Terrence Grus is the Assistant Dean for Graduate Enrollment Management at the University of Missouri, where he has led graduate admissions and student services for over two decades. With a background in both undergraduate and graduate education, he brings a comprehensive perspective to issues of access, enrollment strategy, and student success.
At the University of Missouri (aka, Mizzou, home of the Tigers), we continually evaluate the tools and processes we use to attract, admit, and support outstanding graduate students. An important part of this evaluation is critically assessing our approach to English proficiency testing to ensure that we maintain high academic standards while keeping our admissions process accessible and comprehensive.
Responding to a global crisis
When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted international education in early 2020, traditional testing centers closed rapidly. This left prospective international graduate students with limited options to demonstrate their English proficiency. To address this immediate need, the Graduate College turned to the Duolingo English Test (DET), an innovative online assessment that allowed students to complete their testing from home.
Initially, the DET was adopted temporarily as a pragmatic choice driven by unprecedented circumstances. As an institution committed to data-driven decision-making, we proceeded cautiously, closely monitoring DET's performance outcomes before fully embracing it as an official option. Our Center for English Language Learning, along with graduate admissions specialists, carefully tracked student outcomes to ensure that the DET would uphold our academic standards.
Academic outcomes reaffirm the DET’s validity
Several years later, I am pleased to report that the data clearly support the effectiveness of the DET in promoting academic success. Our internal analyses have consistently shown that graduate students admitted with DET scores perform comparably to those admitted with traditional exams, such as the TOEFL and IELTS.
For instance, during the academic years 2023-24 and 2024-25, the mean GPAs of students admitted with DET scores were 3.80 and 3.73, respectively: comfortably within the range of their peers who were admitted using other established tests.
We've also noticed some interesting fluctuations in performance trends among different test-taker groups. In one academic year, DET-admitted students achieved the highest average GPA, while in the following year, IELTS students took the lead. The essential takeaway, however, is that these year-to-year variations are minor and do not indicate significant or consistent differences between the test cohorts.
Increased accessibility = reaching talented applicants
Beyond the strong academic performance of DET-admitted students, we've observed substantial ancillary benefits since formally accepting DET scores.
Perhaps most notably, accepting the DET has expanded and diversified our applicant pool. Its lower cost, online availability, and rapid score turnaround have reduced barriers for talented students worldwide, especially those from regions where access to traditional testing centers is limited or non-existent. This increased ability to recruit talented students aligns with Mizzou's mission to provide our state the benefits of a world-class research university.
In fact, since accepting the DET, we've experienced a notable increase in applications from underrepresented regions. For example, adopting the DET contributed to an overall increase in applications from Ghana and Nigeria: from FS 2020 to FS 2024, we saw an increase in applications from Ghana of 151% and and an increase of 135% from Nigeria.
Students in these areas have historically faced greater challenges in accessing testing options, but the DET provided them a clearer path toward graduate education at our university. This increased geographic and cultural diversity enriches our campus community by enhancing the global perspectives and experiences of our entire student body.
Embracing innovation in higher education
Our experience here at the University of Missouri underscores that innovation in testing doesn't have to compromise academic rigor—in fact, it can enhance it. While we originally adopted the DET out of necessity during a global crisis, it has proven itself to be both a reliable predictor of academic success at the graduate level, and a powerful tool for expanding global access to graduate education.
For institutions still considering whether online English proficiency testing is the right move, our experience shows it is possible to combine rigorous academic standards with greater accessibility and inclusivity. Adopting the DET has enabled us to expand our global reach while maintaining our commitment to excellence.
As we continue to explore innovative ways to better serve our graduate students, I encourage other institutions to consider the DET as a strategic tool for a more globally connected graduate admissions.