Scholarships in USA Accepting Duolingo & MOI Instead of IELTS

For many international students, the IELTS exam is the most stressful — and sometimes the most expensive — step between them and a scholarship in the United States. Test centres can be far away, seats fill up weeks in advance, and the fee is a serious amount of money for families in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Nigeria or Indonesia. The good news is that IELTS is no longer the only door. Thousands of US universities now accept the Duolingo English Test (DET), an online exam you take from home, and a smaller but real group of universities will waive the English test altogether if your previous education was taught in English and you can prove it with a Medium of Instruction (MOI) letter. This guide explains exactly how both routes work, which universities accept them, what scores you realistically need, how scholarships fit into the picture, and — just as importantly — where the limits are, so you do not build your whole application on a promise a university never made.

One clarification before we start: a scholarship itself does not “accept” Duolingo or MOI. Universities set the English-language requirement for admission, and scholarship decisions — whether a government award, a university merit scholarship or a graduate assistantship — are made on top of that admission. So the practical question is always the same: which universities will admit me with a DET score or an MOI letter, and what funding can I then compete for at those universities? That is the question this article answers. You can browse the full list of US institutions in our university directory and compare funding opportunities in our scholarship directory as you read.

At a Glance: Duolingo and MOI Routes to the USA

What Is the Duolingo English Test?

The Duolingo English Test is an English proficiency exam administered by Duolingo, the company behind the well-known language-learning app. Unlike IELTS or TOEFL, it is taken entirely online from your own computer, at a time you choose, without an appointment at a test centre. The test is adaptive: the difficulty of the questions adjusts to your answers as you go, which allows it to measure your level in about an hour. Your result is a single overall score between 10 and 160, reported alongside four subscores — Literacy (reading and writing), Comprehension (reading and listening), Conversation (listening and speaking) and Production (writing and speaking). Universities increasingly look at the subscores as well as the headline number, because a student who reads well but cannot yet speak fluently may struggle in seminars even with a respectable overall score.

According to Duolingo’s own published updates, the test is now recognised by more than 6,500 higher-education programmes worldwide, and its official accepting institutions list includes, for the United States, institutions such as Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Princeton University, the California Institute of Technology, Yale University, the University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins University. That list is the single most important page to bookmark: it is maintained by Duolingo itself, it is searchable by institution and location, and it carries an important footnote — institutions marked on the list accept the test and use results in admissions, but some applicants may still be asked for additional proof of English proficiency. Always confirm on the university’s own admissions page before you rely on any listing, including ours.

The DET’s practical advantages explain its popularity with scholarship applicants. Results are typically released within about 48 hours, which matters when a scholarship or application deadline is close. You can send your score to multiple institutions rather than paying a separate reporting fee for every additional university in the way some traditional tests charge. And because you test at home, students outside capital cities — in Sylhet, in Multan, in Pokhara, in Enugu — are no longer forced to travel and pay for accommodation just to sit an English exam. The test does come with strict rules: you must be alone in a quiet, well-lit room, your face and ears must remain visible, and the session is recorded and reviewed. A result can be withheld if the rules are broken, so treat the setup requirements as seriously as the questions themselves.

Which US Universities Accept Duolingo — and What Scores Do They Expect?

Acceptance is broad but not uniform, and score expectations rise steeply with selectivity. The clearest verified example comes from Yale University. Yale’s official undergraduate admissions guidance on testing states that its most competitive applicants have Duolingo English Test scores of at least 120, and Yale notes the same benchmark across its graduate and professional school pages, where a DET result is accepted alongside TOEFL and IELTS. You can read this directly on Yale’s official admissions testing page. Profiles of universities such as Yale University, Harvard University and Stanford University on StudyGraduate link through to each institution’s own admissions requirements so you can verify the current policy for the exact programme you want.

