

Selected undergraduate DET policies checked October 5, 2026
University / official source	State	Published score guidance	Scope and important conditions
Arizona State University	Arizona	95 for general-requirement programs	Nursing: 100; higher-requirement engineering programs: 105; higher-requirement journalism programs: 120.
University of Arizona	Arizona	110 minimum	Undergraduate admission. Scores must be within two years of the application submission date.
Oregon State University	Oregon	110 minimum	The undergraduate English-test page lists this threshold. Confirm the requirements for your applicant route.
University of Colorado Boulder	Colorado	115 minimum	Undergraduate English proficiency. Test timing is measured against the CU Boulder start date.
Penn State	Pennsylvania	120 minimum	Undergraduate admission. Official results must come from the testing service; scores must be less than two years old.
Purdue University	Indiana	115 overall; 110 in each individual subscore, as general applicant guidance	The page describes scores applicants generally have. Preserve that distinction rather than labeling this an unconditional admission cutoff.
Yale University	Connecticut	120+ competitive guidance	Yale describes its most competitive applicants this way; this is not an admission guarantee or a universal minimum.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Illinois	DET accepted; check applicant category	The international requirements page lists DET for first-year applicants. The separate transfer policy lists 130 overall with 125+ integrated subscores.

For Illinois, consult both the international applicant requirements and general policies with transfer-specific scores. Do not apply a transfer threshold to first-year admission or use an admitted-student score range as a mandatory minimum.

Graduate universities and programs accepting DET

For a master’s or doctoral application, begin with the graduate school and then read the department page. A university can publish one general rule and a higher requirement for your degree. Teaching-assistant language requirements may also be a separate question to ask the program.

Graduate examples; these do not extend automatically to every degree
University / school and source	Published requirement	What to verify
Purdue University — graduate admission	115 overall and 115 in each integrated subscore	The graduate office specifies Comprehension, Conversation, Literacy and Production. Programs may require higher results.
University of Colorado Boulder — graduate admission	115 general minimum; named programs require 125 or 135	The graduate table lists exceptions. For example, Computer Science is 125 and Applied Mathematics is 135.
New York University — Wagner	130 minimum	This is NYU Wagner’s policy, not an NYU-wide requirement. Its page also describes an English-medium-degree exemption.

Purdue illustrates why subscore labels matter: its graduate policy specifies integrated subscores rather than the individual Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking scores. Copy the exact required labels into your checklist. A high overall score does not cancel a separately stated subscore condition.

Which US universities accept Duolingo scores of 95, 110, 115 or 120?

A score-based shortlist helps you find policies to investigate, but it should not be the only reason to choose a university. Start with your intended subject and a realistic budget, then see which English requirements you satisfy.

95–105: ASU provides a useful example of program variation: 95 for general requirements, with different thresholds for nursing and certain engineering and journalism programs.
110: Check the cited undergraduate routes at the University of Arizona and Oregon State.
115: CU Boulder undergraduate admission lists this minimum. Read Purdue’s separate overall and subscore guidance rather than treating 115 as its only condition.
120: Penn State lists this undergraduate minimum. Yale’s 120+ statement describes competitive applicants and has a different meaning.
125–135: Some graduate programs require results in this range. Use the CU Boulder graduate table and NYU Wagner policy for specific examples.

For example, a student with 115 who is interested in CU Boulder undergraduate study should check the remaining academic requirements and entry term. That same score should not be assumed sufficient for the university’s graduate Computer Science program, whose cited table lists 125. The university name alone is not enough information.

Minimum scores, competitive scores and waivers

A minimum is a stated threshold for a requirement. Competitive guidance describes the profile of stronger applicants. A waiver is a separate policy that may excuse testing when specific conditions are met. None of these means that an English score by itself secures admission.

For example, Yale’s testing page describes the DET scores of its most competitive applicants. It should not be rewritten as “120 guarantees entry.” Meanwhile, NYU Wagner describes an exemption for degrees taught entirely in English. That school-specific condition should not be turned into a rule for all NYU programs or all US universities.

If you believe you qualify for a waiver, identify the exact policy and required evidence before omitting a score. A letter confirming English-medium instruction may be relevant to one institution and insufficient for another. Ask admissions to resolve any uncertainty while there is still time to complete an alternative requirement.

