Duke University : Rankings, Fees & Courses Details | Top Universities
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Duke University

Location

Main Campus, Durham United States

Ranking

# 61QS World University Rankings

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127Undergraduate programs

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189Postgraduate programs

Scholarship

AvailableScholarship

About Duke University

Founded in 1838, Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, named after the university’s great benefactor James Buchanan Duke’s deceased father, Washington Duke. 

Its campus spans over 8,600 acres on three campuses in Durham as well as a marine lab in Beaufort. The main campus – designed largely by architect Julian Abele – incorporates Gothic architecture with the looming presence of Duke Chapel, the campus' centerpiece that seats nearly 1,600 people and contains a 5,200-pipe organ. 

Duke is the seventh-wealthiest private university in America and in 2014, Thomson Reuters named 32 of Duke's professors to its list of Highly Cited Researchers. Ten Nobel laureates and three Turing Award winners are also affiliated with the university, which is the second-largest private employer in the state of North Carolina. 

From its early days as Brown’s Schoolhouse, Duke has evolved into a global academic and research powerhouse. Its Levine Science Research Center is the largest single-site interdisciplinary research facility of any American university, and in 2014 Duke spread its tentacles eastwards, opening a Chinese outpost, Duke Kunshan University, which blends an American-style liberal arts education with Chinese traditions. 

Its recent academic achievements include three of its students being named Rhodes Scholars in 2002 and 2006. Also in 2006, Duke researchers unveiled the first working demonstration of an invisibility cloak, to the delight of Harry Potter fans around the world. 

A total of around 15,000 students attend Duke, with the majority of them being postgraduates. There is an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio, which personalizes the learning experience. 

Undergraduates have access to four academic schools including Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, and the Sanford School of Public Policy. Graduate students can enroll in nine graduate and professional schools, including Duke Law School, Fuqua School of Business, and the School of Medicine. 

The university has an ethnically diverse and politically engaged student body: activism in the 1960s prompted Martin Luther King Jr to speak on campus about the civil rights movement, and, following violence in Charlottesville in 2017, the statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee was removed from the entrance to Duke University Chapel.  

The majority of Duke students live on campus, where they can take advantage of the university’s enviable sports facilities and get fully involved in student life. Duke is home to over 400 student organizations – cultural, faith-based, political, and service-based – that foster student interaction and exchange, and help students develop their interests and passions. 


About Duke University

Founded in 1838, Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, named after the university’s great benefactor James Buchanan Duke’s deceased father, Washington Duke. 

Its campus spans over 8,600 acres on three campuses in Durham as well as a marine lab in Beaufort. The main campus – designed largely by architect Julian Abele – incorporates Gothic architecture with the looming presence of Duke Chapel, the campus' centerpiece that seats nearly 1,600 people and contains a 5,200-pipe organ. 

Duke is the seventh-wealthiest private university in America and in 2014, Thomson Reuters named 32 of Duke's professors to its list of Highly Cited Researchers. Ten Nobel laureates and three Turing Award winners are also affiliated with the university, which is the second-largest private employer in the state of North Carolina. 

From its early days as Brown’s Schoolhouse, Duke has evolved into a global academic and research powerhouse. Its Levine Science Research Center is the largest single-site interdisciplinary research facility of any American university, and in 2014 Duke spread its tentacles eastwards, opening a Chinese outpost, Duke Kunshan University, which blends an American-style liberal arts education with Chinese traditions. 

Its recent academic achievements include three of its students being named Rhodes Scholars in 2002 and 2006. Also in 2006, Duke researchers unveiled the first working demonstration of an invisibility cloak, to the delight of Harry Potter fans around the world. 

A total of around 15,000 students attend Duke, with the majority of them being postgraduates. There is an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio, which personalizes the learning experience. 

Undergraduates have access to four academic schools including Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, and the Sanford School of Public Policy. Graduate students can enroll in nine graduate and professional schools, including Duke Law School, Fuqua School of Business, and the School of Medicine. 

The university has an ethnically diverse and politically engaged student body: activism in the 1960s prompted Martin Luther King Jr to speak on campus about the civil rights movement, and, following violence in Charlottesville in 2017, the statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee was removed from the entrance to Duke University Chapel.  

The majority of Duke students live on campus, where they can take advantage of the university’s enviable sports facilities and get fully involved in student life. Duke is home to over 400 student organizations – cultural, faith-based, political, and service-based – that foster student interaction and exchange, and help students develop their interests and passions. 


Available programs

Duke University offers two undergraduate paths: liberal arts and engineering.

 

Depending on your interests, you’ll be able to choose between 53 majors, including:

  • Russian

  • Visual arts

  • Romance studies

  • Mathematics

  • Global health

  • Environmental engineering

BA in Art History

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BA in English

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BA in German

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BA in History

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BA in Linguistics

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BA in Music

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BA in Philosophy

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BA in Russian

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BA in Visual Arts

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BA in Psychology

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BS in Psychology

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BA in Chemistry

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BA in Mathematics

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BA in Physics

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BS in Chemistry

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BS in Mathematics

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BS in Physics

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BA in Economics

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BA in Religion

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BA in Sociology

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BS in Economics

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Duke University’s graduate school runs over 70 certificates, master’s degrees and PhDs, including:

  • Genetics and genomics

  • Earth and ocean sciences

  • Molecular cancer biology

  • Public policy studies

  • Psychology and neuroscience

University information

Bachelor

1490+
7+
100+

Master

301+
3+
7+
90+
17,624
37%
63%
4,305
15%
85%
5,446
90%
10%

Tuition fee and scholarships

One of the important factors when considering a master's degree is the cost of study. Luckily, there are many options available to help students fund their master's programme. Download your copy of the Scholarship Guide to find out which scholarships from around the world could be available to you, and how to apply for them.

In this guide you will find:
opportunities

Where to look for scholarship opportunities

how_to

How to apply to scholarships relevant to you

list

A list of available scholarships around the world

checklist

A scholarship application checklist

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download_icon Download Scholarship Guide

Rankings & ratings

Duke University is one of the top private universities in Durham, United States. It is ranked #61 in QS World University Rankings 2025.

QS World University Rankings

  • 2012
    #20
  • 2014
    #23
  • 2015
    #=25
  • 2016
    #29
  • 2017
    #=24
  • 2018
    #=21
  • 2019
    #26
  • 2020
    #25
  • 2021
    #42
  • 2022
    #52
  • 2023
    #=50
  • 2024
    #57
  • 2025
    #61

Campus locations

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Duke University basic Private Very High 3 yes 4305 L 168