Record Early Decision Applications at Duke University, 806 Students Admitted This Fall

Duke University has offered admission to 806 students for the Class of 2028, after receiving a record number of early applications this fall - about 28 percent more than in 2022.

According to the Duke Chronicle, the university’s newspaper, these students were admitted from a pool of over 6,200 early-decision applicants.

However, the 806 accepted students equaled an early decision acceptance rate of approximately 12.9 percent, the lowest in the university’s history, Erudera.com reports.

More than half of the admitted students are women, 13 percent are first-generation, while 8 percent are international students.

Moreover, a notable 25 percent increase from the previous year was observed in the number of successful applicants hailing from the Carolinas. Specifically, 145 students from the region secured spots at Duke, with 121 of them coming from North Carolina and the remaining 24 from South Carolina.

Commenting on the data, Duke’s Provost, Alec Gallimore, expressed his enthusiasm for the regional representation, stating that the goal is to have more students from the Carolinas interested in studying at the university.

“Duke always attracts phenomenally talented students. Our goal in providing more equitable access to a Duke education was to help more academically outstanding students from the Carolinas see Duke as an option. I’m so pleased that we will be admitting more students from the region we call home,” Gallimore said.

On the other hand, Christoph Guttentag, Duke’s Dean of Admissions, described the early decision application review process as one of the most challenging he has experienced.

He said that one of the reasons behind the high number of applicants is Duke’s financial aid initiative, launched in June.

Under the program, eligible students from North and South Carolina with low annual incomes have their tuition costs covered. Tuition at Duke University for this academic year is $63,000.

Apart from the Carolinas, Duke received the highest number of applications from California, New York, Texas, and Florida students.

Duke University also witnessed a surge in applications through the QuestBridge National College Match program, designed to assist high-achieving students with low income in applying to elite universities. Data reveals that 97 students, nearly double the previous year’s number, gained admission through this program.

Of the admitted students, 625 plan to attend Duke’s Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, while 181 plan to enroll in the Pratt School of Engineering. Students have until January 2 to apply to the university in the non-binding regular decision process.

Last year, Duke admitted 800 early decision applicants to the Class of 2027.

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