What Duolingo score do you need for Cornell University?

You need an English test unless English is your native language or has been your primary language of instruction for the past four years. You can self-report scores on the Common Application, or add new or updated scores on Cornell's English Language Proficiency Form in your applicant portal.

Enrolling students must provide official results from the testing agency. For Duolingo, log in to your account, choose Share Score and select Cornell University. The pages give no subscore minimums and no validity period.

For comparison, the same page lists IELTS Academic at 7.5 and TOEFL iBT at 100 for tests before January 2026, or 5.0 (5.5 recommended) from January 2026.

Cornell describes these as the scores needed to be most competitive in its review, and it publishes no conditional admission or English pathway for undergraduates.

Requirements vary by programme and change between admissions cycles. The score that binds you is the one on your Cornell programme page and in your offer letter, so check it there before you book a test.