Duke University
A Gothic-towered research university in Durham where all first-years live together on East Campus.
- Acceptance rate
- 5.2%
- First-years who entered in fall 2025 (2025-26 Common Data Set)
- Students
- 17,325
- 6,525 undergraduates
- International
- 11%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 7:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- $73,740
- 2026-27
About Duke
Duke traces its roots to 1838, when Methodist and Quaker communities opened Union Institute in Randolph County, North Carolina. The school became Trinity College, moved to Durham in 1892, and in 1924 James B. Duke's endowment turned it into Duke University. Today it has 17,325 students (6,525 undergraduates in fall 2025) and runs the Duke University Health System, whose hospitals and clinics employ tens of thousands.
Undergraduates enter either Trinity College of Arts & Sciences or the Pratt School of Engineering. Admissions says neither is easier to get into. As a liberal arts university, Duke has no pre-med, pre-law or pre-business majors and relies on advising instead. The most popular majors are computer science, economics, biology, public policy and psychology, and professional schools including Fuqua (business), Law, Medicine, Nursing, Sanford (public policy) and Nicholas (environment) sit on the same campus.
The campus splits in two. First-years live together on the Georgian-style East Campus, and the Gothic West Campus, anchored by Duke Chapel, holds most sophomores through seniors, the main libraries and Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke suits students who want a residential, sports-mad college experience alongside serious research, and who will make use of funded service, research and study-away programs.
Eruditio et Religio
“Knowledge and Religion” — university motto
Why students choose Duke
All first-years live together on East Campus, a five-minute bus ride from West Campus, with first-year courses and traditions built around that shared home.
Starting fall 2027, Duke Embark lets a small cohort spend their first semester at the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort, NC, in small classes focused on oceans, environment and climate.
DukeEngage fully funds selected undergraduates for an immersive summer of service with a community in the US or abroad.
Duke meets 100% of demonstrated need for every admitted student, and 75% of Duke students graduate debt-free.
Admissions
First-years who entered in fall 2025 (2025-26 Common Data Set)
About 1 in 19 applicants is admitted
2,910 admitted from 55,541 applicants
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
You apply to either Trinity College of Arts & Sciences or the Pratt School of Engineering. Duke says neither is easier to get into.
Typical entry requirements
| US high school curriculum | 4 years of English and at least 3 years each of math, natural science, world language and social studies. Pratt applicants need calculus, and physics is strongly recommended. |
|---|---|
| English language | IELTS 7 · TOEFL iBT 100 Recommended but not required for non-native speakers. Expected minimums: Duolingo 130, PTE Academic 70, Cambridge C1/C2 180. |
Deadlines
- Early Decision Binding Next deadline · In 27 daysNovember 2, 2026
Decisions mid-December; first-quarter grades required. Duke's 2026-27 apply page lists the CSS Profile and FAFSA with the November 2 deadline (the financial aid office's page still says November 3); additional aid documents are due November 15.
- Regular Decision Non-binding In ~3 monthsJanuary 4, 2027
Decisions late March/early April; midyear grades due February 15; financial aid applications due February 1.
Dates come from Duke's apply page, which says it reflects the 2026-27 admission cycle. Years are inferred from that cycle.
How to apply
Common App or QuestBridge; Common App essay plus two required 250-word Duke essays (Why Duke, Communities) and one optional 250-word prompt; counselor recommendation and two teacher recommendations; transcript; optional SAT/ACT; optional arts supplement, Glimpse video and alumni interview; $85 fee or waiver
What admissions looks for
- The rigor of your academic program, judged against what your school offers.
- Your grades in academic courses.
- Recommendations from your counselor and two teachers.
- Extracurricular activities, where Duke values sustained commitment over a long list and welcomes 'well-lopsided' as well as well-rounded students.
- The quality of thought and expression in your essays. Duke says it wants ambition, curiosity, talent, persistence, energy and humanity.
Tips for applying to Duke
- 1 Make the 250-word 'Why Duke' essay specific: name what draws you in Trinity or Pratt, or co-curricular programs.
- 2 Test-optional choices are reversible for a while. You can opt in to having scores considered until November 21 (ED) or February 13 (RD).
- 3 Only submit an arts supplement (via SlideRoom) if your work goes beyond typical high school level and you plan to keep it up at Duke.
- 4 Interviews are offered at Duke's discretion and can't be requested, so not getting one doesn't hurt you. US applicants can record an optional 60-90 second Glimpse video.
- 5 International applicants who want aid must tick the financial aid interest box when applying. They are read in a separate pool, and those admitted without it cannot apply for aid later.
