Duke University
Durham, North Carolina · Private · 6,442 undergraduates · duke.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test optional
Sending scores is your choice
Admit rate
5.2%
of 55,541 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1510 to 1570
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$103,530Est.Estimate
before aid
Your chances and merit aid at Duke University
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
5.2% of applicants admitted
Reach
It admits only 5.2% of applicants, so it's a reach for everyone.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$103,530
a year in 2027-28, from a $103,530 sticker price
What to do with your 1550
Send your score
About 31% of freshmen here didn't send a score. We estimate their typical SAT at about 1480, and yours is above it.
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test optional
You choose whether to send an SAT or ACT score. If you send one, it's considered.
- Superscores: it combines your best section scores from different test dates.
- You can type your scores into the application; official reports come later.
- Duke will also consider other scores like AP and IB if the applicant chooses to report them; these are not substitutes for a requirement.
Source: Apply - Duke Undergraduate Admissions · Checked October 16, 2026
Application deadlines
- Nov2Early Decision · November 2, 2026Binding: if admitted, you commit to enroll.
- Jan4Regular Decision · January 4, 2027The standard deadline.
Who gets in
5.2%
of applicants were admitted: 2,910 of 55,541 for fall 2025.
Early Decision
Binding.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2025)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 48% of them sent SAT scores and 27% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1510 to 1570
Reading and Writing 740 to 780
Math 770 to 790
ACT composite 34 to 35
How enrolled freshmen scored on the SAT
- 1400 to 160096%
- 1200 to 13993.1%
- 1000 to 11990.6%
- 800 to 9990%
- 600 to 7990%
- 400 to 5990%
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$103,530
a year
- Tuition$76,690
- Fees$2,740
- Food and housing$21,030
- Books and supplies$560
- Transportation and other$2,510
Duke University published $99,548 for 2026-27. Its 2027-28 prices aren't out yet.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24, by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$6,652
- $30,001 to $48,000Not reported
- $48,001 to $75,000$4,608
- $75,001 to $110,000$16,813
- Over $110,000$48,954
Financial aid
100%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$76,455
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
0.5%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $91,953 on average
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Required. It's a second, more detailed aid form some colleges use for their own grants.
- Aid deadline: Feb. 1st
- The last day to send aid forms.
- Also asks for
- parent and/or student inc. tax form/W-2's
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
Merit scholarships
Awards for grades and scores, on top of need-based aid. You don't repay them.
Alumni Endowed Scholarship
Full cost of attendance
Competitive · No separate application
To keep it: ask the college for the renewal rules.
DetailsAngier B. Duke Scholarship
Full cost of attendance
Competitive · No separate application
To keep it: ask the college for the renewal rules.
DetailsBenjamin N. Duke Scholarship
Full cost of attendance
Competitive · In-state students · No separate application
To keep it: ask the college for the renewal rules.
DetailsKarsh International Scholarship
Full cost of attendance
Competitive · Out-of-state students · No separate application
To keep it: ask the college for the renewal rules.
Details
Show 2 more scholarships
Compare awards across colleges with the merit aid calculator.
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
32 of 32
Earn credit with a score of 3
None
You need a 4 or 5 for credit here.
A 3-credit course is worth
about $7,670Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | 5 | ARTSVIS 21 | |
| 3-D Art and Design | 5 | ARTSVIS 21 | |
| African American Studies | 4 | AAAS 20 | |
| Art History | 5 | ARTHIST 20 | |
| Biology | 4 | BIOLOGY 20 | |
| Biology | 5 | BIOLOGY 21 | |
| Calculus AB | 5 | MATH 21 | |
| Calculus BC | 4 | MATH 21 | |
| Calculus BC | 5 | MATH 21, 22 | |
| Chemistry | 4 | CHEM 20 | |
| Chemistry | 5 | CHEM 21 | |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | CHINESE 203 | |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 4 | POLSCI 21 | |
| Computer Science A | 4 | COMPSCI 101L | |
| Computer Science Principles | 5 | COMPSCI 20 | |
| Drawing | 5 | ARTSVIS 21 | |
| English Language and Composition | 4 | ENGLISH 22 | |
| English Literature and Composition | 4 | ENGLISH 20 | |
| Environmental Science | 4 | ENVIRON 20 | |
| European History | 4 | HIST 25, 26 | |
| French Language and Culture | 5 | FRENCH 20 | |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | GERMAN 29 | |
| Italian Language and Culture | 4 | ITALIAN 203 | |
| Italian Language and Culture | 5 | ITALIAN 203 | |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 4 | JPN 203 | |
| Latin | 4 | LATIN 25 | |
| Latin | 5 | LATIN 25 | |
| Music Theory | 4 | MUSIC 161 | |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 | PHYSICS 26 | |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 4 | PHYSICS 25 | |
| Psychology | 5 | PSY 11 | |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 5 | SPANISH 204 | |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | SPANISH 204 | |
| Statistics | 5 | STA 20 | |
| United States Government and Politics | 4 | POLSCI 20 | |
| United States History | 4 | HIST 23, 24 | |
| World History: Modern | 4 | HISTORY 21 |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
96%
Come back for a second year
98%
Typical earnings
$113,937
a year, 10 years after starting here
- Duke University$93,559
- All colleges$90,887
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 17 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with Duke University. The Duke University logo is a trademark of the college.