Duke

Duke University

Duke
#39 / #16
Global Influence / U.S. Influence
#12
Most Desirable School
Private university in Durham, North Carolina, USA

Duke University Featured Rankings

About Duke University

By James Barham, PhD

Duke began life as Brown’s Schoolhouse, on a site in what is now the town of Trinity in Randolph County, North Carolina, a little over 70 miles west of its current location in the city of Durham.

The small school experienced rapid growth in the years leading up to the Civil War, and underwent a succession of name changes: to Union Institute Academy (1841), Normal College (1851), and Trinity College (1859). In its cultural roots, the Methodist and Quaker faiths both loom large.

Finally, in 1892 the still-growing college was gifted with a major endowment from the wealthy tobacco entrepreneur, philanthropist, and devout Methodist, Washington Duke. It was at this time that its location was transferred to Durham.

A little later, Washington Duke’s son, James B. Duke, substantially increased the university’s endowment, to a total sum of about $40 million (around $580 million in today’s dollars). In honor of the contributions of the Duke family, in 1924the school changed its name one last time.

Washington Duke’s educational vision was to transform the modest teacher and minister training college into a major research university on the German model that would be capable of intellectually rivalling its Northern peers. In this, he succeeded beyond all expectation. Today, Duke is one of the premier private research universities in the South, and among the top tier of private schools in the country—effectively, the equivalent of an Ivy League school.

In addition to the influence flowing from the German research university model, Duke’s direction was also strongly shaped by its Methodist and Quaker roots, which toward the turn of the new century gave the school a decidedly progressive social impetus.

For example, Trinity College’s 1892 charter stipulated that the university’s doors be open to women on an equal basis with men. Also, in 1900, Duke became the first university in the country to host the renowned African American educator Booker T. Washington as an invited speaker. Native Americans also began to be included among its graduates around this same time.

There are some 15 Nobel laureates with Duke connections, including the:

  • Physicists, Charles Townes and Gerardus ’t Hooft
  • Biochemist, Robert Lefkowitz
  • Cancer researcher, William Kaelin, Jr.
  • Nigerian playwright, Wole Soyinka

Among other notable, Duke-associated scientists, we may mention the physicist and evolutionary theorist, Adrian Bejan. Duke can also boast of three Turing Award–winners:

  • Frederick Brooks
  • Edmund Clarke
  • John Cocke

Among the many other famous people who have been connected to Duke, the following are very notable:

  • Philosopher, Alasdair MacIntyre
  • Novelists, William Styron & Reynolds Price
  • Historian, John Hope Franklin
  • Literary theorist, Stanley Fish
  • Psychologists, Jerome Bruner, Roy Baumeister, & Dan Ariely
  • Economist, Allan Meltzer
  • Television personalities, Judy Woodruff & Charlie Rose
  • Father and son Libertarian politicians, Ron & Rand Paul
  • Lawyer, judge, and Clinton-era special prosecutor, Kenneth Starr

Duke also administers two international sister colleges: a medical school in Singapore and Kunshan University in China.

According to Wikipedia, Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James Buchanan Duke established The Duke Endowment and the institution changed its name to honor his deceased father, Washington Duke.

Duke University's Online Degrees

MS in Accelerated Master'S Of Science In Quantitative Management
Degree Concentrations
  • Business Analytics
  • Required Credits: None Reported
  • Completion Time: None Reported
  • Format: None Reported
MBA in Global Executive Mba
  • Required Credits: None Reported
  • Completion Time: None Reported
  • Format: None Reported
MSQM in Master'S Of Science In Quantitative Management
Degree Concentrations
  • Business Analytics
  • Health Analytics
  • Required Credits: None Reported
  • Completion Time: None Reported
  • Format: None Reported
Dmin in Doctor Of Ministry
  • Required Credits: None Reported
  • Completion Time: None Reported
  • Format: None Reported
MACP in Master'S Of Arts In Christian Practice
  • Required Credits: None Reported
  • Completion Time: None Reported
  • Format: None Reported
DNP in Doctor Of Nursing Practice
  • Required Credits: None Reported
  • Completion Time: None Reported
  • Format: None Reported
MSN in Master'S Of Science In Nursing
  • Required Credits: None Reported
  • Completion Time: None Reported
  • Format: None Reported
MEM in Master'S Of Engineering Management
  • Required Credits: None Reported
  • Completion Time: None Reported
  • Format: None Reported
MEM in Master'S Of Environmental Management
  • Required Credits: None Reported
  • Completion Time: None Reported
  • Format: None Reported

Duke University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information

Annual ApplicationsAcceptanceGraduation RateMedian SAT ScoreMedian ACT Score
50,0166%97%153034

How Much Does Duke University Cost To Attend?

