6,418 Undergraduate Students (fall 2024)
10,268 Graduate & Professional Students (fall 2024)
16,686 Total Students (fall 2024)
66,326 Undergraduate Tuition (2024-25)
88,938 Total, including tuition, room and board, fees, supplies, books, personal expenses (2024-25)
50% Percentage of Undergraduates Receiving Aid
Duke Undergrads’ Top Five
Majors
(All Undergraduates, Fall 2024)
- Computer Science
- Economics
- Biology
- Public Policy
- Psychology
Home States
(All Undergraduates, Fall 2024)
- North Carolina
- New York
- Florida
- California
- Texas
Home Countries
(International Undergraduates, Fall 2024)
- China
- India
- South Korea
- United Kingdom
- Canada
History
Duke University was created in 1924 by James Buchanan Duke as a memorial to his father, Washington Duke. The Dukes, a Durham family that built a worldwide financial empire in the manufacture of tobacco products and developed electricity production in the Carolinas, long had been interested in Trinity College. Trinity traced its roots to 1838 in nearby Randolph County when local Methodist and Quaker communities opened Union Institute. The school, then named Trinity College, moved to Durham in 1892, where Benjamin Newton Duke served as a primary benefactor and link with the Duke family until his death in 1929. In December 1924, the provisions of indenture by Benjamin’s brother, James B. Duke, created the family philanthropic foundation, The Duke Endowment, which provided for the expansion of Trinity College into Duke University.
As a result of the Duke gift, Trinity underwent both physical and academic expansion. The original Durham campus became known as East Campus when it was rebuilt in stately Georgian architecture. West Campus, Gothic in style and dominated by the soaring 210-foot tower of Duke Chapel, opened in 1930. East Campus served as home of the Woman’s College of Duke University until 1972, when the men’s and women’s undergraduate colleges merged. Both men and women undergraduates now enroll in either the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences or the Pratt School of Engineering. In 1995, East Campus became the home for all first-year students.
Duke maintains a historic affiliation with the United Methodist Church.
Schools & Colleges
| College or School | Established |
|---|---|
| Trinity College of Arts & Sciences | 1859 |
| School of Law | 1904 |
| Divinity School | 1926 |
| Graduate School | 1926 |
| School of Medicine | 1930 |
| School of Nursing | 1931 |
| Pratt School of Engineering | 1939 |
| Fuqua School of Business | 1969 |
| Nicholas School of the Environment | 1991 |
| Sanford School of Public Policy | 2009 |
Institutes & Centers
A cornerstone of Duke’s commitment to inquiry across disciplines, university-wide institutes, initiatives and centers foster problem-focused education, research, and engagement to generate knowledge in the service of society.
| Institute or Center | Established |
|---|---|
| John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute | 1999 |
| Kenan Institute for Ethics | 2001 |
| Social Science Research Institute | 2003 |
| Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability | 2005 |
| Duke Global Health Institute | 2006 |
| Duke Institute for Brain Sciences | 2007 |
| Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship | 2010 |
| Rhodes Information Initiative at Duke | 2013 |
| Duke Science & Society | 2013 |
| Duke Margolis Institute for Health Policy | 2016 |
Administration
Vincent E. Price President
Vincent E. Price is the 10th President of Duke University, where he is also Walter Hines Page Professor of Public Policy and Political Science in the Sanford School of Public Policy and Trinity College of Arts and Sciences.
Daniel Ennis Executive Vice President
Alec Gallimore Provost
Craig Albanese CEO, Duke University Health System
Mary Klotman Executive Vice President, Health Affairs
Students
Undergraduate
Fall 2024
53% Women
N.C. Residents
Students Returning After First Year
Students Graduating in Four Years
51,974 Applied
1,732 Enrolled
2,405 Degrees Conferred
(July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023)
Graduate & Professional
Fall 2024
4,720 Degrees Conferred
(July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023)
Faculty & Staff
Faculty by School or College
Fall 2023
| Schools & Colleges | Tenure / Tenure Track | Other Regular Rank * |
|---|---|---|
| Arts and Sciences | 509 | 225 |
| Engineering (Pratt) | 133 | 44 |
| Divinity | 26 | 13 |
| Nicholas School | 44 | 18 |
| Law | 50 | 37 |
| Fuqua | 93 | 14 |
| Sanford School of Public Policy | 33 | 28 |
| Medicine | 733 | 1,991 |
| Nursing | 33 | 51 |
| University Interdisciplinary Centers (UIC’s) | 34 | |
| Totals | 1,654 | 2,455 |
| All Faculty | 4,109 | |
* Includes professors of the practice, research professors, lecturers, clinical professors and medical associates.