Because universities revise these numbers, treat the bands below as typical published ranges to plan around, not guarantees. The pattern across official admissions pages is consistent: highly selective private universities generally look for DET scores around 120–130 or above; strong public research universities commonly publish minimums in the 105–120 range for undergraduate entry and higher for graduate programmes; and many regional universities, community-college transfer pathways and less competitive graduate programmes publish minimums around 95–110. Professional programmes — law, medicine-adjacent fields, and some business schools — are the most likely to set higher subscore floors or to prefer TOEFL/IELTS, so check the specific school, not just the university brand.

What Is an MOI Letter — and Does It Really Replace IELTS?

MOI stands for Medium of Instruction. An MOI letter (sometimes called an English Proficiency Certificate in South Asia) is an official document issued by the university or college where you completed your previous degree, stating that the medium of teaching, learning materials and examinations throughout your programme was English. If your bachelor’s degree in Dhaka, Lahore, Kathmandu or Lagos was genuinely delivered in English, your institution’s registrar or examinations office can usually issue this letter on official letterhead, signed and stamped, in a day or two.

Here is the honest truth that many agents will not tell you: the United States has no national MOI policy. There is no US government rule that says an MOI letter must be accepted, and no rule that forbids it either. Each university — and often each graduate department — decides for itself. The realistic landscape looks like this:

• Some universities waive the English test entirely for applicants whose degree was completed in English, and the MOI letter is exactly the evidence they ask for. This is more common for graduate applicants and at institutions that recruit heavily in South Asia and West Africa.
• Some universities accept MOI only from certain countries or institutions, or only when the letter is supported by transcripts that show English-medium coursework.
• Some universities refuse MOI altogether and require TOEFL, IELTS or DET from every applicant whose first language is not English, regardless of their degree’s language of instruction. Many highly ranked institutions fall into this group.
• Some universities accept MOI provisionally and then verify your English themselves — through an admissions interview, a video call, a writing sample, or a placement test after arrival. An MOI letter gets you past the paperwork stage; it does not always end the conversation.
• Scholarship and visa decisions are separate again. Even where a university waives the test, a scholarship committee may look more favourably on applicants with a recognised test score, and a US consular officer at your F-1 visa interview will form their own impression of your English in a two-minute conversation. An MOI waiver does not bind the embassy.

The practical advice is simple. Never apply on the assumption that MOI will be accepted. Email the admissions office (or check the programme’s FAQ) and get the answer in writing before you pay an application fee. If the answer is yes, follow their format instructions precisely. If the answer is “maybe” or unclear, sit the Duolingo test anyway — it is the cheapest insurance policy in the entire application process, and a decent DET score strengthens scholarship files even where it is not strictly required. Our test preparation hub explains how the main English tests compare, and the planning tools on StudyGraduate can help you build the rest of your budget and timeline around whichever route you choose.

How Scholarships Fit In: Funding at DET- and MOI-Friendly Universities

English-test flexibility and scholarship generosity are not the same thing, and the universities that waive IELTS are not automatically the ones that will fund you. What the DET/MOI route really does is widen the pool of universities you can realistically apply to — and a wider, well-chosen pool is how most international students actually win funding. The main funding types you will encounter at these universities are:

1. Automatic and competitive merit scholarships

Many US universities — particularly public universities in the Midwest and South and mid-sized private colleges — offer merit scholarships to international undergraduates based on grades and, sometimes, test scores. Some are automatic once you pass a GPA threshold; others require a separate application. A DET score is normally accepted wherever the university accepts DET for admission, because the scholarship decision rides on the admission file. Where a university publishes a scholarship grid, check whether a standardised test score is part of the formula; if it is, ask whether DET can substitute or whether that particular award requires SAT/ACT or IELTS/TOEFL.

2. Graduate assistantships

For master’s and PhD students, the biggest source of funding is the assistantship: teaching assistant (TA) and research assistant (RA) positions that pay a stipend and often waive part or all of tuition. Here the English question becomes practical, not bureaucratic. A department will not appoint a teaching assistant whose spoken English it has not verified. Many universities therefore require an additional speaking assessment for TA duties even when DET was accepted for admission — some use the DET subscores, some run their own interview. If you are relying on an MOI waiver, expect the department to test your spoken English before offering classroom duties. This is normal, and preparing for it is part of preparing your application.

