Duke University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Durham, North Carolina · Private nonprofit · Most selective · CDS 2025-2026
Admission at a glance
Common Data Set 2025-2026
- Test-optional
- Early Decision
- 55,541
- Applicants
- 2,910
- Admitted5%
- 1,749
- Enrolled
- 60%
- Yield rate
Selectivity
Most selective5% admittedRanked #8 in National Universities; Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs #22 (tie), Computer Science #24 (tie), Psychology Programs #8 (tie), Economics #12 (tie)U.S. News & World Report, Best Colleges 2027
Admission figures come from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set published by Duke University (see the source), read on 2026-10-21. The admission-factor grid was re-read from that file to confirm each weighting.
Is Duke University a reach, target or safety for your student?
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Duke University is a private nonprofit university in Durham, North Carolina that admits about 5% of applicants, making it a most selective school. The average family pays about $29,612 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Computer Science, Economics and Public Policy Analysis, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 96% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 12.7 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Duke University is a private institution located in Durham, North Carolina and one of the most selective schools in the country. For the most recent reporting cycle, Duke University admits fewer than 1 in 10 applicants, with an overall admission rate of 5%. Admitted students typically post a median SAT of 1550 and an ACT composite around 34. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $29,612 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price.
What parents should know about Duke University right now
Duke University remains highly selective. For the Class of 2028, Duke admitted roughly 5.1 percent of nearly 55,000 applicants, with a 59.4 percent yield rate and middle-50 percent SAT scores of 1520 to 1570. Duke is need-blind for domestic applicants and meets 100 percent of demonstrated financial need without packaging loans, with about half of undergraduates receiving some form of aid. The most concrete recent change for parents is the Duke Initiative for Students from the Carolinas, which provides full tuition grants to admitted undergraduates from North Carolina and South Carolina whose families fall under set income thresholds; Duke also reports that roughly 21 percent of a recent first-year class attended tuition-free. Distinctive programs include the Pratt School of Engineering, where over 60 percent of undergraduates do funded research and 85 percent report job offers at graduation, the Sanford School of Public Policy, and Duke Kunshan University in China, which offers 15 interdisciplinary majors. Duke also houses the country's first Physician Assistant degree program. Recent capital projects include the Wilkinson Building for engineering and interdisciplinary research, opened in early 2021. About 22 percent of first-year students have a Duke alum in the immediate family, a fact families weighing legacy considerations may want to factor into expectations.
What GPA does my child need for Duke University?
Successful applicants to Duke University typically present unweighted GPAs at or near 4.0 with the most rigorous course load their school offers, including multiple AP, IB, or dual-enrollment courses.
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What does Duke University weight in admissions?
Duke University reports these factor weights in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). What the weights mean
Very Important
6- Rigor of secondary school record
- Academic GPA
- Recommendations
- Extracurricular activities
- Talent/ability
- Character/personal qualities
Important
2- Class rank
- Application essay
Considered
9- Standardized test scores
- Interview
- First generation status
- Alumni/ae relation
- Geographical residence
- State residency
- Volunteer work
- Work experience
- Level of applicant's interest
Not Considered
1- Religious affiliation/commitment
SAT and ACT scores Duke University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 760–800, with an EBRW midpoint near 745. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 34–35. Scores below the 25th-percentile mark are accepted occasionally, but the realistic submission target for most families is the school's middle-50 floor or higher.
| 25th percentile | 1510 |
| 50th percentile | 1550 |
| 75th percentile | 1570 |
| % submitting SAT | 48% |
| 25th percentile | 34 |
| 50th percentile | 35 |
| 75th percentile | 35 |
| % submitting ACT | 27% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Test-optional for first-year and transfer applicants in 2026-27; no disadvantage without scores. Policy for later cycles not announced.
- • Checked for Fall 2027 applicants on Duke University's admissions site. Policies change; confirm before you apply.
How much does Duke University actually cost?
Published tuition is $68,758 for in-state students and $68,758 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $18,128 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $29,612 per year, and that is the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 14% of students receive Pell Grants.
| In-state tuition | $73,740 |
| Room and board | $20,222 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $29,612 |
| Share of financial need metaverage, for students with need | 100% |
| Average need-based grant | $76,455 |
| Average merit award, no financial need9 first-year students received one | $91,953 |
| Graduates who borrowed | 23% |
| Average debt at graduationamong those who borrowed | $26,395 |
| Financial aid forms | FAFSA and CSS Profile (incl. noncustodial parent)College Board 2026-27 list |
| Application fee | $85 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Duke University
| Regular deadline | 1/2 |
| Notification date | 4/1 |
| Reply deadline | 5/1 |
| Offers Early Decision | Yes |
| ED deadline | November 1 |
Will my child graduate from Duke University?
These predict outcomes at Duke University better than its acceptance rate does. How to read retention and graduation rates
Most popular majors at Duke University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Duke University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Computer Science, Economics and Public Policy Analysis. Across all programs, Duke University confers roughly 1,456 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Computer Science program report a median income of about $201,846 five years after entering college. What these figures mean
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 370 | $201,846 |
| Economics | 209 | $171,986 |
| Public Policy Analysis | 181 | $113,034 |
| Biology, General | 160 | $70,605 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 155 | $82,377 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | 151 | n/a |
| Computer Engineering | 134 | $174,619 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 96 | $73,810 |
Is Duke University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Duke University disclosed 82 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 12.7 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 5 violent offenses and 13 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Why per-1,000 rates, not counts
What is campus life like at Duke University?
About 85% of undergraduates at Duke University live in campus housing, making it a largely residential campus. In Greek life, 30% of men join a fraternity and 42% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in North Carolina parents ask about
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill15% acceptance
- Wake Forest University22% acceptance
- North Carolina State University at Raleigh42% acceptance
- Appalachian State University90% acceptance
- East Carolina University89% acceptance
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte80% acceptance
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro89% acceptance
- Davidson College13% acceptance
Next steps for Duke University
Common questions parents ask about Duke University
What GPA do I need for Duke University?
Successful applicants to Duke University typically present unweighted GPAs at or near 4.0 with the most rigorous course load their school offers, including multiple AP, IB, or dual-enrollment courses.
What SAT or ACT score does Duke University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 760–800, with an EBRW midpoint near 745. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 34–35.
How much does Duke University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Duke University after grants and scholarships is $29,612 per year, against a published in-state tuition of $68,758. Budget against the net figure.
Is Duke University realistic for my child?
Duke University admits 5% of applicants, so 760–800 SAT Math is target range and below 760 is a reach. Then check the $29,612 average net price against what your family can carry.
What is the acceptance rate at Duke University?
Duke University accepts about 5% of applicants out of roughly 55,541 who apply each year. That makes it a most selective school.
Is Duke University test-optional?
Yes. Duke University is test-optional for Fall 2027 applicants, so SAT and ACT scores are not required, but strong scores can still be submitted and will be considered.
What is the graduation rate at Duke University?
About 96% of students at Duke University graduate within six years, and 85% finish in four years. 97% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does Duke University look for in applicants?
Duke University rates course rigor, GPA, recommendations and extracurricular activities as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is Duke University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Duke University is a private nonprofit institution located in Durham, North Carolina.
What are the most popular majors at Duke University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Duke University by annual graduates are Computer Science, Economics and Public Policy Analysis. The school awards about 1,456 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Duke University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Duke University reported 82 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 12.7 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at Duke University?
At Duke University, 85% of undergraduates live on campus, 30% of men are in fraternities, 42% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Sources: the 2025-2026 Common Data Set submitted by Duke University, the College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act disclosures. What each source covers