Duquesne University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
With an acceptance rate near 84%, Duquesne University is an accessible private college in Pennsylvania. Because it admits most qualified applicants, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.
Use this page to see what Duquesne University weighs, where it ranks among Pennsylvania schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1210, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Duquesne 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 Duquesne University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Duquesne University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Duquesne University?
Duquesne University admits most qualified applicants (around 84%), but that overall rate is not your personal chance. 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 Duquesne University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Duquesne University hard to get into?
Duquesne University is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 84% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Duquesne University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Duquesne University, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. Duquesne University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Duquesne University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Duquesne University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 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 Duquesne University with a 3.1 GPA and a 1260 SAT?
About 98% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1260 SAT, the middle of Duquesne University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1340 SAT comes out near 98%. 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/duquesne-university.
How to get into Duquesne University
Built from Duquesne University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Here is how to get into Duquesne University, built from what its admitted class actually looks like and what the school says it weighs.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Duquesne University carries about a 3.08 core GPA and a 1290 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 1180 to 1340 SAT (26 to 32 ACT). Submit a score at 1260 or higher; below 1180, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Duquesne University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
An early application signals interest and gets your file read before the pool fills. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Duquesne University's exact dates at www.duq.edu.
How many students apply to Duquesne University, and how many get in?
For the fall 2023 entering class, Duquesne University received 14,112 applications and admitted 11,128, an acceptance rate of 78.9%. 1,477 enrolled. Only about 13% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Duquesne University enrolls about 5,350 undergraduates in total, 63% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 12 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Duquesne University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Duquesne University scored between 1180 and 1340 on the SAT (average 1276). On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 26 to 32. A score above 1340 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1180 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Duquesne 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 Duquesne University looks for
What Duquesne University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
In its review, Duquesne University leans most on rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Duquesne 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 Duquesne 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 Duquesne University cost after financial aid?
Duquesne University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $67,776 per year. Tuition and fees alone are $48,986. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $37,730 a year, and it ranges from $29,986 for families earning under $30,000 to $41,273 for families earning over $110,000. 20% 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 Duquesne University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Duquesne University student who received federal aid earns $74,742 a year, up from $62,627 at six years. 77% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 84% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $26,244; 67% 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 Duquesne University compares in Pennsylvania
Duquesne University ranks #44 most selective of 62 schools in Pennsylvania in our database.
Among the 62 Pennsylvania schools we track, Duquesne University ranks #44 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like University of Pennsylvania (5%) and Swarthmore College (7%) sit nearby, which makes Pennsylvania a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to Duquesne University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Build around Duquesne University with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as Houston Christian University, Dominican University (CA), and Emory & Henry 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 Duquesne University's acceptance rate?
Duquesne University admitted 11,128 of 14,112 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 78.9% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 13% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Duquesne University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1180 to 1340 on the SAT and 26 to 32 on the ACT. A score above 1340 is in the top quarter of admits. Duquesne University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Duquesne University test-optional?
Yes. Duquesne 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 Duquesne University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Duquesne University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $37,730 a year against a sticker price of about $67,776. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $29,986 on average.
What do Duquesne University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Duquesne University are $74,742 a year among students who received federal aid, and 77% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Duquesne University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Duquesne University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Duquesne University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Duquesne 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 Duquesne 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 Duquesne University specifically.
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.