3. Need-based aid at wealthy private universities

A small number of very wealthy private universities meet the demonstrated financial need of admitted international students. At these institutions the DET is generally accepted for admission (Yale’s published benchmark above is an example), but admission itself is the bottleneck — acceptance rates are in the single digits. Treat these as reach applications in a balanced list, not as your funding plan.

4. External and government scholarships

Programmes such as the Fulbright Foreign Student Program fund graduate study in the US through your home-country commission or embassy. These programmes set their own English requirements — historically TOEFL or IELTS at the finalist stage in many countries — regardless of what your host university accepts. If a major external scholarship is part of your plan, check its country page early; a DET-only strategy can quietly disqualify you from the very award you were counting on. This is the single most common planning mistake we see with the “no IELTS” route, and it is entirely avoidable with one careful reading of the official rules.

Step by Step: Applying to the USA with Duolingo or MOI

1. Build your university shortlist around verified English policies. For each university, find the English proficiency page for your exact level (undergraduate or graduate) and programme. Note whether DET is listed, the minimum overall score, any subscore minimums, and whether an MOI waiver exists. Save a screenshot or PDF of the page — policies change, and you want a record of what was published when you applied.
2. Confirm MOI acceptance in writing. If you plan to use an MOI letter, email the admissions office and keep the reply. Ask three questions: Is MOI accepted for my programme? What exactly must the letter contain? Must it be sent directly by my university or can I upload it?
3. Prepare the MOI letter properly, if using one. It should be on your institution’s official letterhead and state your full name, degree title, years of study, and an explicit sentence that the medium of instruction and examination for the entire programme was English. It should carry the signature and stamp of the registrar or an authorised officer, plus a contact email or phone number the US university can use to verify it. A vague one-line letter is the most common reason MOI evidence is rejected.
4. Take the Duolingo test under proper conditions. Use a quiet, private, well-lit room, a reliable internet connection and a government-issued photo ID. Do a practice run first. Aim to beat the published minimum by a margin — a score exactly at the threshold leaves you no room if a department applies a higher internal bar for funding.
5. Send scores the official way. DET results are shared with institutions through Duolingo’s own system; select each university inside your DET account rather than emailing a PDF screenshot, which many universities will not accept as official.
6. Apply for admission and scholarships together. Note each university’s scholarship deadlines — they are often earlier than the final admission deadline, especially for merit awards and assistantships. Missing a funding deadline by a week is the most expensive scheduling error in US admissions.
7. Prepare for verification. Whether you used DET or MOI, be ready for an interview — with the university, a scholarship panel, or the visa officer — in which your English is on display. Speak about your study plans clearly and specifically.
8. Complete the visa process honestly. After admission and funding are confirmed, your university issues the Form I-20; you then pay the SEVIS fee, complete the visa application and attend your F-1 interview with your financial documents. Your English at that interview should match the level your file claims.

Required Documents Checklist

• Valid passport
• Academic transcripts and certificates for all previous study
• DET score sent officially through Duolingo, or an MOI letter in the exact format the university specifies (ideally both, if you have them)
• Statement of purpose / application essays
• Letters of recommendation (usually two or three for graduate programmes)
• CV or résumé for graduate and scholarship applications
• Financial documents for the I-20: bank statements or sponsor letters showing funds for at least the first year, after scholarships are deducted
• Scholarship-specific documents where relevant: essays, work-experience evidence, or home-country commission forms

