6,789 Undergraduate Students
9,991 Graduate & Professional Students
16,780 Total Students
60,594 Undergraduate Tuition (2020-21)
81,488 Total, including tuition, room and board, fees, supplies, books, personal expenses (2020-21)
52% Percentage of Undergraduates Receiving Aid
Duke Undergrads’ Top Five
Majors
(All Undergraduates, Fall 2021)
- Computer Science
- Public Policy
- Biology
- Economics
- Psychology
Home States
(All Undergraduates, Fall 2021)
- North Carolina
- California
- New York
- Florida
- New Jersey
Home Countries
(International Undergraduates, Fall 2021)
- China
- India
- 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 Environmental Policy Solutions | 2005 |
| Duke Global Health Institute | 2006 |
| Duke Institute for Brain Sciences | 2007 |
| Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship | 2010 |
| Duke University Energy Initiative | 2011 |
| Rhodes Information Initiative at Duke | 2013 |
| Duke Science & Society | 2013 |
| Duke Margolis Center 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
Sally Kornbluth Provost
A. Eugene Washington Chancellor for Health Affairs
Students
Undergraduate
Fall 2021
- Other/Unknown
- Hispanic
- Nonresident Alien
- African-American
- Asian-American
- Caucasian
- Two or More
55% Women
N.C. Residents
Students Returning After First Year
Students Graduating in Four Years
49,703 Applied
1,744 Enrolled
2,319 Degrees Conferred
(July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021)
Graduate & Professional
Fall 2020
- Other/Unknown
- Hispanic/Latino
- African-American
- Asian-American
- Foreign
- Caucasian
- Two or More
4,007 Degrees Conferred
(July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021)
Faculty & Staff
Faculty by School or College
Fall 2021
| Schools & Colleges | Tenure / Tenure Track | Other Regular Rank * |
|---|---|---|
| Arts and Sciences | 499 | 201 |
| Engineering (Pratt) | 126 | 47 |
| Divinity | 26 | 14 |
| Nicholas School | 49 | 15 |
| Law | 43 | 39 |
| Fuqua | 88 | 15 |
| Sanford School of Public Policy | 34 | 30 |
| Medicine | 752 | 1,884 |
| Nursing | 33 | 53 |
| University Interdisciplinary Centers (UIC’s) | 34 | |
| Totals | 1,650 | 2,332 |
| All Faculty | 3,982 | |
* Includes professors of the practice, research professors, lecturers, clinical professors and medical associates.
Faculty by Rank
Fall 2021
1,021 Full Professors
456 Associate Professors
173 Assistant Professors
1,650 Total Tenured/Tenured Track Professors
Employees
Full- and part-time including faculty (July 2021)
| Location | Number of Employees |
|---|---|
| Campus | 8498 |
| Schools of Medicine, Nursing (includes Duke Clinical Research Institute and Private Diagnostic Clinic) |
11,148 |
| Duke Primary Care (DUAP) * | 1,444 |
| DUHS Clinical Labs * | 856 |
| Duke HomeCare & Hospice * | 351 |
| Duke Hospital * | 11,120 |
| Davis Ambulatory * | 138 |
| Duke Raleigh Hospital * | 1,981 |
| Duke Regional Hospital * | 2,151 |
| DUHS Corporate Services * | 2,286 |
| Patient Revenue Management Organization * | 1,692 |
| Health and Wellness | 64 |
| DIN/Connected Care (Population Health) * | 180 |
| Total | 43,108 |
* Duke University Health System
Alumni
Spring 2020
179,263 Active
47 Median Age
- Graduate
- Professional
- Undergraduate
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 | 82 |
| Medical Center | 76 |
| Athletics and Recreation | 22 |
| Residence Halls and Apartments | 76 |
| Total | 256 |
Financial Data
Undergraduate Tuition & Expenses
| Tuition & Fees | Cost |
|---|---|
| 2020-2021 Arts & Sciences and Engineering | $57,934 |
| 2020-2021 Room and board, fees, supplies, books, personal expenses (average) |
$22,948 |
| Total | $78,828 |
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.
$54,225 The average need-based grant awarded in 2019-2020
Amount of a student’s demonstrated financial need met by Duke
Amount of Duke students that receive some form of financial aid
Operating Revenues, Operating Expenditures
$6.9b in Operating Revenues (for fiscal year that ended June 30, 2020)
- Other
- Private Diagnostic Clinic
- Contributions
- Auxiliary Enterprises
- Tuition & Fees (less aid)
- Investment Incomes
- Private Grants
- Governmental Agencies
- Duke University Health System Patient Services
$6.9b in Operating Expenditures (for fiscal year that ended June 30, 2020)
- Scholarships, Fellowships, and Grants
- Libraries
- Student Services
- Auxiliary Enterprises
- Sponsored & Budgeted Research
- General & Administrative Expenditures
- Instruction & Departmental Research
- Duke University Health System Patient Services
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 $8.5 billion in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2020.
$8.5b Market value as of June 30, 2020
Designations of Endowed Funds
- Professorships
- Instruction & Research
- Unrestricted
- Restricted/Other
- Financial Aid
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
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 Medicine, which includes the Duke University Health System, the Duke University School of Medicine and the Duke University School of Nursing, combines research, clinical care and education at many different sites throughout the region and beyond. Duke Hospital is the flagship of the broader Duke University Health System, which includes two community hospitals (Duke Hospital and Duke Raleigh Hospital), affiliations with other hospitals in the region, community-based primary care physician practices, home care, infusion services and hospice care. Duke Medicine
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
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 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
The Richard H. Brodhead Center for Campus Life, which opened in fall 2006, 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
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