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DET University Guide · Series 2 of 4

DET Score Requirements for
US Public Universities
UC, Big Ten & Major State Schools (2026)

By Sam · DETnTedu.com · Updated May 2026

📚 DET University Guide Series

1. DET Score Requirements: US & Canada Major Universities — 50+ Schools
2. DET Score Requirements: US Public Universities — 36 Schools ◀ You are here
3. DET Score Requirements: Canadian Universities — 25 Schools
4. DET Score Requirements: US & Canada Colleges — Coming Soon

A lot of DET students assume that most US public universities now accept the Duolingo English Test. That is not quite true.

Some major state schools fully accept DET. Some only accept it for undergraduate admission but not for graduate programs. And some well-known universities — including the University of Michigan, UT Austin, and the University of Florida — still do not accept DET at all. These are universities that do not accept DET, and that list is longer than most people expect.

That confusion is exactly why I put this guide together. I went through the official admissions pages of every school listed here — UC campuses, Big Ten schools, and major state universities — and pulled the actual DET score for US universities directly from the source. No third-party guesses.

One thing that genuinely surprised me while researching this: UIUC, a public state university in Illinois, requires a DET score of 130 — with all subscores at 125 or above. That is higher than many selective private universities. If you are using Duolingo English Test for US universities, never assume that "public university" means lower requirements.

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ImportantAll data is based on official university admissions pages verified in May 2026. Requirements change frequently — always confirm directly with the institution before applying.

0 Quick Score Overview

DET Score Range	What It Opens
95–105	Arizona State University (general programs only)
105–110	Iowa State, Washington State, Michigan State
110–115	U of Washington, UIC, Colorado State
115	UC system (8 campuses), CU Boulder, Rutgers, UW-Madison
120	Penn State, Ohio State, U of Maryland, UVA
125+	Florida State, UCLA (competitive range)
130+	UCLA (official benchmark), UIUC, UNC Chapel Hill

1 University of California (UC) System — 9 Campuses

The University of California system operates 9 undergraduate campuses under a shared public university framework. Here is something worth knowing upfront: with the exception of UCLA, every UC campus sets the same minimum DET score — 115. That consistency makes planning straightforward for most of the system. The DET score for UCLA, however, is a different story at 135.

UC Campus DET Requirements

Campus	Location	Undergrad DET	Grad DET	Notes
UCLA	Los Angeles	135	By dept.	Competitive benchmark score
UC Berkeley	Berkeley	115	❌ Not accepted	Grad: TOEFL/IELTS only
UC San Diego	San Diego	115	120 (Fall 2026+)
UC Davis	Davis	115	115
UC Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara	115	120
UC Santa Cruz	Santa Cruz	115	By dept.
UC Irvine	Irvine	115	120–125	Grad varies by program
UC Riverside	Riverside	115	❌ Most programs	Grad: TOEFL/IELTS recommended
UC Merced	Merced	115	120

💡 Key Takeaway

Target 115 for most UC campuses. For UCLA, aim for 135. UC Berkeley's graduate programs do not accept DET — plan ahead if graduate study is in your future.

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UC Berkeley GraduateWhile undergrad applicants can use DET (115), the UC Berkeley Graduate Division does not accept DET for any program. TOEFL or IELTS is required.

2 Big Ten Universities — 9 Schools

The Big Ten is one of the most prestigious university conferences in the US, centered in the Midwest. DET acceptance and requirements vary significantly across member institutions — and one flagship school, the University of Michigan, does not accept DET at all. That catches a lot of applicants off guard. These are among the most important DET accepted universities in the USA to verify before applying.

Big Ten DET Requirements

University	State	Undergrad DET	Grad DET	Notes
U of Illinois (UIUC)	Illinois	130 (subscore 125+)	Accepted	Highest among public universities
Penn State	Pennsylvania	120	By dept.
U of Wisconsin-Madison	Wisconsin	115+	125
U of Minnesota	Minnesota	110 (subscore 110+)	125	Carlson Business: separate subscore req.
Ohio State	Ohio	120	120	Some programs: TOEFL/IELTS only
Michigan State	Michigan	110	110	Conditional admission from 95–105
Iowa State	Iowa	105	105–115	Grad: 115 from Spring 2026
Purdue	Indiana	110	115	⚠️ CS Grad: 135 (all subscores 135+)
U of Michigan	Michigan	❌ Not accepted	❌ Not accepted	TOEFL/IELTS only

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University of MichiganDespite being one of America's most prominent public universities, U of Michigan does not accept DET for undergraduate or graduate admission. Many third-party sites incorrectly list scores of 100–105. Always verify on the official page.

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Purdue CS GraduateThe undergraduate minimum is 110, but the Computer Science graduate program requires a total score of 135 with all subscores also at 135 or above.

