Duke University acceptance rate

Duke University admitted 5.2% of first-year applicants for fall 2025. Of 55,541 students who applied, 2,910 got in.

Of every 100 applicants, about 5 were admitted.

55,541applied
2,910admitted
1,749enrolled
60%of admitted students enrolled (yield)

Fall 2025 entering class. Source: Duke University, Common Data Set 2025–26, section C1. Checked October 30, 2026.

How this compares with the federal figure

The Department of Education's College Scorecard still shows fall 2024, the latest year federal data covers. The college's own report is a year newer.

Entering class	Acceptance rate	Source
Fall 2025	5.2%	Common Data Set 2025–26
Fall 2024	5.7%	College Scorecard (IPEDS 2024–25)

Admission got harder by 0.5 percentage points in one year.

Early decision and early action

Duke University offers binding early decision. It does not offer early action.

Plan	Apply by	Decision by
Early Decision	November 1	December 15
Regular decision	January 2	Not stated

SAT and ACT scores

Test scores are optional and considered if you send them. In fall 2025, 48% of enrolled first-years submitted SAT scores and 27% submitted ACT scores, so these ranges describe only those students.

The middle 50% of enrolled students who submitted the SAT scored between 1510 and 1570.

SAT composite1510–1570

SAT reading and writing740–780

SAT math770–790

ACT composite34–35

25th, 50th and 75th percentiles of enrolled first-years, fall 2025. Source: Common Data Set 2025–26, section C9. The green bar is the middle 50% and the dark tick is the median.

Check your chances

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Application fee and cost

Application fee: $85.

Tuition and fees for 2025–26 are $72,795; the average net price after grants was $23,706 in 2024–25. See Duke's full cost and net price by family income.

Common questions

What is the Duke acceptance rate?

5.2% for students entering in fall 2025. The college admitted 2,910 of 55,541 first-year applicants, according to its Common Data Set 2025–26. The federal figure for fall 2024 was 5.7%.

Is Duke test-optional?

Yes. Duke University does not require the SAT or ACT, but considers scores if you send them. In fall 2025, 48% of enrolled first-years submitted SAT scores and 27% submitted ACT scores.

Sources

Duke University, Common Data Set 2025–26, checked October 30, 2026.
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, release of October 15, 2026.

Each figure was copied from the source document and checked by hand. If you spot an error, tell us and we'll correct it. Read how we check the data.