Duke acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
Duke University · Private nonprofit · Durham, NC · 6,488 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
Duke admitted 6.8% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 13.4% in 2013. Tuition and fees are $72,795 for every student in 2025-26.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
Show as table
| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 13.4% | 30,374 | 4,077 |
| 2014 | 11.4% | 31,523 | 3,596 |
| 2015 | 11.4% | 31,220 | 3,566 |
| 2016 | 10.8% | 31,671 | 3,430 |
| 2017 | 9.9% | 33,077 | 3,261 |
| 2018 | 8.9% | 35,786 | 3,189 |
| 2019 | 7.6% | 41,947 | 3,187 |
| 2020 | 7.7% | 39,639 | 3,068 |
| 2021 | 5.9% | 49,703 | 2,927 |
| 2022 | 6.3% | 50,016 | 3,174 |
| 2023 | 6.8% | 46,365 | 3,145 |
Applications went from 30,374 in fall 2013 to 46,365 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
Show as table
| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $6,652 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | Not reported |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $4,608 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $16,813 |
| Over $110,000 | $48,954 |
| Tuition and fees, all students (2025-26) | $72,795 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $90,696 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $23,706 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Middle 50% (25th to 75th percentile) of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores: 50% submitted the SAT, 31% the ACT. Source: IPEDS fall 2023.1
Similar private colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| Wake Forest NC | 21.6% | $70,332 same for all |
| Elon NC | 67.3% | $48,723 same for all |
| High Point University NC | 76.8% | $49,146 same for all |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
Duke admitted 6.8% of applicants for fall 2023, after a low of 5.9% for fall 2021.1 Measured from fall 2013, when it admitted 13.4%, the rate has come down 6.6 percentage points.1 It declined in 6 of the 10 year-to-year changes from 2013 to 2023 and has edged up since its low.1 Applications grew 53% to 46,365, and Duke made 3,145 offers for fall 2023, down from 4,077.1
Duke was test-optional for fall 2023; SAT submitters in the middle 50% scored 740 to 770 in reading and writing.1
Tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $72,795, well above the $35,180 median at North Carolina's 39 private nonprofit bachelor's colleges.2 In 2024-25, aided families earning up to $30,000 paid an average net price of $6,652 and those earning $48,001 to $75,000 paid $4,608.2 Families earning over $110,000 averaged $48,954, while the Scorecard leaves the band just above the lowest unreported for Duke.2
Of students who began in 2019, 96% graduated within 6 years, against a 47% median across the state's bachelor's colleges.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 46,365 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 3,145 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 1,742 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 6,488 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-optional | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | 740 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR25, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | 770 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR75, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | 770 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT25, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | 800 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT75, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | 34 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM25, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | 35 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM75, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | 50% | IPEDS ADM2023, SATPCT, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | 31% | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTPCT, fall 20231 |
| Tuition and fees, all students | $72,795 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $90,696 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $23,706 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $6,652 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $4,608 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $16,813 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $48,954 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 96% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 98% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 19% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $113,937 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $13,000 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median tuition and fees, private nonprofit colleges, North Carolina (N = 39) | $35,180 | College Scorecard, median TUITIONFEE_IN, private nonprofit bachelor's institutions, 2025-262 |
| Median graduation rate within 6 years, North Carolina (N = 56) | 47% | College Scorecard, median C150_4, bachelor's institutions, 2019 entrants2 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with Duke, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page