Getting in
For Fall 2025, 55,541 first-year students applied to Duke, 2,910 were admitted and 1,749 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 5.2%.
Source: Duke Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By school or major. Duke's Common Data Set reports one first-year acceptance rate for the whole university, with no rate for Trinity College or the Pratt School of Engineering.
Source: Duke Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early decision. The Common Data Set leaves its early decision counts blank, so it gives no early decision acceptance rate.
Source: Duke Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C21. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Programs with extra requirements
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
You apply to Trinity College of Arts & Sciences or the Pratt School of Engineering. A few things differ:
- Pratt School of Engineering. Calculus coursework is required, and physics is strongly recommended.
- Arts supplement (optional). One supplement in cinematic arts, dance, music, photography, theater or visual arts, evaluated by a Duke faculty member.
Source: Duke Undergraduate Admissions, Apply (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Majors
57 majors across 2 schools. Every undergraduate major on Duke's official Majors, Minors, and More list, grouped by the school that offers it, with the degree it leads to. Minors and certificates are left out.
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences51
- African & African American Studies (B.A.)
- Art History (B.A.)
- Asian & Middle Eastern Studies (B.A.)
- Biology (B.A., B.S.)
- Biophysics (B.A., B.S.)
- Brazilian & Global Portuguese (B.A.)
- Chemistry (B.A., B.S.)
- Classical Civilization (B.A.)
- Classical Languages (B.A.)
- Computer Science (B.A., B.S.)
- Cultural Anthropology (B.A.)
- Dance (B.A.)
- Earth & Climate Sciences (B.A., B.S.)
- Economics (B.A., B.S.)
- English (B.A.)
- Environmental Sciences (B.S.)
- Environmental Sciences & Policy (B.A., B.S.)
- Evolutionary Anthropology (B.A., B.S.)
- French & Francophone Studies (B.A.)
- Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies (B.A.)
- German (B.A.)
- Global Culture & Theory (B.A.)
- Global HealthCo-major: taken together with another major
- History (B.A.)
- Interdepartmental Major (B.A., B.S.)
- Interdepartmental Major: Ancient Religion & Society - Classical Studies/Religious StudiesA named interdepartmental major
- Interdepartmental Major: Computational Media - Visual & Media Studies/Computer ScienceA named interdepartmental major
- Interdepartmental Major: Data Science - Computer Science & MathA named interdepartmental major
- Interdepartmental Major: Data Science - Computer Science & StatisticsA named interdepartmental major
- Interdepartmental Major: Linguistics & Computer ScienceA named interdepartmental major
- International Comparative Studies (B.A.)
- Italian Studies (B.A.)
- Linguistics (B.A.)
- Marine Science & Conservation (B.A., B.S.)
- Mathematics (B.A., B.S.)
- Medieval & Renaissance Studies (B.A.)
- Music (B.A.)
- Neuroscience (B.A., B.S.)
- Philosophy (B.A.)
- Physics (B.A., B.S.)
- Political Science (B.A.)
- Program II (B.A., B.S.)
- Psychology (B.A., B.S.)
- Public Policy (B.A.)
- Religious Studies (B.A.)
- Romance Studies (B.A.)
- Russian (B.A.)
- Slavic & Eurasian Studies (B.A.)
- Sociology (B.A.)
- Spanish, Latin American, & Latino/a Studies (B.A.)
- Statistical Science (B.A., B.S.)
Source: Duke Undergraduate Admissions, Majors, Minors, and More (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Pratt School of Engineering6
Pratt applicants need calculus coursework; physics is strongly recommended.
Source: Duke Undergraduate Admissions, Apply (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
- Biomedical Engineering (B.S.E.)
- Civil Engineering (B.S.E.)
- Electrical & Computer Engineering (B.S.E.)
- Environmental Engineering (B.S.E.)
- IDEAS: Interdisciplinary Engineering & Applied Science (B.S.E.)
- Mechanical Engineering (B.S.E.)
Source: Duke Undergraduate Admissions, Majors, Minors, and More (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Deadlines for Fall 2027
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
| Plan | Apply by | Decision | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision | November 2 | Mid-December | Yes |
| Regular Decision | January 4 | Late March or early April | No |
These are Duke's 2026-27 cycle dates. Early Decision applicants also send first-quarter grades, and every applicant sends midyear grades by February 15.
Source: Duke Undergraduate Admissions, Apply (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early Decision is binding, for students whose top choice is Duke. You may apply early action elsewhere, but not to a second binding program, and Duke asks you to honor any restrictive early action agreement. In rare cases, when a family cannot afford Duke, the student may be released from the commitment after talks with the financial support and admissions offices.
Source: Duke Undergraduate Admissions, Resources and FAQs (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Testing
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Duke is test-optional for first-year applicants in the 2026-2027 admissions cycle. If you apply without SAT or ACT scores, you are not at a disadvantage. If you send scores, they are considered. You can type your scores into the application; official scores are needed only if you enroll.
Source: Duke Undergraduate Admissions, Apply (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
The Common Data Set also marks the SAT or ACT as not required for fall 2027 applicants, but considered if submitted.
Source: Duke Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C8. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Applying next year?
For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028
Not announced yet. When we checked Duke's admission pages on October 1, 2026, we found no announced changes for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.
Source: Duke Undergraduate Admissions, Apply (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Cost, and what families paid after aid
The published cost of a year at Duke, 2026-2027:
| Tuition | $73,740 |
|---|---|
| Fees (estimated) | $3,019 |
| Housing (double room) | $11,560 |
| Food | $10,469 |
| Books, course materials, supplies and equipment | $536 |
| Personal expenses | $3,274 |
| Transportation (domestic, lowest estimate) | $582 |
| Total | $103,180 |
First-year undergraduates. Transportation runs $582 to $1,318 depending on home address, so Duke states the total as $103,180 to $103,975. Pratt engineering students add $60 in dues.
Source: Duke Karsh Office of Undergraduate Financial Support, Cost of Attendance 2026-2027 (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 11, 2026.
Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:
| Family income | Paid after grants |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $735 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | -$361 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $5,706 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $17,100 |
| Over $110,000 | $54,230 |
| All incomes | $29,612 |
What first-year, full-time students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. A negative figure means grants were larger than the listed cost. Your own price comes from Duke's aid offer.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Similar schools
Chosen for how close each is to Duke University on acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.
Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD · Private6.1% admitted$18,809 average net price
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN · Private5.4% admitted$15,846 average net price
Columbia UniversityNew York, NY · Private4.9% admitted$21,590 average net price
University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA · Private4.9% admitted$28,699 average net price
Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT · Private4.7% admitted$23,777 average net price
Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.