Duke University, a private institution in Durham, North Carolina, admitted a record-low 12.8% of Early Decision applicants to the Class of 2029 after receiving a record-high number of applications, according to the Duke Chronicle.
DUKE ACCEPTANCE RATE
This year marked the university’s fifth test-optional admissions cycle. Last year, Duke had an overall acceptance rate of 5.1% for the Class of 2028.
Of the 849 students admitted, 113 were QuestBridge students, the highest number in Duke’s history. Socioeconomic diversity, especially in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision on affirmative action, appears to have been a recruitment focus for Duke. Of the admitted students, 79% plan to enroll in the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences while the remainder will enroll in the Pratt School of Engineering. About 55% are female and 45% are male.
Duke has faced controversy in recent years for its lack of socio-economic diversity compared to other elite Ivy-plus colleges, something the university has been striving to change — 24% of the incoming ED admits will be eligible for federally funded Pell Grants.
Southern schools have been rising in popularity, and Duke is no different, with applications for ED up 6% this year. Still, Duke remains committed to enrolling local students and announced last year that it would offer full tuition grants to students from North and South Carolina with a family income below $150,000.
This program is almost certainly part of Duke’s soaring ED application numbers.
“We want to make it easier for families to choose Duke,” Dean of Trinity College Gary Bennett said when announcing the move. “Attending college can expand a family’s opportunities for generations, and we aim to make the Duke experience as widely accessible as we can.”
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TTA Top Tip: Despite Duke University being test-optional, we strongly encourage our students to prepare for and take standardized tests whenever possible due to the ever-changing attitude of selective institutions towards standardized testing policies. With application numbers rising, particularly at the Southern Ivies, strong test scores can help set you apart from other talented applicants.
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 early acceptance rate data at selective schools and providing insight and analysis of our own.
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- The Rising Popularity of Southern Colleges
- What are the “Southern Ivies”?
- Duke University: Supplemental Essays
- Duke University: Class of 2028 Acceptance Rate
- Average GPA and Class Rank at Top Colleges
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