Deadlines and Timeline

US admission runs on annual cycles, and English-test flexibility does not move them. For Fall (August/September) entry — the intake with the most scholarship money — most competitive universities close applications between November and January, with scholarship and assistantship consideration often tied to those same early deadlines. Spring (January) entry exists at many universities but with noticeably less funding. Plan backwards: shortlist by June–July, confirm DET/MOI policies by August, test by September, and submit complete files well before the winter deadlines. Duolingo’s roughly 48-hour result turnaround gives you a little more slack than IELTS or TOEFL, but recommendation letters and transcripts — not the English test — are what usually run late.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Trusting an agent’s “MOI accepted” claim without written confirmation from the university itself.
• Assuming DET acceptance at university level covers your department. Graduate departments frequently set their own higher requirements.
• Scoring exactly the minimum. For scholarship and assistantship decisions, a stronger score is a competitive asset, not a box-tick.
• Ignoring external scholarship test rules. Fulbright and similar programmes may require TOEFL/IELTS from finalists even when the university accepts DET.
• Submitting an unofficial DET screenshot instead of sending the score through Duolingo’s system.
• Breaking DET room rules — another person entering the room, looking away from the screen, or using headphones incorrectly can void your result.
• Letting your spoken English lag behind your paperwork before interviews. The visa interview is conducted in English and officers notice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I really apply to US universities without IELTS in 2026?

Yes — through two legitimate routes. Thousands of US programmes accept the Duolingo English Test instead, and a smaller number of universities waive the test for applicants whose previous degree was taught in English, evidenced by an MOI letter. Neither route is universal: you must verify the policy for your exact programme before applying.

What Duolingo score do I need for a scholarship in the USA?

There is no single scholarship score, because funding decisions sit on top of admission. As a planning guide, scores around 95–110 meet many undergraduate and regional-university minimums, 110–120 is typical for strong public universities and graduate programmes, and the most selective universities publish competitive benchmarks of 120 or higher — Yale states this figure explicitly on its official admissions site. For funding competitiveness, aim above the minimum, not at it.

Is an MOI letter accepted everywhere in the USA?

No. There is no national MOI rule in the United States. Some universities accept it for some programmes, many refuse it, and some accept it but verify your English with an interview or placement test. Always get written confirmation from the admissions office before relying on it, and keep a DET score as a backup if you can.

Does the US embassy accept Duolingo or MOI for the F-1 visa?

The US government does not set a specific English test for the F-1 visa; your university certifies your admission and issues the I-20. However, the visa interview itself is in English, and the officer assesses whether your study plan and English level are credible. A DET score or MOI waiver satisfies the university — your interview performance is what satisfies the officer.

Will using Duolingo or MOI hurt my scholarship chances?

Not where the university officially accepts them for admission — your file is judged on grades, essays, recommendations and fit. Two exceptions: some competitive awards and assistantships informally favour stronger evidence of English (a higher test score, a good interview), and some external scholarships require TOEFL/IELTS by their own rules. Check each award’s official terms.

How long is a Duolingo score valid, and how fast do results come?

DET results are typically released within about 48 hours of completing the test, and scores are generally treated as valid for two years, in line with other major English tests. Confirm the validity window your target universities apply, since a score earned too early in a long application journey can expire before enrolment.

What should my MOI letter contain?

Your full name as in your passport, your degree title and years of study, and an explicit statement that the medium of instruction and examination throughout the programme was English — printed on institutional letterhead, signed and stamped by the registrar or an authorised officer, with a verifiable institutional contact. If a university specifies its own format or requires the letter to be sent directly by your institution, follow that instruction exactly.

Can I combine both — MOI letter and a Duolingo score?

Yes, and it is often the strongest approach. The MOI letter documents your English-medium education, while a solid DET score gives admissions and scholarship committees a standardised, comparable measure. If your budget allows one test, Duolingo is usually the most affordable way to remove all doubt from your file.

Sources & Verification

• Duolingo English Test — official accepting institutions list: englishtest.duolingo.com/test_takers/accepting_institutions (acceptance and the note that some applicants may need additional proof verified at write time)
• Duolingo English Test official blog — programme recognition figures (6,500+ programmes): blog.englishtest.duolingo.com
• Yale University Undergraduate Admissions — standardised testing page (competitive DET score of at least 120): admissions.yale.edu

Disclaimer: English-language requirements, scholarship criteria, amounts and deadlines change every year and differ by programme. Always confirm the current requirement on the official university and scholarship websites before applying or paying any fee. StudyGraduate is an information portal, not an agency or a university — we never promise selection, admission, scholarship awards or visa approval, and no one else can honestly promise those either.