R1 ResearchPrivate nonprofitMedical

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Southeast·duke.edu
6-yr Graduation
97%
+3.0pp vs R1 Research
Total enrollment
17,499
peer median 16,357
Avg net price
$29,612
+$334 vs R1 Research
Use this data
Ask Clema
AboutAdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data SetDocumentsAlumni

About

Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James Buchanan Duke established the Duke Endowment and the institution changed its name to honor his deceased father, Washington Duke.

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
51,795
51,795 candidates competed
Admitted
2,957
5.7% acceptance rate
Enrolled
1,740
58.8% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
97%+3.0pp vs R1 Research
4-year graduation
87%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
97%
Full-time retention
98%

Pell equity

0.9pp gap
Pell recipients
96%197 of 206
Non-Pell (all)
97%1487 of 1534
Subsidized loan, no Pell
98%235 of 239
No Federal Aid
97%1252 of 1295

Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates, a notably small equity gap.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 210 Title IV programs, 49 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 161 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
210
Passing
49
23.3% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

210programs
  • Passing49 · 23.3%
  • No Data161 · 76.7%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
2
Safe
47
No data
161

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

49
Biology General
Master's Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
+13.2%
$60,753 vs $53,672
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
+20.3%
$55,809 vs $46,391
Religion/Religious Studies
Master's Degree · Philosophy And Religious Studies
+30.0%
$71,038 vs $54,638
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Master's Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
+31.1%
$58,405 vs $44,535
Public Health
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+33.2%
$80,065 vs $60,112
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Doctoral Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+34.6%
$80,920 vs $60,112
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Master's Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
+44.2%
$67,332 vs $46,700
Medicine
Doctoral Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+54.6%
$92,928 vs $60,112

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

38
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Doctoral Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
208%
$168,048 debt · $80,920 earn
Medicine
Doctoral Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
166%
$154,435 debt · $92,928 earn
Biology General
Master's Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
108%
$65,507 debt · $60,753 earn
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Graduate Certificate · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
102%
$143,394 debt · $140,083 earn
Public Health
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
101%
$80,621 debt · $80,065 earn
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
98%
$129,354 debt · $132,468 earn
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Master's Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
96%
$56,259 debt · $58,405 earn
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
Master's Degree · Engineering
84%
$93,700 debt · $112,081 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1895Next review Jun 2026

Programmatic accreditations · 16

Action history · 22

  1. Feb 2026Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary Withdrawal
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs
  2. Feb 2026Voluntary Withdrawal Received
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs
  3. Aug 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools
  4. Jun 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools · Theology (THEOL) - Freestanding schools, as well as programs affiliated with larger institutions, offering graduate professional education for ministry and graduate study of theology
  5. Apr 2025Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$735
$30–48k$0
$48–75k$5,706
$75–110k$17,100
$110k+$54,230

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$29,612
+$334vs R1 Research median $29,278
Federal loans
13.6%
In-state tuition
$68,758
Out-of-state
$68,758

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 1,224 students received $8.1M in Pell grants, alongside $149.1M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
1,224
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$8.1M
$8,071,833 total
Direct Loans
$149.1M
6,317 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
’20
1k
’21
1k
’22
1k
’23
1k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$2.6M
649 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$2.8M
634 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$57.4M
2,745 loan awards
Parent PLUS$6.6M
172 loan awards
Grad PLUS$79.7M
2,117 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 2,017 borrowers who entered repayment, 4 (0.1%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.1%
-2.2pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
2,017
Defaulted
4
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
0.6%
2017
0.9%
2018
0.3%
2019
0.1%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Duke

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs169
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

6,069 total completions
01Business
1,32121.8%
02Health Professions
93015.3%
03Engineering
71611.8%
04Biological Sciences
5889.7%
05Social Sciences
5398.9%
06Computer Sciences
5058.3%
07Multi/Interdisciplinary
4567.5%
08Legal Professions
3435.7%
09Natural Resources
3405.6%
10Engineering Tech
3315.5%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
17,499
12-mo unduplicated
18,232
Undergraduate
6,786
Graduate
11,446

Gender split

Men
44%8,036
Women
56%10,196

Race / ethnicity composition

White
35.2%
Asian
21.8%
Hispanic
10.7%
Non-resident
10.5%
Black
8.7%
Two or more
7.4%
Unknown
5.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
730
415 M · 315 W
Women athletes
43.2%
Athletic aid
$30.1M
Total student aid
Budget
$180.6M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$15.7M
$14.4M
Recruiting expense
$3.0M
$672K
Head-coach salaries
$868K
$265K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 15

