Durham, NC · private · 6,442 undergraduates
Duke University acceptance rate, SAT range and net price
Duke admitted 5.24% of applicants for fall 2025; Carolina families under $150,000 receive full-tuition grants.
Net price per year at Duke
$17,100
Reach · admit rate 5.24%
| Admit rate, Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) | 5.24% (1 in 19) |
| Middle 50% of enrolled students (SAT) | 1,510 to 1,570 |
| Enrolled students scoring below you (approx.) | 1% |
| This site’s label | Reach |
| Sticker price 2026-27 | $103,180 |
| Paid by families with $75,001-$110,000 (2023-24) | $17,100 |
| Share of the sticker price | 17% |
Net price: average paid after grants by students on federal aid in that income band (2023-24), not a quote. The label is a fixed rule of this site (admit rate under 15% is a reach for everyone), not a prediction. Your exact price: Duke net price calculator. How this is calculated.
Admissions: Duke University Common Data Set 2025-2026, C1 (25,641 men + 29,900 women applied; 1,390 + 1,520 admitted; 833 + 916 enrolled; unknown-sex rows blank) · net price: College Scorecard, 2023-24 · figures checked · Built by Radif Partners · Method and data
- Admit rate, newest cycle
- 5.24%
- SAT middle 50%
- 1,510 to 1,570
- Sticker price 2026-27
- $103,180
- Net price, income $48k to $75k
- $5,706
Duke University admitted 2,910 of 55,541 first-year applicants for the class that entered in fall 2025, an acceptance rate of 5.24%, and 1,749 enrolled, according to its Common Data Set 2025-2026. Duke stays test-optional for the 2026-27 cycle; the 48% of the class who sent an SAT had a middle 50% of 1,510 to 1,570, among the highest ranges on this site. The 2026-27 first-year cost of attendance starts at $103,180. Duke meets full demonstrated need, often with a loan and work-study in the package, and gives North and South Carolina residents earning $150,000 or less full-tuition grants. In 2023-24 the federal average net price was $735 for families under $30,000, $5,706 between $48,001 and $75,000 and $54,230 above $110,000.
One early round, and it is binding
Duke has a single Early Decision round, due November 2, and a regular round due January 4. There is no Early Action and no second Early Decision. Duke has not published how many of its fall 2025 admits came through Early Decision, but the structure itself tells applicants what matters: a student certain about Duke has one moment to say so, and everyone else competes in the regular pool for the remaining places. Alumni interviews are optional and offered only to some applicants; Duke states that not being offered one has no effect on the decision.
Duke: where your SAT score lands
Enrolled students scoring below you (approx.)
50%
| Middle 50% | 1,510 to 1,570 |
| Your score is | inside the middle 50% |
Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029), CDS 2025-2026, C9 (843 SAT submitters, 473 ACT submitters). Normal curve fitted to the two published percentiles.
The Carolinas initiative
Duke's most specific aid rule concerns its own region. Admitted students from North Carolina and South Carolina whose total family income is $150,000 or less receive full-tuition grants, and at $65,000 or less Duke also covers housing and meals without loans. For everyone else Duke meets 100% of demonstrated need, but unlike several peers it says the package will most likely include a loan and work-study alongside the grant. The university reports that about one first-year student in five attended tuition-free last year.
The federal averages show the result for aided families across the country: below zero or close to it for the two lowest bands in 2023-24, $5,706 between $48,001 and $75,000, and $17,100 between $75,001 and $110,000. Families above $110,000 paid $54,230 on average, much closer to the full price, since Duke gives very little non-need aid.
Duke: net price for your family income
Average net price, 2023-24
$5,706
| Income band | $48,001-$75,000 |
| Share of the 2023-24 cost | 7% |
Federal figure for first-year students on federal aid.
What the budget includes
The 2026-27 budget combines tuition of $73,740, fees of $3,019 and $22,029 for housing and food, with a slightly higher figure for Pratt engineering students. Families comparing it with UNC Chapel Hill should look at residency first, and those comparing it with Vanderbilt or Northwestern at the different loan policies, which change the real price more than the sticker does.
From Duke University’s own documents
- Students from North Carolina and South Carolina with family income of $150,000 or less get full-tuition grants; at $65,000 or less Duke also covers housing and meals without loans. source
- Duke says 21% of its last first-year class attended tuition-free. source
- For fall 2025, 2,910 of 55,541 applicants were admitted (about 5.2%) and 1,749 enrolled. source
- The 2026-27 first-year cost of attendance is $103,180 to $103,975 before aid, with billed charges of $98,788 (Pratt engineering students pay $60 more in dues). source
- Duke has one binding Early Decision round (November 2) and Regular Decision (January 4); no Early Action. source
- Alumni interviews are optional and offered only to some applicants; not being offered one does not affect the chances of admission. source
Net price at Duke University by family income
| Family income | Average net price 2023-24 | Share of the 2023-24 cost |
|---|---|---|
| $0-$30,000 | $735 | 1% |
| $30,001-$48,000 | $0 | 0% |
| $48,001-$75,000 | $5,706 | 7% |
| $75,001-$110,000 | $17,100 | 20% |
| $110,001 and up | $54,230 | 62% |
| All aided students | $29,612 | 34% |
Cost of attendance at Duke University, 2026-27
| Item | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $73,740 | |
| Fees | $3,019 | |
| Housing and food | $22,029 | |
| Books and supplies | $536 | |
| Personal | $3,274 | |
| Total | $103,180 |
Duke University admissions by cycle
| Entering class | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled | Admit rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) | 55,541 | 2,910 | 1,749 | 5.24% |
| Fall 2024 (federal IPEDS figure) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 5.71% |
SAT and ACT scores at Duke University
| Score | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT total (Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029), CDS 2025-2026, C9 (843 SAT submitters, 473 ACT submitters)) | 1,510 | 1,550 | 1,570 |
| ACT composite (Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) (CDS 2025-2026, C9 (843 SAT submitters, 473 ACT submitters))) | 34 | 35 | 35 |
| SAT sections, fall 2024 (Scorecard) | 740 + 760 | n/a | 770 + 800 |
Outcomes at Duke University
| Measure | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Graduated within 6 years | 97% | fall 2018 entering cohort |
| Returned for a second year | 98% | fall 2023 entering cohort |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $97,800 | measured 2020-2021, 10 years after entry, 2022 dollars |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $13,000 | students who finished in 2019-20 and 2020-21 |
| Undergraduates | 6,442 | fall 2024 |
| Students with a Pell Grant | 14% | 2023-24 |