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Duke University is one of the most famous universities in the world, ranked #52 in QS World Universities 2022. Known for its Business and Engineering faculties, it is one of the 50 most competitive schools in the world for undergraduate courses. The Duke University acceptance rate is declining slowly over the past few years as more and more students compete to apply for the university. Let’s know more about the Duke University acceptance rate and the previous year’s stats for a better understanding.
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About Duke University
Before straight diving into Duke University’s acceptance rate, let’s first get to know more about this prestigious US university. Duke University, founded in 1838 and located in Durham, North Carolina, is a private research university. This university has three campuses: East Campus, which houses the freshman campus and various academic departments, West Campus, which spans an area of around 720 acres, and Central Campus, which spans 200 acres, with a total main campus area of approximately 9,000 acres spread across three sub-campuses.
The university is divided into ten colleges and schools, each of which offers graduate and undergraduate degrees. Sanford School of Public Policy, School of Law, Fuqua School of Business, Pratt School of Engineering, School of Medicine, School of Nursing, and Fuqua School of Business. The institution also provides financial help to its students through a variety of scholarships, which are awarded on a merit or need basis. Carlos Boozer (NBA player), Melinda Gates (co-founder of The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation), and Ron Paul are among the university’s notable graduates (former U.S. Congressman).
This university is now home to 3 Turing Award winners and 13 Nobel Laureates. Duke University strives to provide an engaging and personalised classroom experience, as evidenced by the university’s student-to-faculty ratio of 8:1. On-campus housing is home to the majority of university students, who are involved in a variety of organisations and student groups.
Duke University Deadlines
Following is the application deadline for Duke University:
| Program | Application Deadline |
| M.S Computer Science | Application Deadline For Fall Semester[31 Jan, 2023] |
| M.S Electrical and Computer Engineering – Engineering Physics | Application Deadline For Fall Semester[16 Jan, 2023] |
| M.B.A | Early Application Deadline[7 Sep, 2022] Application Deadline Round 1[26 Sep, 2022] Application Deadline Round 2[5 Jan, 2023] Application Deadline Round 3[28 Mar, 2023] |
| M.B.A Accelerated | Early Application Deadline[7 Sep, 2022] Application Deadline Round 1[26 Sep, 2022] Application Deadline Round 2[5 Jan, 2023] Application Deadline Round 3[28 Mar, 2023] |
| M.Eng Mechanical Engineering | Application Deadline Round 1[15 Jan, 2022] Application Deadline Round 2[15 Mar, 2022] Decision Deadline Round 1[15 Mar, 2022] Decision Deadline Round 2[15 Apr, 2022] |
| M.S Civil and Environmental Engineering – Engineering Environmental Geomechanics and Geophysics | Application Deadline For Fall Semester[4 Jan, 2023] |
| M.S Data Science | Application Deadline For Fall Semester[31 Jan, 2023] |
| M.S Biomedical Engineering | Application Deadline For Fall Semester[31 Jan, 2023] |
| M.S Economics and Computation | Application Deadline For Fall Semester[15 Feb, 2023] |
| B.S Economics – Finance | Early Decision Deadline[1 Nov, 2022] Regular Decision Deadline[3 Jan, 2023] |
| B.A Psychology | Early Decision Deadline[1 Nov, 2022] Regular Decision Deadline[3 Jan, 2023] |
Duke University Acceptance Rate
Duke University, which is ranked 12th among national universities, receives a large number of applications from students all around the world. Duke university’s acceptance rate is merely 7.8%, which indicates that out of every 100 students who apply for a seat, only 8 are accepted. Historically, it has had a 27% admission rate for Indian students.
Duke University Acceptance Rate Statistics
In the 2020-21 admissions season, Duke had an acceptance rate of 8.2%. The school got 49,555 applications in the 2021-22 cycle, but only 5.8% were admitted, the lowest rate in school history. Furthermore, in the 2021-22 admission cycle, just 840 of the 5,036 Early Decision candidates were accepted. This translates to a 16.7% acceptance rate, which is almost four times higher than the normal round. The ED Duke University acceptance rate of the previous year (Class of 2024) was 20.7%.
