A
Excellent
Score: 81/100
Overall (traditional)
A+
Outcome Rating
98/100 · earnings-weighted

Duke University

4-Year Private Non-Profit
📍 Durham, North Carolina 27708
Duke University campus, Durham, NC
Duke University campus, Durham, NC. Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Outcomes
A+
97/100
Affordability
F
24/100
Resources
A+
96/100
Experience
A+
96/100
Prestige
A+
94/100

Two ratings: the overall grade compares colleges the conventional way (outcomes, cost, resources, experience, reputation). The Outcome Rating asks what students earn: 60% wage-adjusted earnings 10 years after enrolling, 25% graduation, 15% retention. Methodology

Quick Stats

17,112
Total Enrollment
96%
Graduation Rate
96%
Retention Rate
6.0:1
Student-Faculty Ratio
7%
Acceptance Rate
N/A
Avg Net Price

Earnings, Debt & Completion

What happens to students who enroll at Duke University, from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

$97,800
Median earnings 10 yrs after entry
$85,792
Median earnings 6 yrs after entry
$13,000
Median debt at graduation
96.8%
Completion rate (within 150% of normal time)
1,548
Average SAT
34
Median ACT
14%
Students receiving Pell grants

Typical debt at graduation equals about 13% of one year’s median earnings ten years after entry.

Earnings rank: 99th percentile among bachelor’s-degree-focused colleges after a partial adjustment for local wage levels (NC wage index 0.87). This drives the Outcome Rating.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, retrieved Oct 2026. Earnings are for federally aided students who enrolled, whether or not they graduated.

Earnings by Major at Duke University

Median pay of bachelor's degree graduates by field of study, and how each program ranks against every college reporting that major — by raw pay and adjusted for state wage levels. Same school, very different paychecks.

Major1 yr after4 yrs aftervs. nationalRank (pay)Rank (wage-adj.)Median debt
Mathematics$121,088$297,029+327%#1 of 309#1$9,500
Computer Science$133,356$195,809+83%#14 of 349#4$13,500
Computer Engineering$111,145$174,522+60%#4 of 189#3$14,500
Economics$98,649$161,149+95%#2 of 368#1$13,187
Statistics$97,197$152,782+65%#3 of 50#2$13,500
Mechanical Engineering$89,938$120,991+31%#4 of 318#1$10,000
History$60,750$112,377+122%#2 of 459#2$13,000
Biomedical/Medical Engineering$69,873$105,921+13%#16 of 118#5$13,894
Public Policy Analysis$60,501$103,071+40%#3 of 34#2$10,500
Public Health$45,921$101,771+73%#1 of 215#1$12,500
Political Science and Government$54,970$88,459+40%#21 of 565#12$14,016
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services—$88,098+76%#1 of 90#1—
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$77,288$87,763-1%#432 of 966#268$18,750
Biology$30,939$83,192+45%#15 of 841#7$12,500
Anthropology$43,924$81,120+74%#2 of 188#1—
International and Comparative Education$40,723$79,640+2%——$8,000
Natural Resources Conservation and Research$28,121$73,435+33%#11 of 265#2$11,875
Psychology$33,559$73,359+45%#17 of 1027#5$15,415
Neurobiology and Neurosciences$37,208$73,140+17%#14 of 67#7$12,645
Sociology$45,551$61,425+17%#69 of 462#17—
Research and Experimental Psychology$39,359————$12,125
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences$30,154————$12,000
Chemistry$29,748————$8,207
English Language and Literature$20,483————$15,362

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working; small programs are not reported.

For parents & investors

The Duke University Town Property Report

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🏆 Where Duke University Ranks

Rankings based on Repit College Grade among schools offering each program.

🥈
Engineering/Industrial Management
of 85 schools
🥉
Public Policy Analysis, General
of 59 schools
#4
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
of 100 schools
#5
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other
of 100 schools
#6
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
of 100 schools
#6
Computer Engineering, General
of 100 schools
#11
Computer Science
of 100 schools
#14
Law
of 100 schools
#18
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
of 100 schools
#18
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
of 100 schools

Costs & Financial Aid

Tuition & Fees

Category In-State Out-of-State
Tuition $63,450 $63,450
Room $9,884
Board $7,475
Total Cost (On-Campus) $87,072 $87,072

Financial Aid

56%
Receive Any Aid
11%
Receive Pell Grants
16%
Take Out Loans
N/A
Avg Net Price

Programs & Career Paths

Top Degree Programs

Programs ranked by number of degrees awarded annually.

Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other 1,078 grads/yr Computer Science 484 grads/yr Engineering/Industrial Management 299 grads/yr Public Policy Analysis, General 278 grads/yr Law 277 grads/yr Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 274 grads/yr Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 259 grads/yr Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 253 grads/yr Business Administration and Management, General 241 grads/yr Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 206 grads/yr Computer Engineering, General 189 grads/yr Biology/Biological Sciences, General 182 grads/yr Physician Assistant 180 grads/yr Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 152 grads/yr Electrical and Electronics Engineering 140 grads/yr Political Science and Government, General 133 grads/yr Medicine 133 grads/yr Theology/Theological Studies 131 grads/yr Natural Resources/Conservation, General 127 grads/yr Statistics, General 121 grads/yr

Related Career Paths

Careers that graduates from Duke University's top programs commonly pursue.

Computer and information systems managers
$171k/yr 667,100 jobs
Computer and information research scientists
$141k/yr 40,300 jobs
Database architects
$136k/yr 66,900 jobs
Software developers
$133k/yr 1,693,800 jobs
Information security analysts
$125k/yr 182,800 jobs
Data scientists
$113k/yr 245,900 jobs
Computer occupations, all other
$109k/yr 472,000 jobs
Software quality assurance analysts and testers
$103k/yr 201,700 jobs

Student Demographics

17,112
Total Students
55%
Women
100%
Traditional Age (18-24)

👥 Race & Ethnicity

White 36%
Hispanic 8%
Black 7%
Asian 14%
Two or More 5%
Non-Resident 25%

🏠 Living Arrangements

💻 Learning Mode

In-Person 88%
Hybrid (Some Online) 7%
Fully Online 5%

📊 Age Distribution

18-24 (Traditional) 100%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at Duke University?
Duke University has an acceptance rate of 7%. This makes it a highly selective institution where admission is very competitive.
How much does it cost to attend Duke University?
Tuition at Duke University is $63,450 for in-state students and $63,450 for out-of-state students .
What is the graduation rate at Duke University?
The graduation rate at Duke University is 96%. This is considered an excellent graduation rate, indicating strong student success and support systems.
Is Duke University a good school?
Duke University has a Repit College Score of 81/100 (Grade: A). Our rating evaluates five key factors:
  • Outcomes (A+): Graduation and retention rates
  • Affordability (F): Net cost and financial aid access
  • Resources (A+): Class sizes and selectivity
  • Experience (A+): Campus life and learning format
  • Prestige (A+): Reputation and recognition
How many students attend Duke University?
Duke University has a total enrollment of 17,112 students. Most students (100%) are traditional college-age (18-24).

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🎓 Similar Colleges to Duke University

Compare with other 4-Year private non-profit institutions of similar size.

B+
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC · 9,121 students
B
Elon University
Elon, NC · 7,207 students
C+
High Point University
High Point, NC · 6,052 students
A
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC · 32,234 students
B+
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC · 37,323 students
B+
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Winston Salem, NC · 1,074 students

Data source: IPEDS 2023-24 | Last updated: October 2026 | Methodology