Faculty by Rank
Fall 2023
1,033 Full Professors
439 Associate Professors
182 Assistant Professors
1,654 Total Tenured/Tenured Track Professors
Employees
Full- and part-time including faculty (July 2024)
| Location | Number of Employees |
|---|---|
| Campus | 9,202 |
| Schools of Medicine, Nursing (includes Duke Clinical Research Institute and Private Diagnostic Clinic) |
12,092 |
| Duke Primary Care (DUAP) * | 1,487 |
| DUHS Clinical Labs * | 935 |
| Duke HomeCare & Hospice * | 400 |
| Duke Hospital * | 11,809 |
| Davis Ambulatory * | 143 |
| Duke Raleigh Hospital * | 2,228 |
| Duke Regional Hospital * | 2,291 |
| DUHS Corporate Services * | 2,608 |
| Patient Revenue Management Organization * | 1,832 |
| Health and Wellness | 70 |
| DIN/Connected Care (Population Health) * | 253 |
| Duke Health Integrated Practice * | 1,876 |
| Total | 47,132 |
* Duke University Health System
Alumni
December 2023
(includes 2023 graduates)
196,108 Active
48 Median Age
Facilities & Properties
Acreage
| Location | Number of Acres |
|---|---|
| East Campus (including Smith Warehouse precinct) | 172 |
| West Campus | 442 |
| Medical Campus | 283 |
| Central Campus | 200 |
| Duke Gardens | 54 |
| Golf Course (including Washington Duke Inn and jogging trail) | 483 |
| Duke Forest | 7,044 |
| Marine Lab (Beaufort, N.C.) | 15 |
| Total | 8,693 |
Buildings
Durham Campus
(Excludes maintenance and support facilities)
| Building Type | Number of Buildings |
|---|---|
| Academic and Research | 88 |
| Medical Center | 69 |
| Athletics and Recreation | 25 |
| Residence Halls and Apartments | 36 |
| Total | 218 |
Financial Data
Undergraduate Tuition & Expenses
| Tuition & Fees | Cost |
|---|---|
| 2023-2024 Undergraduate Tuition | $63,450 |
| Total cost including tuition, room and board, fees, supplies, books, personal expenses (average) |
|
| Total | $83,263 |
Financial Aid
Duke is committed to a need-blind admission policy, which means it admits applicants from the United States without consideration of their families’ ability to pay tuition and other college costs.
$58,809 The average need-based grant awarded in 2022-2023
Amount of a student’s demonstrated financial need met by Duke
Amount of Duke students that typically receive some form of financial aid
Operating Revenues, Operating Expenditures
$8.2b in Operating Revenues (for fiscal year that ended June 30, 2023)
$8.4b in Operating Expenditures (for fiscal year that ended June 30, 2023)
Duke Endowment
The provisions of James B. Duke’s $40 million indenture in 1924 created Duke University’s initial endowment. Those funds had a market value of $11.6 billion in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2023.
$11.6b Market value as of June 30, 2023
Designations of Endowed Funds
Duke Fundraising
Duke Forward, the largest fundraising campaign in Duke University history, concluded on June 30, 2017, raising $3.85 billion over the previous seven years. Record giving by more than 315,000 donors and foundations helped propel Duke Forward past its original goal of $3.25 billion.
The comprehensive campaign, which began in 2010, benefitted all 10 of Duke’s graduate and undergraduate schools, Duke Athletics, Duke Libraries, Duke Health and a range of university-wide initiatives and programs. It transformed the physical campus and funded priorities such as financial aid, faculty development, research and patient care, and hands-on learning opportunities for students.
Accreditation
Duke University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, masters, doctorate, and professional degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Duke University.