The 2023 intake is one of the most challenging years to be admitted to Duke University. For the Class of 2023, around 41,613 students applied out of which only 3,064 students were accepted. The acceptance rate came out as 7.4%. Around 882 students were admitted through the early admission process with 4,852 students applying. The acceptance rate for these students came out as 18.2%.
| Batch | Number of Selected Students | Number of Applications | Acceptance Rate |
| 2024 | 3,057 | 39,783 | 7.68% |
| 2023 | 3,064 | 41,613 | 7.36% |
| 2022 | 3,097 | 37,302 | 8.30% |
| 2021 | 3,116 | 34,406 | 9.06% |
| 2020 | 3,314 | 31,150 | 10.64% |
| 2019 | 3,534 | 31,150 | 11.35% |
| 2018 | 3,494 | 32,506 | 10.75% |
| 2017 | 3,682 | 31,785 | 11.58% |
Duke University MBA Acceptance Rate
Duke University offers MBA through Fuqua Business School. The average acceptance rate for the course is around 22% making it fairly competitive. The school considers multiple parameters to select the best profile of students. The profile of the Class of 2022 has 408 students with an average work experience of 5.6 and an average age of 29 years. 46% of the students in the team are women while 38% identify as minorities.
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Eligibility Criteria of Duke University
Applying to a foreign university takes a lot of requirements. Especially when you are targeting Duke University, you must keep all the details in mind to ensure your chances of admission:
GPA Requirements
To get past the first round of filters, you must meet the GPA requirements as Duke University is an extremely selective university. Universities have minimum requirements but you should always aim at getting at least the average GPA to get a chance of getting into Duke University.
The average GPA is 4.13. If in any case, you cannot score 4.13, you must compensate by scoring higher on your SAT and ACT.
SAT Requirements
The average SAT score required at Duke University is 1510 out of the 1600 SAT scale.
Breakdown of SAT scores:
| Section | Average Score |
| Math | 770 |
| Reading + Writing | 740 |
| Composite | 1510 |
If you are not able to score as much as the average score, then you can retake the SAT exam to have a higher chance of getting into Duke University.
ACT Requirements
Just like SAT, you need to have a high ACT score to get your application. The average ACT score of the students that apply to Duke University is 34. In case you score less than 35, you should take a retest for better chances of selection.
Another requirement that Duke University asks for is the SAT Essay/ ACT Writing Section. Although SAT and ACT have optional writing sections, Duke University still asks for them as a factor of judgement for the admission process, admitting only those who are most competent.
English Proficiency Test Scores
| Test Name | UG Minimum Score | PG Minimum Score |
|---|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT | 100 | 90 |
| IELTS | 7 | 7 |
| PTE Academic | 70 | – |
Also Read: ACT vs SAT: How to Choose the Right Test?
Documents Required
Post knowing about the challenging Duke University acceptance rate, here are some of the important documents and paperwork that are required to apply to Duke University:
- Official academic transcripts
- English language proficiency score
- Statement of Purpose/Personal Statement
- Letters of Recommendation
- Work Experience (For some courses)
- Essays (if asked)
- Portfolio (if required)
- Updated CV/Resume
- Student Visa
- Bank Statements
- Passport copy
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Things to Know Before Applying to Duke University
As part of the admissions process, Duke provides optional alumni interviews. You will be connected with an alumni interviewer in your region on a first-come, first-served basis after completing your application. No candidate is permitted an on-campus, evaluative interview with a Duke admissions official. Interviews typically last 30-60 minutes. Not every student is offered an interview after the process, and those who are not being asked to provide an extra recommendation with their application. Make sure to devote enough time and attention to the Duke-mandated extra essays.
FAQs
Duke University is a very competitive institution, and its admissions statistics rank it among the top 50 most competitive undergraduate admissions programmes in the world. Acceptance rates at Duke University have been declining for the past eight years, following the pattern at other elite schools, and will almost probably continue to do so in the future.
The average annual fee for Indian students to study at Duke University is anywhere from $50,000 – $55,000(INR 41 – 45 lakhs).
No! Duke University is not an Ivy League university simply because the university is not a member or a part of the Ivy League.
As an elite, private institution, Duke University is often considered the Ivy of the South. With that reputation comes the stigma of inheritance: inherited trust funds inherited acceptances, and inherited social status.
Duke University’s acceptance rate is highly competitive but if you are determined to apply we can help you land your dream university. Book a FREE session with our Leverage Edu experts or simply call us at 1800 57 2000!
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