Year after year, the Duolingo English Test is witnessing more people taking it in more places, suggesting continued demand for convenient, reliable, and secure English testing that people can actually afford. Last year test takers certified their English in over 225 countries and regions around the world. 2023 was the first year of full reopening in China, where the DET served test takers in over 950 cities and counties!
For the second year in a row, India saw the highest volume of test takers, most of whom plan to pursue graduate degrees, with business, computer science and math, and engineering among the most popular subjects.
In 2023, students in India applied to programs in over 83 countries, up 9% from last year.
Demand is high for international study, and test takers have plenty of options—the DET is now accepted by more than 4,900 academic programs, including the top 25 highest-enrolling universities for international students in the US!
In line with the commitment to improving access to quality education for all, the DET proudly endorsed the UNHCR’s 15by30 pledge at their Global Refugee Forum in December.
This ambitious goal seeks to increase refugee enrollment in higher education to 15% by 2030—currently it stands at only 7%. This commitment comes at a time when only 7% of refugees worldwide are able to access higher education.
To help realize this goal, the DET partnered with the UNHCR to launch the Duolingo University Access Program, which aims to create improved pathways to higher education for refugee students by offering one-on-one guidance and assistance with the university and financial aid application processes, as well as immigration and visa processes.
It recently selected a second cohort of refugee students for this program, who have already begun the process of exploring their best-fit university pathways for Fall 2024 enrollment!
The DET also partnered with Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB), a non-profit organization that helps refugees find jobs and immigrate to other countries. It aims to help place 15,000 doctors, engineers, and other skilled refugees over the next five years, and the DET has committed to providing free Duolingo English Tests for every one of them.
