Duke University
Duke publishes 5.2% (Class of 2029). Early Decision applicants got in at 13%; everyone else at 4.2%.
Acceptance rate
What Duke's 5.2% is made of
The published rate averages groups with very different odds. These are the splits Duke reports itself.
By application round
Class of 2029 (entering Fall 2025)
Read the full decomposition →Early Decision advantage
13% of ED applicants were admitted, against 4.2% for everyone else. Duke publishes the rates but not the counts.
Class of 2029 (2025-2026 admissions cycle; entering Fall 2025) · as of August 2026
See where Duke ranks →Part of Real Acceptance Rates, our series decomposing published rates from each school's own Common Data Set.
Testing
Test-Optional for 2026-27
- Policy
Duke is officially test-optional for both first-year and transfer applicants for the 2026-27 cycle. Applicants without SAT/ACT scores are not disadvantaged; those who submit scores can choose to have them suppressed during review. No future required-testing change has been announced.
- SAT middle 50%
- 1500–1570sum of section 25th–75th percentiles
- ACT middle 50%
- 34–35
- Average HS GPA
- Not published by the school
Applying
Deadlines, essays and AI policy
- Early deadlines
- Nov 2, 2026 (ED)
- Regular decision
- Jan 4, 2027Source
- Supplemental essays
- 2 required
Two required 250-word essays for 2026-27: 'Why Duke' (fit with Duke/Trinity/Pratt) and a new 'Communities' essay (a community that shaped you). Plus choose 1 of 3 optional 250-word prompts (diverse viewpoints, respectful disagreement, or something you're excited about).
- AI use in essays
No Official Policy
We reviewed Duke's apply hub, its full admissions FAQ, and its What We Look For page — no AI guidance anywhere.
Full cycle calendar: Application Deadlines.
At a glance
Size and cost
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 6,442
- Tuition (out-of-state)
- $68,758
- Category
- Elite Private
- Admissions site
- www.duke.edu
Dewey Smart
Dewey students who got into Duke
Mentors who got into Duke
Our mentors who go to Duke, or just graduated from it.
What should this school mean for your list?
A published rate is one input. Working out what it means alongside the rest of your list is the part that actually changes an application. Free 25-minute call, no commitment.
Sources
- Duke test policy (2026-27)
- Duke deadlines
- Duke admissions pages
- Duke admissions pages
- Acceptance rate, test-score percentiles, enrollment and tuition: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, pulled 2026-08-19.
Test policy and deadlines last verified 2026-08-17.
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