Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James Buchanan Duke established The Duke Endowment and the institution changed its name to honor his deceased father, Washington Duke.A visit to Duke University represents just the start of the adventure when you use our Durham trip planner to plot your vacation.
The campus spans over 8,600 acres (3,500 hectares) on three contiguous sub-campuses in Durham, and a marine lab in Beaufort. The West Campus—designed largely by architect Julian Abele, an African American architect who graduated first in his class at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design—incorporates Gothic architecture with the 210-foot (64-meter) Duke Chapel at the campus' center and highest point of elevation, is adjacent to the Medical Center. East Campus, 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) away, home to all first-years, contains Georgian-style architecture. The university administers two concurrent schools in Asia, Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore (established in 2005) and Duke Kunshan University in Kunshan, China (established in 2013).
Duke is ranked among the top universities in the United States and in the world by major publications. The undergraduate admissions are among the most selective in the country, with an overall acceptance rate of 6.2% for the class of 2026. Duke spends more than $1 billion per year on research, making it one of the ten largest research universities in the United States. More than a dozen faculty regularly appear on annual lists of the world's most-cited researchers. As of 2019, 15 Nobel laureates and 3 Turing Award winners have been affiliated with the university. Duke alumni also include 50 Rhodes Scholars, the third highest number of Churchill Scholars of any university (behind Princeton and Harvard), and the fifth-highest combined total numbers of Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Goldwater, and Udall Scholars of any American university between 1986 and 2017. Duke is the alma mater of one president of the United States (Richard Nixon) and 14 living billionaires.
As of 2021, Duke is the fourth-largest private employer in North Carolina, with more than 43,000 employees. The university has been ranked as an excellent employer by several publications.
Source
Duke University reviews
-
Very great memories as friend from D.C. also on campus gave me the night of my life; 2nd David Bowie in dress to charisma the man is scrumptious in so many ways & love watching Duke basketball with...
Very great memories as friend from D.C. also on campus gave me the night of my life; 2nd David Bowie in dress to charisma the man is scrumptious in so many ways & love watching Duke basketball with... more »
-
This is not only an excellent university, but it has a lovely campus. All the stone work is gorgeous. If in the area, drop by for a walk around; This is a special campus.
This is not only an excellent university, but it has a lovely campus. All the stone work is gorgeous. If in the area, drop by for a walk around; This is a special campus. more »
-
Beautiful campus, gardens, lemur center and athletics.
-
Beautiful university! Love the Belinda Gates summer program (Duke Engage- where students spend the 8 weeks immersing in civic activities around the world) which is free to all Duke students!
Plan your trip to Durham
Get a personalized tripA full day by day itinerary based on your preferences Customize itRefine your trip. We'll find the
best routes and schedules Manage itEverything in one place. Everyone on the same page.Know more
Popular things to do in Durham
Side trips from Durham
Hidden gems in Durham
Breweries & Distilleries in Durham
Nearby attractions in Durham
Trips in Duke University by other users
60 days in East Coast of USA
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Atlanta
Asheville
Charlotte
12 days in New York City, Niagara Falls & Raleigh, Durham & The Triangle
BY A USER FROM UNITED KINGDOM
New York City
Niagara Falls
Durham
21 days in United States
BY A USER FROM INDIA
Atlanta
Honolulu
Wailuku
5 days in Raleigh, Durham & The Triangle
SEE PLAN
Raleigh
9 days in Fayetteville
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Veterans Park
Cape Fear Botanical Garden
Mazerick Park
60 days in North Carolina
BY A USER FROM AUSTRALIA
Charlotte
Bryson City
Asheville