Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina, is consistently ranked among the top 10 national universities. Duke, long considered one of the “Southern Ivies,” received 53,223 Regular Decision applications for the Class of 2029, an all-time high, and admitted 1,953 students, for a record-low 3.67% RD acceptance rate, according to The Duke Chronicle.
DUKE ACCEPTANCE RATE: CLASS OF 2029
Duke admitted an all-time low 4.8% of applicants to the Class of 2029 overall and had an early acceptance rate of 12.8%. Both numbers are similar to last year, when Duke had a 5.1% acceptance rate overall and a 12.9% early acceptance rate.
Additionally, a record-high 113 students were admitted through the QuestBridge National College Match Program. Of the students admitted RD, 220 were originally deferred in the ED round.
There were more applicants to the Class of 2029 from North and South Carolina in comparison to recent admissions cycles, likely due to Duke’s recent Carolinas Financial Aid Initiative, which provides students from North and South Carolina with full-tuition scholarships if their family makes less than $150,000 a year.
Southern schools have been gaining popularity in recent years, and Duke is no exception—its applicant pool has continued to grow even as other Ivy+ institutions have seen declines.
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TTA TOP TIP: Duke’s record-low 4.8% acceptance rate for the Class of 2029 reinforces what we tell families every year: applying Early Decision can significantly increase your odds. Duke admitted just 3.67% of Regular Decision applicants but 12.8% in the early round. If Duke is your top choice, a strategic ED application — paired with compelling essays and a well-developed academic narrative — can make all the difference.
At Top Tier Admissions, we are committed to making the college admissions process more transparent. Easy access to clear data helps families understand trends in college admissions to make more informed decisions. This year we’re once again collecting acceptance rate data at selective schools and providing insight and analysis of our own.
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“Top Tier was instrumental in bringing out my innate qualities and helping me build a plan to stand out among other competitive candidates. My original approach would have made me seem like just another applicant. Starting out early with a plan pre-freshman year was instrumental in helping me find my path. I couldn’t have gotten into Duke Early Decision without the help of Michele and Top Tier who were with me every step of the way.”
–J.T., Private Counseling student
WANT TO READ MORE?
Are you thinking about applying to Duke? Curious about admissions trends and strategies to improve your odds? Contact us to discuss our Application Boot Camp® or Private Counseling program — we look forward to supporting you!
- Duke University Admissions
- Duke Acceptance Rate: Early Trends
- The Rising Popularity of Southern Colleges
- Duke University: Supplemental Essays
- What are the “Southern Ivies”?
- Average GPA and Class Rank at Top Colleges
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