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
136 M · 125 W
$6.1M
Football
121 M · —
$47.4M
Lacrosse
48 M · 40 W
$7.7M
Soccer
31 M · 27 W
$5.6M
Swimming and Diving (combined)
26 M · 28 W
$3.6M
Rowing
— · 46 W
$3.8M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
4.79
82 offenses · 17,112 students

3-year trend

6.132 yrs ago4.721 yr ago4.79Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
275
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
212
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
4

Criminal offenses by type

Motor vehicle theft
42
Burglary
21
Fondling
11
Aggravated assault
4
Rape
2
Arson
1
Robbery
1

By location

82total
  • On campus73
  • Non-campus6
  • Public property3

Includes 6 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

22
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
47
Stalking
69 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons116
Drugs512
Liquor1197

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Data quality: 15 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
5.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
4,370

Duke vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Duke selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectDuke University
97%—17,499$29,612R1 Research
Baylor University
80%51.3%20,626$41,104R1 Research
Boston College
91%16.4%15,432$41,704R1 Research
Boston University
89%11.1%37,737$24,402R1 Research
Brandeis University
86%40.5%5,205$35,736R1 Research
Brown University
96%5.4%11,956$25,184R1 Research
California Institute of Technology
94%2.6%2,430$16,075R1 Research
Carnegie Mellon University
94%11.7%15,888$31,944R1 Research
Case Western Reserve University
87%36.5%12,475$41,190R1 Research
Columbia University in the City of New York
96%4.0%35,173$21,590R1 Research
Cornell University
95%8.8%26,793$28,690R1 Research
Dartmouth College
96%5.4%6,938$29,519R1 Research
Drexel University
78%79.4%21,153$38,509R1 Research
Emory University
91%10.6%15,175$22,585R1 Research
George Washington University
84%47.1%25,374$36,586R1 Research
Georgetown University
95%12.9%20,031$40,815R1 Research
Harvard University
98%3.6%30,259$19,066R1 Research
Johns Hopkins University
94%6.4%30,210$18,809R1 Research
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
96%4.5%11,886$20,111R1 Research
New York University
88%9.2%56,832$37,050R1 Research
Northeastern University
91%5.2%32,553$30,915R1 Research
Northwestern University
95%7.7%23,856$29,167R1 Research
Princeton University
98%4.6%9,137$6,128R1 Research
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
84%63.5%7,040$36,228R1 Research
Rice University
95%8.0%8,961$13,370R1 Research
Stanford University
92%3.6%18,625$13,807R1 Research
Syracuse University
84%45.9%22,589$38,793R1 Research
Tufts University
94%11.5%13,599$39,998R1 Research
Tulane University of Louisiana
86%14.0%13,310$39,949R1 Research
University of Chicago
96%4.5%18,566$14,860R1 Research
University of Denver
76%77.8%12,813$36,131R1 Research
University of Miami
84%18.9%19,852$37,244R1 Research
University of Notre Dame
95%11.3%13,042$26,780R1 Research
University of Pennsylvania
97%5.4%29,109$28,699R1 Research
University of Rochester
85%40.1%11,946$29,278R1 Research
University of Southern California
92%9.8%46,566$32,740R1 Research
Vanderbilt University
94%5.9%13,575$15,846R1 Research
Washington University in St Louis
94%12.1%16,357$21,786R1 Research
Yale University
96%3.9%15,564$23,777R1 Research
Peer group median94%10.2%16,357$29,278

Institutions like Duke

Explore the federal data for institutions in Duke's comparison group.

IPEDS

Duke Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research
Phone
(919) 681-9732
Address
2024 W. Main St., Suite 102, Box 104405, Durham, NC 27708

The Office of Institutional Research advances the University’s mission by transforming data into insight and insight into action, serving as a catalyst for institutional learning.

Visit IR office page
Team
6 members
  • Heather Mechler
    Director of Institutional Research
  • Molly Weeks
    Research Scientist
  • Kendrick Tatum
    Higher Education Analyst II
  • Grant Scoggins
    Senior EO/AA Analyst
  • Libby Joyce
    Higher Education Analyst II
  • Danette Clark
    Administrative Support

Common Data Set

Duke's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Acceptance rate
5.7%
Most selective
Yield
58.9%
of admitted students enroll
Total enrollment
17,499
6,523 UG · 10,976 grad
6-yr graduation rate
97%
First-year retention
98%
Student–faculty ratio
5 to 1
Est. net price (aided)
$25,790
after avg need-based grant
01

Selectivity & Admissions

Admissions funnel

C1
Applied
51,795
Admitted
2,957
Enrolled
1,740

51,795 applied → 2,957 admitted (5.7%) → 1,740 enrolled.

