Duke University

Overview

Duke University, located in North Carolina, is one of the wealthiest private institutions in the U.S. and a major producer of international scholars. Founded in 1838 as Trinity College, it became Duke University in 1924 following the establishment of the Duke Endowment. Although it is considered younger than many prestigious U.S. research universities, it has grown into a top institution. The university's original campus, built in Georgian style, is now known as East Campus. The West Campus, added in 1930 and designed in Gothic style, is home to the iconic Duke Chapel tower. Duke University is composed of 10 schools and colleges, with the oldest being the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences (founded in 1859) and the newest being the Nicholas School of the Environment, founded just 25 years ago.

Duke has an impressive graduation rate, with about 95% of students completing their degree within four years. Popular majors among the 2015 entry class included public policy, economics, biology, biomedical engineering, and psychology. Sports and the arts both thrive at Duke, with the university’s athletic teams competing in basketball and other sports, while more than 60 arts events are held annually. In 2014, Duke Kunshan University was opened in China to combine liberal arts education with Chinese traditions. Additionally, Duke has a partnership with the National University of Singapore, collaborating on a joint medical program that began in 2007.

Duke University is highly competitive, with only 11.4% of applicants accepted for the "Class of 2019." Unusually, it requires undergraduates to live on campus for their first three years, and more than 75% of students engage in volunteer work, aligning with the university’s mission of "knowledge in service to society."