Colleges › North Carolina › Duke University
Duke University
With a 5.7% admission rate, no GPA makes Duke University a safety. The numbers below tell you what the admitted few look like.
Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →
Duke University sits in Durham proper — a private campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it. The school maintains its United Methodist affiliation, which threads through campus life to a degree that varies by program. The university runs its own medical system, which colors both its budget and its biggest programs.
Its highest-earning path is Mathematics, where graduates median $297,029 four years out. 14% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. With 6,442 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 97.9% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1510 and 1570 — above the NC middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on Duke University's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Duke University received 46,365 applications and admitted 3,145 (6.8%), with 1,742 enrolling.
Scores help here but aren't the gate. If your SAT sits inside the 1510–1570 submitter range, sending it likely helps; below it, Duke University's own policy says you can leave it out.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 740 | 760 | 770 |
| SAT Math | 770 | 790 | 800 |
| ACT Composite | 34 | 34 | 35 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
How Duke University compares
| Duke University | North Carolina median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 5.7% | 75.1% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $68,758 | $19,500 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $97,800 | $45,873 | $53,781 |
Earnings data favors Duke University: $97,800 median at year ten, versus $45,873 across North Carolina institutions.
Cost, size & completion
Tuition runs $68,758 regardless of where you're from. At Duke University, that sticker is a starting point for aid talks — not what the median family pays.
At 6,442 undergrads, Duke University is a mid-sized campus by U.S. standards.
96.8% of Duke University students finish a bachelor's within six years — 41.9 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $68,758 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at Duke University
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | $297,029 |
| Computer Science | $195,809 |
| Computer Engineering | $174,522 |
| Economics | $161,149 |
| Statistics | $152,782 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $120,991 |
| History | $112,377 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | $105,921 |
| Public Policy Analysis | $103,071 |
| Public Health | $101,771 |
| Political Science and Government | $88,459 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | $88,098 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $87,763 |
| Biology, General | $83,192 |
| Anthropology | $81,120 |
| International and Comparative Education | $79,640 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $73,435 |
| Psychology, General | $73,359 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | $73,140 |
| Sociology | $61,425 |
Median earnings for these 20 Duke University programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $97,800 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 44 additional Duke University programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Duke University?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1510–1570 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 5.7% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is Duke University's acceptance rate?
6.8% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 3,145 admitted from 46,365 applicants.
How much does Duke University cost?
At Duke University, published tuition is $68,758 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Duke University's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Duke University graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $97,800 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in North Carolina
- Davidson College — 13.4% admitted
- East Carolina University — 89.2% admitted
- Elizabeth City State University — 64.2% admitted
- Elon University — 66.3% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.