Selectivity

C1
Acceptance rate
5.7%

Most selective — 5.7% acceptance rate.

Admit rate by gender

C1
men5.7%
women5.7%

Admit rate varies by gender.

ACT range (middle 50%)

C9
25th
34
Median
35
75th
35

Middle 50% ACT 34–35 (median 35).

High-school class rank

C10
top tenth92%
top quarter98%
top half99%

Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.

What matters in admission

C7
Very Important4
Rigor of secondary school recordApplication EssayRecommendation(s)Character/personal qualities
Important3
Academic GPAExtracurricular activitiesTalent/ability
Considered8
Class rankStandardized test scoresFirst generationAlumni/ae relationGeographical residenceVolunteer workWork experienceLevel of applicant’s interest
Not Considered3
InterviewState residencyReligious affiliation/commitment

Relative importance of each admission factor.

02

Affordability & Value

Cost of attendance

G
Total$96,229
Tuition
$70,26573%
Fees
$2,9073%
Room & board
$19,24720%
Books
$5361%
Other
$3,2743%

Total sticker cost of attendance is $96,229 (2025-2026).

Sticker vs. net price

G+H
Sticker COA
$96,229
Net (aided)
$25,790
Avg need grant
$70,439

Sticker $96,229 → about $25,790 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($70,439); 100% of demonstrated need is met.

Where grant aid comes from

H1
institutional87.4%
self_help4.9%
federal4.6%
external2.2%
state0.9%

0% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.

Graduate debt

H4/H5
Grads with debt
25%
Avg debt
$27,515

25% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $27,515 on average.

03

Outcomes & Equity

Graduation & retention

B
6-yr grad rate
97%
Retention
98%

6-year graduation rate 97%; first-year retention 98%.

Equity: Pell graduation gap

B4
All students97%
Pell recipients96%

Pell-grant recipients graduate 1 pts below the overall rate (96% vs 97%).

04

Academic Experience

Class-size distribution

I3
2-9 students470
10-19 students690
20-29 students182
30-39 students101
40-49 students57
50-99 students80
100+ students45

71% of classes have under 20 students; 8% have 50+.

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
5 to 1
Faculty with terminal degree
93%
Women faculty
43%

Key faculty indicators.

Degrees by discipline

J
Computer and information sciences16%
Biological/life sciences13%
Engineering11%
Interdisciplinary studies11%
Social sciences11%
Health professions and related programs9%
Mathematics and statistics6%
Public administration and social services6%

STEM-dominant: ~48% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.

05

Student Body & Diversity

Undergraduate race/ethnicity

B2
White, non-Hispanic35.2%
Asian, non-Hispanic21.8%
Hispanic/Latino10.7%
Nonresidents10.5%
Black or African American, non-Hispanic8.7%
Two or more races, non-Hispanic7.4%
Race and/or ethnicity unknown5.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic0.2%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic0.1%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.

International students

B2
International UG
679
Share
10%

10% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).

Undergrad vs graduate

B1
Graduate
10,97663%
Undergraduate
6,52337%

6,523 undergraduates and 10,976 graduate students.

06

Transfer Path

Transfer admissions

D1
Applied
2,285
Admitted
92
Enrolled
52

2,285 transfer applicants → 92 admitted (4.0%) → 52 enrolled — more selective than first-year admission.

Source publications

Reports & documents (7)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Notable alumni of Duke (21)

A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

  • Richard Nixon
    Politics
  • Elizabeth Dole
    Politics
  • Tim Cook
    Business
  • Melinda Gates
    Philanthropy
  • Julian Abele
    Architecture
  • Ken Jeong
    Entertainment
  • Charlie Rose
    Journalism and Media
  • Rand Paul
    Politics
  • Jared Harris
    Entertainment
  • Sylvia Earle
    Science and Technology
  • Ricardo Lagos
    Politics
  • Juanita Kreps
    Politics
Showing 1–12 of 21
1 / 2

Frequently asked questions about Duke University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Duke.

What is the graduation rate at Duke University?

Duke University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 97% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Duke University?

Duke University reports a total enrollment of 17,499 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Duke University?

The average net price at Duke University is $29,612 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Duke University?

Duke University's yield rate is 58.8%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Duke University located?

Duke University is located in Durham, North Carolina 27708.

Who runs Institutional Research at Duke University?

Duke University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

Have a question this page can’t answer?

Ask Clema anything about Duke University and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.

Try for freeBook a demo

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card