Duke Demographics & Diversity

10/10 Overall Rating
4 Year
Durham, NC
5.0 6 reviews

#2 Best Colleges in America

Overview Admission Cost Majors Diversity Outcomes Salaries Location Compare Reviews Admission Calculator

Racial Demographics & Diversity

Racial Diversity

Very High

Racial Diversity Index: 70%

Racial diversity is the chance that two students chosen at random are from different racial or ethnic groups, using the U.S. Census Bureau Diversity Index. Students at Duke are predominantly White with a sizeable Asian population. The school has very high racial diversity. 54% percent of students are minorities or people of color (BIPOC). The ethnic breakdown is detailed in the following table.

Racial demographics of Duke University students
Race	Percent of Students
White	46%
Black	10%
Hispanic	7%
Asian	22%
American Indian / Alaskan	1%
Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	0%
Two or more races	2%
International	10%
Race Unknown	2%

Gender Demographics & Diversity

Gender Diversity

Very High

Gender Diversity Index: 49%

There are 25% more female students than male students enrolled at Duke University with a gender ratio of 56% women to 44% men. Compared to the US average of 56% female students, Duke has a higher gender diversity than other US colleges and is very inclusive of both genders.

Male to female gender ratio for Duke University students
Gender	Percent of Students
Men	44%
Women	56%

Enrollment by gender for Duke University students
Gender	Number of Students
Men	7,778
Women	9,721

Geographic Diversity

Very High

Geographic Diversity Index: 85%

Duke draws 15 percent of students from North Carolina, 73 percent from other states, and 9 percent from other countries. Geographic diversity is the share of students from outside North Carolina, including other U.S. states and other countries.

Enrollment by geographic location for Duke University students
Origin	Percent of Students
In State	15%
Out of State	73%
Foreign	9%
Unknown Location	3%

Economic Diversity

Median Household Income

$78,468 per year

17% of students can be considered low-income as indicated by their receipt of Federal Pell Grant Aid.

Total Enrollment

Total enrollment

17,499

Share of undergraduates by age and part-time status
Segment	Percent of Students
Students Over 25 Years Old	0.3%
Part-time undergraduates	0.2%

Other Colleges to Consider

Students applying to Duke University often consider these colleges

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

Private 4 Year

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Public 4 Year

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Private 4 Year

Georgetown University

Washington, District Of Columbia

Private 4 Year

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Private 4 Year

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey

Private 4 Year

Stanford University

Stanford, California

Private 4 Year

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Private 4 Year

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Private 4 Year

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland

Private 4 Year

Rice University

Houston, Texas

Private 4 Year

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut

Private 4 Year

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Private 4 Year

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

Private 4 Year

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia

Private 4 Year

Washington University in St Louis

St. Louis, Missouri

Private 4 Year

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Private 4 Year

Davidson College

Davidson, North Carolina

Private 4 Year

University of Virginia Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia

Public 4 Year

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh, North Carolina

Public 4 Year

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=198419.

Racial and gender diversity ratings use the U.S. Census Bureau Diversity Index (Gini-Simpson): the probability that two students chosen at random belong to different groups. See the Census method note, Measuring Racial and Ethnic Diversity for the 2020 Census. Geographic diversity is the share of students from outside the college's home state (other U.S. states plus international). IPEDS does not publish enrollment by individual state of residence.

Last updated: August 2026