3 Major State Universities — 18 Schools

West & Southwest

University	State	Undergrad DET	Grad DET	Notes
U of Washington	Washington	110	By dept.
Arizona State (ASU)	Arizona	95 (general)	105	Nursing: 100 / Engineering: 105 / Journalism: 120
Washington State	Washington	105	105
Colorado State	Colorado	110	120
CU Boulder	Colorado	115	120	Engineering grad: 125+
Oregon State	Oregon	❌ Not accepted	❌ Not accepted	TOEFL/IELTS only

South & East

University	State	Undergrad DET	Grad DET	Notes
UNC Chapel Hill	N. Carolina	130 (rec.)	By dept.	No official minimum published
Georgia Tech	Georgia	Reference only	❌ Not accepted	DET not official undergrad requirement
UT Austin	Texas	❌ Not accepted	❌ Not accepted	TOEFL/IELTS only
U of Florida	Florida	❌ Not accepted	❌ Not accepted	TOEFL/IELTS only
Florida State	Florida	125	By dept.
UVA	Virginia	120–130 (rec.)	By dept.	Engineering grad: DET not accepted
Virginia Tech	Virginia	❌ Not accepted	❌ Not accepted	TOEFL/IELTS only
U of Maryland	Maryland	120	By dept.
Rutgers	New Jersey	115	By dept.

Midwest & Other

University	State	Undergrad DET	Grad DET	Notes
UIC	Illinois	110	By dept.	U of Illinois Chicago campus
U of Georgia	Georgia	Accepted	By dept.	No minimum score published
Texas A&M	Texas	❌ Not accepted	❌ Not accepted	TOEFL/IELTS only

4 Schools That Do NOT Accept DET

This is one of the most important sections in this entire guide. These are the public universities that do not accept DET. If any of these are on your list, you need TOEFL or IELTS — there is no workaround. I have seen too many students waste application cycles because they relied on outdated information from third-party sites. Verify first.

U of Michigan

Michigan

❌ UG + Grad — Full rejection

UT Austin

Texas

❌ UG + Grad — Full rejection

U of Florida

Florida

❌ UG + Grad — Full rejection

Oregon State

Oregon

❌ UG + Grad — Full rejection

Virginia Tech

Virginia

❌ UG + Grad — Full rejection

Texas A&M

Texas

❌ UG + Grad — Full rejection

Georgia Tech

Georgia

❌ Grad — Full rejection
UG: reference only

UC Berkeley

California

❌ Grad only
UG: DET 115 accepted

UC Riverside

California

❌ Most grad programs
UG: DET 115 accepted

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Watch Out for Bad DataMany third-party websites list incorrect DET scores for these schools. We have verified each entry against official admissions pages. Always double-check before applying.

5 Score-Based Application Strategy

Use this as a starting point for building your school list. One thing worth saying directly: if your current DET score is around 115, you have solid access to most of the UC system — which is genuinely not a bad position. The UC system is one of the strongest networks of public universities accepting DET in the country.

Your DET Score	Realistic Targets	Strategy Focus
95–105	ASU (general programs)	Only realistic R1 option at this range
105–110	Iowa State, Washington State, Michigan State	Midwest state universities
110–115	U of Washington, UIC, Colorado State, CU Boulder	Pacific Northwest + Colorado region
115	All UC campuses (except UCLA), UW-Madison, Rutgers	UC system entry point — strong portfolio
120	Penn State, Ohio State, U of Maryland, UVA	Upper-tier state universities
125+	Florida State, UCLA (competitive range)	Strong contender for selective publics
130+	UIUC, UCLA, UNC Chapel Hill	Top-tier public university competitive range

6 Graduate Program DET Policies

If graduate study is part of your plan, note that many universities have different — sometimes stricter — DET policies at the graduate level.

School	Undergraduate	Graduate
UC Berkeley	✅ 115	❌ Not accepted
Georgia Tech	Reference only	❌ Not accepted
UT Austin	❌ Not accepted	❌ Not accepted
Purdue (CS)	✅ 110	❌ CS requires 135
U of Minnesota	✅ 110	✅ 125
UC San Diego	✅ 115	✅ 120 (Fall 2026+)

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If graduate school is part of your long-term plan, consider preparing a TOEFL or IELTS score alongside your DET — even if DET is accepted for your undergraduate program.

7 Final Thoughts

After going through every official admissions page for this guide, a few things stood out to me.

First, being a public university does not mean a lower DET requirement. UIUC requires 130 with subscores at 125+ — that is higher than many well-known private schools. Do not assume.

Second, the UC system is remarkably consistent. Eight of nine campuses sit at 115, which makes it one of the most accessible networks of DET accepted universities in the US once you cross that threshold.

Third — and this one matters — a significant number of major state schools still do not accept DET at all. Michigan, Florida, Texas, Oregon State, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M. That list is not small. Always verify on the official admissions page before committing to a test plan.

Subscores matter too. UIUC requires all subscores at 125+. Checking only the total score is one of the most common mistakes DET applicants make with US university applications.

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