Durham, NC
Duke University is a private nonprofit institution located in Durham, North Carolina, situated in a large city setting. The university has an undergraduate enrollment of 6,442 students and maintains a student-to-faculty ratio of 5:1, with a graduation rate of 96.3%.
Duke University admits 5.7% of applicants, indicating highly selective admissions where applicants typically score in the 740-770 range for SAT reading and writing and 760-800 for SAT math. Ninety-two percent of enrolled students ranked in the top 10% of their high school class.
| Applied | Admitted | Rate | Enrolled | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | 21,550 | 1,463 | 6.8% | 791 |
| Women | 24,815 | 1,682 | 6.8% | 951 |
31,906 of 36,654 first-year applicants applied from outside NC.
Score ranges above describe only the students who submitted them, not the whole class.
Duke University admits 5.7% of applicants — a typical similar college admits 74%.
Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.
Duke University's cost of attendance is $90,696, but the average net price students pay is $29,612. Students with greater financial need pay considerably less than the sticker price.
* One or more income brackets show an unusually low net price, reflecting need-based aid that can reduce cost to near zero for families in that range.
These are the school's own Common Data Set figures for a first-year student living on campus. They are reported separately from the federal cost-of-attendance estimate above, and the two are compiled on different bases, so they will not add to the same total.
Graduates who borrowed carry a median monthly repayment of about $138.
After aid, Duke University costs $29,612 a year — about 31% more than a typical similar college.
Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.
Duke University has a graduation rate of 96.3%. Median earnings are $85,792 six years after entry and $97,800 ten years after entry.
| Major | Graduates |
|---|---|
| Computer Science | 274 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 259 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | 206 |
| Biology/Biological Sciences, General | 158 |
| Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 149 |
| Public Policy Analysis, General | 142 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology, Other | 113 |
| Computer Engineering, General | 92 |
| Neuroscience | 87 |
| Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering | 86 |
Median earnings eight years after entering Duke University are $95,882, and 89% of former students earn more than $25,000 six years after entry.
Six years after entry, former Duke University students earn $85,792 — 89% more than at a typical similar college.
Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.
Duke University is a private institution located in Durham, NC's large city setting with 6,442 undergraduates. The student body includes 53.7% women, 14.0% Pell grant recipients, and 13.5% first-generation students, with 92% from the top 10% of their high school class.
Average head coach salary by program gender.
Graduate and professional students outnumber undergraduates here, which shapes class sizes, housing and campus life in ways an undergraduate figure alone doesn't show.
712 of 6,391 undergraduates, counting each athlete once regardless of how many sports they play.
1 of 6,488 undergraduates study entirely at a distance, against 915 of 10,624 graduate students.
Duke University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and operates its own medical school and teaching hospital.
Duke University spends $48,930 per student on research — about 8× a typical similar college.
Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.
Duke University is in Durham, NC, in what IPEDS classifies as a large city setting. The campus sits about 2.7 miles from the center of Durham. There are 8 other colleges within 25 miles, and Raleigh, NC is 20.3 miles away.
Durham County scores 10.1 out of 20 on the EPA National Walkability Index — below average walkable. The index is a county-wide average of block groups, so it describes the surrounding area rather than the campus itself.
Undergraduates make up about 6.3% of Durham's residents.
Every college that receives federal financial aid must publish its crime statistics each year under the Clery Act. These are the figures Duke University reported for 2024.
Read these numbers carefully. A Clery figure counts reports, not incidents. A university with active reporting channels, a large campus police force and a teaching hospital will record more offenses than one where the same events go unreported — so a higher count is not evidence of a more dangerous campus, and a low count is not evidence of a safe one. In 2024, 833 campuses with more than 1,000 students reported no offenses at all. Use these figures to ask a college questions, not to rank one against another.
Separately, Duke University reported 17 arrests and 215 disciplinary referrals for weapons, drug and liquor law violations on campus. Referrals for alcohol violations are usually the largest category at residential colleges and reflect how a school handles student conduct internally.
Common questions about Duke University admissions, costs, and outcomes.
Duke University has an acceptance rate of 5.7%. The university received 46,365 applications, admitted 3,145 students, and enrolled 1,742 in the most recent year.
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 740-770 on SAT reading and writing and 760-800 on SAT math. For the ACT, the middle 50% scored 34-35 composite.
Duke's early decision acceptance rate is 17.3%, significantly higher than the overall acceptance rate of 5.7%.
The cost of attendance at Duke is $90,696 annually. This includes tuition and fees of $68,758 plus other expenses.
The average net price for Duke students is $29,612 per year. This represents the typical amount students pay after financial aid is applied.
Approximately 14.0% of Duke undergraduates are Pell grant recipients. Additionally, 13.5% of students are first-generation college students.
Duke University has a graduation rate of 96.3%, indicating that the vast majority of students complete their degree.
Median earnings for Duke graduates are $85,792 six years after entry and $97,800 ten years after entry.
Duke has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5:1, with an undergraduate enrollment of 6,442 students.
The median federal debt at graduation for Duke students is $13,000. Only 13.6% of students borrow federal loans, and the three-year loan repayment rate is 88.9%.