How to verify DET acceptance for your program

Find the receiving institution. Use the official DET accepting-institutions directory as a discovery tool.
Open the university’s own admissions page. Identify undergraduate, transfer, graduate or another applicant category.
Check the department and campus. Record the degree name and intended entry term, not just the university brand.
Record every score condition. Include the overall score, named subscores, result-age rule and waiver conditions.
Check submission instructions. Note whether certified scores may be self-reported initially and when official sharing is required.
Resolve conflicting information. Ask admissions which policy governs your exact application before purchasing or retaking an exam.

Keep a saved link and the date you checked it. Requirements copied from a forum, an old brochure or an unrelated program are difficult to audit later. A directory listing helps you find a school, but its current admissions instructions should drive your decision.

A useful question for admissions

“I plan to apply to [degree and program] at [campus] for [entry term]. Do you accept the Duolingo English Test for my applicant category? Please confirm the overall and subscore requirements, score-validity rule, and the correct recipient for official score sharing.”

Compare universities before paying application fees

The best universities accepting Duolingo for you are the ones that fit your academic plans, finances and application profile. Compare the curriculum, prerequisites, teaching or research opportunities, location, total attendance cost, funding eligibility and deadlines. A lower English threshold does not automatically make a university easier to enter or less expensive.

Create a shortlist with three separate decisions: “Does this program fit?”, “Can I meet its requirements?” and “Can I afford to apply and attend?” Add the official program link and unanswered questions to each row. Resolve those questions before treating a test score as a reason to submit an application.

If you are comparing DET with another exam, first check which options all your shortlisted programs accept. Our Duolingo English Test vs PTE comparison can help organize the preparation decision after acceptance has been confirmed.

Apply with Duolingo: prepare and send your scores

Set your target from the strictest relevant requirement on your shortlist, including subscores. If you are not ready, begin with our best free DET mock tests for 2026 and DET scores and preparation guide. A practice estimate is useful for study planning but cannot be submitted as a certified result.

When you have certified results, follow Duolingo’s official score-sharing instructions. Open your result in the account used for the test, choose the sharing option, select the correct institution or school and supply an application identifier if needed. Check the recipient carefully when several similarly named schools appear.

Score sharing does not submit a university application. Complete the institution’s application separately, meet its deadline and monitor the portal for receipt. If the correct recipient is missing, ask the institution how it accepts results rather than selecting an unrelated recipient.

Before paying for a certified test, use the official DET website to check the current purchase terms and test requirements. Leave time for the institution’s processing and any further preparation you may need; do not plan around an assumed last-minute acceptance.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Duolingo English Test accepted by universities in the USA in 2026?

Yes. Examples with official admissions guidance include Arizona State, the University of Arizona, Oregon State, CU Boulder, Penn State, Purdue, Yale and Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Acceptance depends on the degree, program, applicant category and entry term.

Which US universities accept a Duolingo score of 110?

The University of Arizona and Oregon State list 110 for the undergraduate routes cited here. ASU lists 95 for general-requirement undergraduate programs, with higher requirements for some programs. These scores concern English proficiency, not guaranteed admission.

Is 120 a good Duolingo score for US university applications?

It meets Penn State’s published undergraduate minimum, and Yale describes 120 or higher as competitive English-test guidance. Other programs require more or specify subscores. Choose your target from your actual shortlist rather than a universal “good score.”

Can I apply for a master’s degree in the USA with Duolingo?

Some graduate programs accept it. Examples include Purdue graduate admission, CU Boulder graduate programs and NYU Wagner. Check each graduate school and department separately; undergraduate acceptance does not establish graduate acceptance.

Does an accepted DET score mean I do not need IELTS or TOEFL?

If the exact program accepts DET as an alternative and you meet all its English proficiency conditions, DET can satisfy that test requirement. This does not remove other admissions requirements or establish acceptance by another program.

Can I use a free mock-test score for admission?

No. A mock-test estimate is preparation feedback, not a certified result. Follow the university’s policy for official results or permitted self-reporting of a certified test.

How do I send Duolingo scores to a university?

Use the certified result in your DET account, choose the score-sharing option, select the correct receiving institution or school, add an application ID when needed and send it. Also submit the university application and monitor its checklist.

Official sources and review date

Reviewed October 5, 2026. Each score row links directly to the relevant admissions policy. For future applications, recheck these live pages for your entry term rather than treating the year in this article’s title as an assurance that a policy will remain unchanged.