The Pros and Cons of Duke

What is Duke’s reputation?

“top-notch research” “strong STEM programs” “great weather” “warm and friendly students” “tons of school spirit” “amazing campus food” “basketball gods” “beautiful gothic-style campus” “imperiled Greek system” “work hard, play hard mentality” “Durham is so-so” “collaborative vibe” “excellent, highly-accessible professors” “tight-knit student community”

Many people mistake Duke for a large public university because it’s a well-known southern school with lots of school spirit, a prominent Greek scene, and a famous basketball team. But it’s actually a small, private university with just 6,500 undergrads, which is roughly the size of most Ivy Leagues. In fact, it’s sometimes called “the Harvard of the south.”

Although Duke is perhaps best known for its strong STEM programs (including engineering, computer science, and biology), it’s equally regarded for its strong economics, public policy, and writing programs, and for its stellar undergraduate teaching in general. If you’re looking for an Ivy-caliber university, but prefer to stay south of the Mason-Dixon line, Duke is an excellent choice.

About Greek Life.

Once upon a time, fraternities and sororities dominated the social scene at Duke. Many students loved this, because it provided a fun counterbalance to the rigorous academics, and let students choose their own “family community” where they could indulge in fun traditions and form lifelong bonds with like-minded classmates. But due to the exclusionary nature of these organizations, and the fact that many of them exhibited systemic sexism, racism and classism, the administration started to crack down.

In 2022, the administration at Duke imposed sweeping changes. All Greek life would now take place off-campus, and in their place, they created a more inclusive residential community system of the future called “QuadEx.” The idea was to replicate the residential college system at Yale, where incoming freshmen are randomly assigned to a “house” where they’ll live, work and play with a small cohort of classmates, forming lifelong bonds. While some students applaud these efforts to create a more inclusive campus, others resent being told what they can and can’t do. (For example, you’ll no longer be able to room with another student on campus unless they’re in your assigned Quad.) It remains to be seen how these changes will affect social life on campus. At most recent count, about one third of Duke students participate in Greek life.

The Pros of Duke…

#1: One of the knocks against many top-tier schools like Harvard, Yale and Princeton is that they come with a fair degree of intellectual snobbery and hyper-competitiveness. Duke offers a top-notch education without any of this nonsense. While students at Duke are undeniably bright and ambitious, the feel on campus is much more friendly, down to earth and collaborative.

#2: Duke’s campus is divided in half. East Campus is where all the freshmen live, and West Campus is where everyone else lives and where most classes are held. While it can be a bit of a drag to grab a shuttle bus between the two campuses (they run every five minutes), most freshmen love the fact that they have an area just to themselves. It really helps build class unity freshman year. You can also walk or bike between the two campuses if you give yourself enough time; walking takes about 30 minutes.

#3: DukeEngage is a popular program that allows students to spend eight weeks in a foreign country (or somewhere else in the US), exploring a new region and serving the local community in the spirit of “voluntourism.”

#4: There is tremendous school spirit, bolstered by the fact that the entire school rallies around the legendary Duke basketball team. This tradition has a way of unifying the campus, and it’s part of what makes Duke great.

#5: Each year, about 25 first-year applicants to Duke and UNC Chapel Hill who show promising leadership skills are chosen to be Robertson Scholars, which provides free tuition for all four years. Recipients get “dual citizenship” at both campuses which means you can take classes and assume leadership positions at either one (the two campuses are 20 minutes away). You even get to switch campuses for one semester sophomore year, plus participate in three fully-funded summer experiences. It’s a highly competitive application process, but well worth the effort.

#6: Free Tuition. In 2023, Duke announced that tuition would be free for all students from North and South Carolina whose families earn less than $150,000/year.

The Cons of Duke…

#1: Duke’s once-famous social scene is undergoing some major changes due to the new community residential system “QuadEx,” and it’s unclear whether this will turn out to be a success or failure. In the meantime, there are sure to be some growing pains. Stay tuned.

#2: Although Duke has become much more diverse in recent years, it still has a reputation for being somewhat of a “white and wealthy” school. For the Class of 2026, for example, 51% of students identified as white or partially white. There’s also a disproportionately large number of students from southern states, including North Carolina (16%), Texas (8%), and Florida (6%). In total, about 50% of Duke undergraduates come from the south. Compare that with the percentage of southern students at other top-tier universities like UPenn (12%), Brown (15%), or Columbia (23%).

If you like Duke, you might also like…

If you’re looking for another highly-ranked school in the nearby area, you should consider University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unlike Duke, UNC is a large public university with approximately 20,000 undergraduates. But US News & World Report ranked it the #4 public university in the nation, it has an excellent basketball program, lots of school spirit, and is located just 20 minutes from Duke. Also, Chapel Hill is a great college town.

Another excellent southern university that’s the same size as Duke is Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia (ranked #24 in national universities). Like Duke, Emory excels in scientific research and strong writing programs, but there’s much less emphasis on the sports culture and Greek life.

Finally, Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN is the same size as Duke with 7,000 undergraduates, ranks #18 in the nation, and features one of the most vibrant cities with music, culture, restaurants and bars. Like Duke, it has a reputation for being a bit “white and wealthy,” but it has a lot of school spirit, a strong alumni network, and tons of students from the south.

How to get into Duke…

From a statistical standpoint, you’re far more likely to get into Duke if you apply Early Decision. Unfortunately, the ED acceptance rate has been declining in recent years. Historically, the ED rate was close to 20% (compared to 6% for Regular Decision), but for the Class of 2028, it dropped to just 13%. Still, that’s double the Regular Decision rate.

Should you submit your ACT/SAT scores?

Duke remains “test optional” for the time being, which means you can submit your standardized test scores or not; it’s up to you. But it’s worth noting that for the Class of 2026, 86% of admitted students submitted either their SAT (49%) or ACT (37%). That tells you that the vast majority of students who get into Duke submit their scores. The median SAT was 1530, and the median ACT was 34. We recommend making test prep a priority and submitting your scores if they’re anywhere near those average scores.