What are your chances?
Sign up to see your personalized admission chances for Duke University
Sign up to see your chancesCosts & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
Duke meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for every admitted student, and applying Early Decision gives no aid advantage or disadvantage. International students can receive need-based aid only if they indicated aid interest when applying, and they are admitted from a separate pool. Merit scholarships such as the Robertson Scholars program are awarded separately.
- $103,180-$103,975
- Estimated first-year cost of attendance, 2026-27
- 50%
- Undergraduates receiving aid
- 75%
- Students graduating debt-free
- 215, averaging $87,841
- International undergraduates awarded institutional aid (CDS 2025-26)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Duke Embark
New for fall 2027: a first-semester residential program at the Duke Marine Lab with small classes and early research.
DukeEngage
Fully funded immersive summer service program, launched in 2007.
Public Policy (Sanford School)
One of Duke's five most popular undergraduate majors, taught by a dedicated public policy school.
Pratt School of Engineering
Direct-entry engineering school on a liberal arts campus. The application needs calculus and at least one math or science teacher recommendation.
Computer Science
Duke's most popular undergraduate major in fall 2025.
Research
- Duke spent more than $1.5 billion on research in 2024 and forms a corner of North Carolina's Research Triangle with UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State.
- Duke biochemist Paul Modrich shared the 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for work on DNA repair mechanisms.
- University-wide institutes include the Duke Global Health Institute, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability.
- Field facilities include the Duke Lemur Center, the Marine Lab in Beaufort and the 7,044-acre Duke Forest.
Schools & faculties
- Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
- Pratt School of Engineering
- School of Law
- Divinity School
- Graduate School
- School of Medicine
- School of Nursing
- Fuqua School of Business
- Nicholas School of the Environment
- Sanford School of Public Policy
Student life
Duke is highly residential. In fall 2025, 100% of first-years and 85% of undergraduates lived in university housing. First-years share East Campus, and upper-year students move to West Campus, where housing includes unaffiliated houses, living-learning communities and co-ed selective living groups alongside Greek life. Men's basketball dominates the winter, when students camp in tents outside Cameron Indoor Stadium in Krzyzewskiville for the biggest home games. The Sarah P. Duke Gardens and the Chapel are everyday landmarks.
- Blue Devils compete in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
- Tenting in Krzyzewskiville for men's basketball tickets at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
- The 54-acre Sarah P. Duke Gardens sits in the middle of campus.
- Selective living groups: co-ed residential communities not affiliated with national Greek organizations.
Housing. First-years are required to live on East Campus, and 85% of all undergraduates lived in university housing in fall 2025.
Location
Durham is a mid-sized city in North Carolina's Research Triangle, with Raleigh and Chapel Hill close by. The region is dense with research institutes, hospitals and tech and life-science employers. East Campus is a short walk from Ninth Street and downtown Durham, a food and arts scene that has grown alongside Durham's tech and research economy. Summers are hot and humid, and winters are mild.
Nearest airport: Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)
Notable alumni
- RN Richard Nixon37th President of the United States (Duke Law graduate)
- TC Tim CookCEO of Apple (MBA 1988)
- MF Melinda French GatesPhilanthropist (AB 1986, MBA 1987)
- ED Elizabeth DoleUS Senator and former US Secretary of Transportation and Labor
- JW Judy WoodruffPBS NewsHour anchor
- KJ Ken JeongActor, comedian and physician
- GH Grant HillSeven-time NBA All-Star and Hall of Famer
- MD Martin DempseyChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (MA 1984)
Frequently asked questions
What is Duke's acceptance rate?
For fall 2025 entry, Duke admitted 2,910 of 55,541 first-year applicants, about 5.2%.
Is Duke test-optional for fall 2027?
Yes. Duke is test-optional for the 2026-27 admissions cycle, and applicants without scores are not disadvantaged. Enrolled students who submitted scores had a middle-50% SAT of 1510-1570 and ACT of 34-35.
When are Duke's application deadlines?
Early Decision (binding) is due November 2, 2026, with decisions in mid-December. Regular Decision is due January 4, 2027, with decisions in late March or early April.
Does Duke give financial aid to international students?
Yes, but only to international applicants who indicate financial aid interest when they apply. They are read in a separate admissions pool. Duke meets full demonstrated need for admitted students, and in 2025-26 it awarded aid to 215 international undergraduates.
Does Duke require an interview?
No. Alumni interviews are optional and offered at Duke's discretion when it needs more information, and not being offered one does not affect your chances.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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