Highlights
Baldwin Auditorium, whose domed roof gives the historic East Campus one of its most unique architectural elements, was built in 1927. An $80 million gift from The Duke Endowment in 2011 paid for major renovations to Baldwin, which reopened with 685 seats in 2013, and to Page Auditorium and West Union. Baldwin Auditorium
Bryan Center is the hub of student activity. It serves as an expanded student union and is home to student organizations and the University Union, which oversees student-run cultural and social activities. The center contains theaters, restaurants, a coffeehouse, book and merchandise stores, an information desk, post office, ATM machines and more. Bryan Center
Duke Athletics teams compete in the 15-member Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and field teams in 27 NCAA Division I varsity sports. Duke has won national championships in women’s golf (1999, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2014 and 2019), men’s basketball (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010 and 2015), men’s soccer (1986), men’s lacrosse (2010, 2013 and 2014) and women’s tennis (2009). Duke Athletics
Duke Health encompasses the world-class academic health care and research of the Duke University Health System, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University School of Nursing, Duke-NUS Medical School, Duke Global Health Institute and the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy. The health system delivers care across three hospitals (Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, and Duke Raleigh Hospital) and numerous outpatient services, including Duke Primary Care, Duke Health Integrated Practices, Duke HomeCare & Hospice, Duke Health and Wellness and multiple affiliations. Duke Health
Duke Libraries, one of the nation’s top 10 private research library systems, includes the Perkins, Bostock and Rubenstein Libraries on West Campus, the Lilly and Music Libraries on East Campus, the Pearse Memorial Library at the Duke Marine Lab, and the separately administered libraries serving the schools of business, divinity, law and medicine. Duke Libraries
The Duke Marine Laboratory, at coastal Beaufort, N.C., is a campus of Duke University and a unit within the Nicholas School of the Environment. Its mission is education and research in basic ocean processes, coastal environment management, marine biotechnology and marine biomedicine. The Duke Marine Laboratory
Duke University Press publishes about 120 new books each year, as well as more than 30 scholarly journals. The publications are mainly in the humanities and social sciences, but some cover aspects of law, medicine, the sciences and mathematics. Duke University Press
Page Auditorium is Duke’s largest theater, with a capacity of 1,200 seats. It has been the site of thousands of performances and lectures since its opening in 1930, including speeches by Sen. John F. Kennedy in 1959 and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1964. Page Auditorium
The Richard H. Brodhead Center for Campus Life, which opened in fall 2016, is a gathering spot for informal meetings, relaxing, dining and enjoying artistic performances. West Campus Plaza
University Archives, part of the Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, is the official repository for printed and written materials and photographs that chronicle Duke’s past. University Archives
The Duke Lemur Center, the only university-based facility in the world devoted to the study of prosimian primates, is home to the world’s largest colony of endangered primates, including more than 200 lemurs, bush babies and lorises. More than 85 percent of the center’s inhabitants were born on site. Tours available. The Duke Lemur Center
Cameron Indoor Stadium is considered the crown jewel of college basketball. Conceived on the back of a matchbook cover in 1935, Cameron was renovated in the late 1980s and underwent a series of improvements in 2009 to enhance the game-day experience. Cameron Indoor Stadium
Duke Chapel, an iconic symbol of the university, is at the center of the Gothic West Campus. Built in 1932, the chapel is dominated by a 210-foot tower housing a 50-bell carillon. Washington Duke and his sons Benjamin and James are entombed in the Memorial Chapel. Duke Chapel
Duke Forest, established in 1931, covers more than 7,000 acres in the north-central Piedmont. It serves as a natural outdoor laboratory for Duke and neighboring universities, and its trails are popular with local walkers and runners. The forest is managed for multiple uses, including education, research, protection of wildlife and rare plant species, and demonstration of timber management practices. Duke Forest
Duke Performances hosts between 60 and 70 professional performing arts events, including music, theater, dance and talks, on campus each year. Many events are held in Page Auditorium, others are held at Reynolds Industries Theater, Baldwin Auditorium, the Nelson Music Room and other venues. Duke Performances
Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture, established in 1983 and located on the second floor of the West Union Building on West Campus, features an art gallery, performing space, a library and lounge, and sponsors speakers and events on race, ethnicity and social difference. Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture
Sarah P. Duke Gardens, 55 acres of landscaped and woodland gardens in the heart of Duke’s West Campus, is open to the public daily from 8 a.m. to dusk. Each year more than 300,000 visitors enjoy the gardens’ five miles of walkways and more than 8,000 species and varieties of plants. Sarah P. Duke Gardens
The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, designed by architect Rafael Viñoly, opened in 2005 and is a major center for the arts on campus. The museum serves the university, Research Triangle and surrounding region with an ambitious schedule of exhibitions and educational programs. The Nasher Museum of Art