National university
#13 Best colleges for engineering in AmericaDuke University
Durham, NC · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $29,612 a year
Median debt at graduation: $13,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Upcoming admissions events
- Applying to DukeOctober 21, 2026 · VirtualMore about Applying to DukeAdd to calendar
- Blue Devil Student ChatOctober 22, 2026 · VirtualMore about Blue Devil Student ChatAdd to calendar
- Blue Devil Student ChatOctober 25, 2026 · VirtualMore about Blue Devil Student ChatAdd to calendar
- Campus TourOctober 26, 2026 · VirtualMore about Campus TourAdd to calendar
View all upcoming events (6 more) · From the college's admissions website.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for nursing in America#2 of 1,068
- Best colleges for education in America#6 of 1,318
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#7 of 1,238
- Best colleges in America#16 of 1,829
- Best colleges for psychology in America#13 of 1,418
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#17 of 1,829
Show 25 more
- Best test-optional colleges in America#14 of 1,481
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#13 of 1,358
- Best colleges for art and design in America#13 of 1,187
- Best colleges for English in America#15 of 1,283
- Best colleges for history in America#15 of 1,247
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#15 of 1,215
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in America#9 of 704
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in America#9 of 704
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#15 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#15 of 1,116
- Best colleges for music in America#15 of 1,063
- Best colleges for computer science in America#11 of 750
- Best colleges for engineering in America#13 of 749
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#12 of 682
- Best colleges for economics in America#15 of 788
- Best mid-size colleges in America#13 of 667
- Most selective colleges in America#14 of 683
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in America#8 of 367
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#29 of 684
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#37 of 693
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#41 of 690
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#66 of 598
- Best value colleges in America#130 of 674
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#154 of 681
- Best value colleges in the South in America#38 of 153
In North Carolina
- Best colleges in North Carolina#1 of 55
- Best test-optional colleges in North Carolina#1 of 54
- Best colleges for psychology in North Carolina#1 of 51
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in North Carolina#1 of 50
- Best colleges for education in North Carolina#1 of 47
- Best colleges for English in North Carolina#1 of 47
Show 22 more
- Best colleges for history in North Carolina#1 of 45
- Best colleges for mathematics in North Carolina#1 of 45
- Best colleges for music in North Carolina#1 of 44
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in North Carolina#1 of 42
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in North Carolina#1 of 42
- Best colleges for chemistry in North Carolina#1 of 41
- Best colleges for art and design in North Carolina#1 of 39
- Best colleges for nursing in North Carolina#1 of 33
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in North Carolina#2 of 55
- Best colleges for economics in North Carolina#1 of 25
- Best colleges for computer science in North Carolina#1 of 24
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in North Carolina#1 of 19
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in North Carolina#1 of 18
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in North Carolina#1 of 18
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in North Carolina#1 of 18
- Most selective colleges in North Carolina#1 of 18
- Best colleges for engineering in North Carolina#1 of 17
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in North Carolina#1 of 17
- Best mid-size colleges in North Carolina#1 of 12
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in North Carolina#3 of 17
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in North Carolina#3 of 17
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in North Carolina#3 of 15
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.97%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.98%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,548 · ACT 34.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.5 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$87,044
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $87,072 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 6,488 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 46% · Women 54% |
| First-generation students Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition | 13% |
| Total students | 17,112 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $29,612 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $87,072 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $13,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 97% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 91% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 93% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard) | 89% |
| First-year retention | 98% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $97,800 |
| Admission rate | 6% |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | $85 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 14% |
| Average SAT | 1548 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 740–770 |
| SAT math | 760–800 |
| ACT composite | 34–35 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Very good · Top 23% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | |
| Computer science | |
| Computer engineering | |
| Economics | |
| Statistics | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| History | |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | |
| Public Policy Analysis | |
| Public health | |
| Political science | |
| Linguistics | |
| Nursing | |
| Biology | |
| Anthropology | |
| International and Comparative Education | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| Psychology | |
| Neuroscience | |
| Sociology |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Area studies, Behavioral Sciences, Biochemistry, Biological and physical sciences, Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Chemistry, Civil engineering, Classics, Cognitive Science, Computational Science, Computing and information science, Dance, Ecology and evolutionary biology, Electrical engineering, English, Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians, Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering, Ethnic and gender studies, Experimental psychology, Fine arts, General studies, Geology and earth science, German, Interdisciplinary studies, Journalism, Literature, Mathematics and Computer Science, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Music, Natural Sciences, Other engineering, Other psychology, Other visual and performing arts, Philosophy, Physics, Physiology and pathology, Public relations, Religious studies, Romance languages, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Software and media applications, Theatre, Visual and performing arts.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Interdisciplinary studies | |
| Social sciences | |
| Computer and information sciences | |
| Biology | |
| Engineering |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 0% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 0% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $18,128 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Atlantic Coast Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Navy · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 5 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 94%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $691,844Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Dorm space | For about 89% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)About 12 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Town population | 291,4672020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | DurhamAbout 3 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Average temperature in January | 38°F1991–2020 normal, from DURHAM, NC US, about 3 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 78°F1991–2020 normal, from DURHAM, NC US, about 3 miles away (NOAA) |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.04 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.02 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.04 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.38 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.69 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Duke University’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A+). It ranks in the top 1% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Duke University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $29,612 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Duke University?
- Duke University admitted 6% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Duke University’s graduates do?
- 97% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $97,800; the median federal debt at graduation is $13,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 198419
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Religious affiliation (IPEDS): United Methodist
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