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Michigan State University Duolingo Requirements

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Michigan State University is one of 4,600+ schools worldwide and 2,520 schools in the USA that accept the Duolingo English Test. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, MSU accepts international students from across the world. To join them, make sure you are up-to-date on their language requirements!

🦉 Fun fact time - Michigan State University was originally founded as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan in 1855!!!

Undergraduate MSU Applicants

International applicants are required to submit proof of their English Language Proficiency. If your first language is not English you must meet one of the following requirements:

  • Duolingo English Test - 110+
  • TOEFL iBT or iBT Special At Home Edition– score of 79 with no subscore below 17
  • IELTS or IELTS indicator - 6.5 or higher
  • SAT - Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score of 510 or higher on an exam in which the composite score is 1110 or higher
  • ACT - Subscore of 18 or higher on the English section on an exam in which the composite score is 23 or higher
  • Michigan State University English Language Test - average score of at least 80 with no subscore below 80, OR Average score of at least 85 with no subscore below 78
  • Advanced Placement English Language - 4 or higher
  • Michigan State University Certificate of English Language Proficiency - 65 with no subscore below 15
  • Pearson Test of English Academic - Minimum score of 53, minimum subscore requirement of 48
  • You attended three years of continuous high school in the United States, starting in ninth grade, with a 3.0 or higher GPA and no English language learning classes on your transcript
  • You completed IGCSE exams with a B or higher (5 or higher for 1-9 scale) in English – First Language, English – Literature, or English – Literature in English.
  • You completed GCSE exams with a score of 6 or higher in English Language and English Literature.
  • You completed  O-level exams with a B or higher in English Language.
  • You completed AS- or A-level exams with a B or higher in English – Language, English – Literature, or English – Language and Literature.
  • You completed Singapore O-level or A-level exams with a B or higher in English Language, English Literature, or Literature in English.
  • You completed the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program Higher or Standard Level exams with a 5 or higher in English A: Literature or English A: Language and Literature.
  • You completed one full year of study at a U.S.-based university (28 credits), with a 3.0 or better in English composition/writing-intensive courses and an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  • You earned a bachelor's degree or higher from a U.S.-based university.

Don't worry if you don't meet this criteria, yet! You can still be admitted on "provisional status" if you:

  • Scored 60-78 on the TOEFL iBT or iBT Special At Home Edition
  • Scored a 6.0 on the IELTS or IELTS indicator
  • Scored between 95 and 105 on the Duolingo English Test
  • Scored an average  score of 65-79 Michigan State University English Language Test
  • Scored an average overall score of at least 46 on the Pearson Test of English Academic

Provisionally admitted students must take the MSU English Language Test (MSUELT) upon arrival on campus to determine eligibility to enroll in courses. The results of the MSUELT will determine if you are able to enroll in:

  • Full-time academic courses
  • A combination of academic and English language courses
  • Full-time English language courses through MSU’s English Language Center

If MSU receives a new test score that fulfills the English proficiency requirement for an incoming provisionally admitted student prior to the start of the semester, MSU will change the student’s admission status from provisional to regular admission.

⭐ Please note - the TOEFL MyBest Superscore is not accepted.

Graduate MSU Applicants

For graduate students, the English Proficiency requirements are slightly different.

Similarly to undergraduate applicants, provisionally admitted students are required to take the MSU English Language Test (MSUELT) upon arrival at MSU to determine whether students can:

  • Enroll in full-time academic courses OR
  • Enroll in full-time English Language courses through the English Language Center OR
  • Enroll in a combination of both academic courses and English Language courses

⭐ MSU is temporarily accepting the Duolingo English Test, TOEFL iBT Special At Home Edition, and IELTS indicator tests. Please check the website again before applying to see if this is still the case.

To meet the English Language Proficiency Requirements you must:

  • Take the Duolingo English Test scoring 110 or higher.
  • Take the TOEFL and have no subscore below 19 for reading, listening, and speaking; you must also have no writing score below 22 and a minimum average score of 80.
  • Take the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery scoring a minimum average of 83 with no subscore below 80. MELAB speaking test is required with a minimum score of 3.
  • Take the MSU English Language Test (MSUELT) with a Minimum average score of 80 to 85, no subscore below 80; OR Minimum average score of 85, no subscore below 78.
  • Take the IELTS with a Minimum average score of 6.5 and no subscore below 6.0.
  • Take the Pearson Test of English Academic with a minimum overall score of 53; no subscore below 51 for reading, listening, and speaking; no writing subscore below 59.
  • Take the Michigan State University Certificate of English Language Proficiency and score of 65 with no subscore below 15 (17 for the writing section)

Again, do not worry if you don't currently meet the requirements. You may be eligible for a Language Proficiency waiver and/or provisional admission which requires you to:

  • Take the TOEFL and score a 70 average.
  • Take the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery scoring an average score between 72 and 83.
  • Take the MSU English Language Test (MSUELT) with an average score of 72+
  • Take the IELTS with a minimum average score of 6.0
  • Take the Pearson Test of English Academic with an average overall score of 48+
  • Take the Duolingo English Test scoring between 95 and 105
  • Take the Michigan State University Certificate of English Language Proficiency and score 60

⭐ Please note - some graduate departments require higher English Language Proficiency scores than those listed here. MSU suggests you contact the specific department for clarification.

We may be slightly biased, but if you have a choice for your English Language Proficiency Test we recommend taking the Duolingo English Test. This is because the Duolingo English Test is shorter and cheaper than other tests which means you get your results faster. You can also take the test at home, meaning you can wear your fluffy bunny slippers while chasing your dreams... for legal reasons, we don't recommend chasing anything in big bunny slippers, though... you might fall.

Whilst the Duolingo Score requirement of 110 can seem scary 😱 with Arno, you get unlimited, free practice questions and instant scoring and feedback. So join today by clicking below!

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