Tuition (in-state)
$62,688
Price by Family Income
IncomeAverage Net Cost
0 - 30K$3,931
30K - 48K$2,025
48K - 75K$10,076
75K - 110K$17,506
110K+$49,945

Source: National Center for Education Statistics

How Much Do Duke University Graduates Make?

If you graduate from Duke University, then you can expect to earn an average of $114,500 per year. You also have a 93% chance of being employed after 10 years.

Duke University's Demographics

Demographic data is for full-time, on-campus students.

Student BodyUnder-GradsGraduates
18,3576,95311,404

Where is Duke University?

Duke University is located at 103 Allen Bldg, Durham NC 27708

How Safe is Duke University?

Duke University has a violent crime rate of less than .01% and a property crime rate of less than .01%.

What Is Duke University Known For?

Duke University is known for it's academic work in the following disciplines:

Duke University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered

Nursing
#16
World Rank
#16
Historical Rank
#10
USA Rank
nursing Degrees
Religious Studies
#48
World Rank
#61
Historical Rank
#11
USA Rank
religious-studies-hub Degrees
Political Science
#44
World Rank
#51
Historical Rank
#16
USA Rank
political-science Degrees
Psychology
#25
World Rank
#36
Historical Rank
#16
USA Rank
psychology Degrees
Philosophy
#51
World Rank
#81
Historical Rank
#17
USA Rank
philosophy Degrees
Literature
#40
World Rank
#69
Historical Rank
#17
USA Rank
literature Degrees
Education
#44
World Rank
#50
Historical Rank
#17
USA Rank
education Degrees
Law
#41
World Rank
#44
Historical Rank
#17
USA Rank
Sociology
#46
World Rank
#53
Historical Rank
#17
USA Rank
sociology Degrees
Business
#28
World Rank
#27
Historical Rank
#18
USA Rank
business Degrees
Anthropology
#39
World Rank
#52
Historical Rank
#18
USA Rank
anthropology Degrees
Medical
#40
World Rank
#44
Historical Rank
#19
USA Rank
medicine Degrees
Communications
#57
World Rank
#67
Historical Rank
#20
USA Rank
communications Degrees
Economics
#47
World Rank
#61
Historical Rank
#20
USA Rank
economics Degrees
History
#50
World Rank
#57
Historical Rank
#21
USA Rank
history Degrees
Biology
#51
World Rank
#68
Historical Rank
#23
USA Rank
biology Degrees
Engineering
#68
World Rank
#92
Historical Rank
#23
USA Rank
engineering Degrees
Earth Sciences
#96
World Rank
#117
Historical Rank
#25
USA Rank
earth-science Degrees
Computer Science
#61
World Rank
#62
Historical Rank
#26
USA Rank
computer-science Degrees
Chemistry
#116
World Rank
#150
Historical Rank
#30
USA Rank
chemistry Degrees
Physics
#111
World Rank
#139
Historical Rank
#31
USA Rank
physics Degrees
Mathematics
#103
World Rank
#148
Historical Rank
#32
USA Rank
math Degrees

Who Are Duke University's Most Influential Alumni?

Duke University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Nursing, Business, and Criminal Justice. Here are some of Duke University's most famous alumni:

Jerome Bruner
Jerome Bruner
An American psychologist and scholar.
Fred Brooks
Fred Brooks
An American computer scientist .
Ken Wilber
Ken Wilber
An American writer and public speaker.
Charlie Rose
Charlie Rose
An American TV interviewer and journalist.
John W. Campbell
John W. Campbell
An American science fiction writer .
Dan Ariely
Dan Ariely
An Israeli American professor of psychology and behavioral economics.
Paul Farmer
Paul Farmer
An American anthropologist, 1959-2022.
Russell Kirk
Russell Kirk
An American political theorist and writer .
David G. Bromley
An American academic and sociologist .
Michael Tomasello
An American developmental psychologist.
Peter J. Denning
Peter J. Denning
An American computer scientist and writer.
Charles Tart
Charles Tart
An American experimental psychologist .

Who Are Duke University's Most Influential Faculty?

Duke University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Nursing, Business, and Criminal Justice. Here are some of Duke University's most famous alumni:

Zephyr Teachout
An American academic, political activist and candidate.
Stephen Cameron
An American economist.
Michael Sheetz
An American biochemist.
Omid Safi
An American academic.
Jedediah Purdy
An American legal scholar.
Lenhard Ng
A Chinese American mathematician.
Sandro Galea
Sandro Galea
An American physician.
Hesham Sallam
Hesham Sallam
An Egyptian Vertebrate Paleontologist.
Roxana Mehran
An Iranian cardiologist.
Cynthia Rudin
An American computer scientist and statistician.
Drew Shindell
A Climatologist.
Brian Hare
Brian Hare
An American anthropologist .