Duke University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Duke University is a private college in North Carolina that admits about 6% of applicants, which puts it in the most selective range. A rate like this means it admits roughly one in ten applicants or fewer; the bar is less about clearing a single cutoff and more about how your full profile compares to admitted students.
Use this page to see what Duke University weighs, where it ranks among North Carolina schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1570, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Duke University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Duke University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Duke University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Duke University?
At Duke University, your real chance depends on far more than the published 6% admit rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Duke University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Duke University hard to get into?
Duke University is most selective: it admits roughly one in ten applicants or fewer, with about a 6% acceptance rate. At this level, strong grades and scores are the baseline, so essays, recommendations, and a distinctive story are what separate admits.
What GPA do you need to get into Duke University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Duke University, but admitted students almost universally present a 3.9 to 4.0 GPA earned in the most demanding courses their school offers. Duke University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Duke University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Duke University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 6 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Duke University with a 3.9 GPA and a 1540 SAT?
About 12% (Reach), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.9 unweighted GPA and a 1540 SAT, the middle of Duke University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 4.0 GPA with a 1570 SAT comes out near 13%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/duke-university.
How to get into Duke University
Built from Duke University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Getting into Duke University comes down to four decisions, each one visible in the data on this page.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Duke University carries about a 3.93 core GPA and a 1520 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. At this selectivity that is the entry ticket, not the deciding factor.
The admitted middle 50% is 1500 to 1570 SAT (34 to 35 ACT). Submit a score at 1535 or higher; below 1500, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Duke University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: essays that sound like you and answer the actual prompt, and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Selective private colleges admit a larger share of their class in binding Early Decision; if Duke University is your clear first choice and the net price works, ED is the single biggest lever an applicant controls. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Duke University's exact dates at www.duke.edu.
How many students apply to Duke University, and how many get in?
46,365 students applied to Duke University for fall 2023; 3,145 were admitted (6.8%). 1,742 enrolled. Roughly 55% of admitted students enrolled, a typical yield for a school in this range. Duke University enrolls about 6,442 undergraduates in total, 54% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Duke University?
Admitted students at Duke University post SAT scores of 1500 to 1570 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1548. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 34 to 35. A score above 1570 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1500 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Duke University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Duke University looks for
What Duke University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
Duke University signals that it values rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay above the rest of the file. At this level of selectivity, the difference between admits is rarely the transcript alone; essays, recommendations, and a coherent story matter. These ratings come from Duke University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Duke University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Duke University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at Duke University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $87,072 a year. Tuition and fees alone are $68,758. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $29,612 a year, and it ranges from $735 for families earning under $30,000 to $54,230 for families earning over $110,000. 14% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Duke University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for Duke University students ten years after entry are $97,800 ($85,792 at the six-year mark). 97% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 98% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $13,000; 14% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Duke University compares in North Carolina
Duke University ranks #1 most selective of 38 schools in North Carolina in our database.
Among the 38 North Carolina schools we track, Duke University ranks the most selective by acceptance rate. Nothing else in the state is harder to get into; the next tier down includes Davidson College at 13%.
Similar to Duke University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
If Duke University is on your list, schools with a similar admit profile are worth a look: Vanderbilt University, Johns Hopkins University, and Brown University. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Duke University's acceptance rate?
Duke University admitted 3,145 of 46,365 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 6.8% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 55% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Duke University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1500 to 1570 on the SAT and 34 to 35 on the ACT. A score above 1570 is in the top quarter of admits. Duke University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Duke University test-optional?
Yes. Duke University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Duke University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Duke University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $29,612 a year against a sticker price of about $87,072. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $735 on average.
What do Duke University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Duke University are $97,800 a year among students who received federal aid, and 97% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Duke University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Duke University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Duke University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Duke University's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Duke University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Duke University specifically.
Can I get into Duke University with a perfect GPA and test scores?
Top grades and scores are necessary but not sufficient at Duke University. At this selectivity most applicants are already academically qualified, so essays, recommendations, and a distinctive story are what separate admits.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.