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Duke University
Academics

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How strong are the academics at Duke University?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

5:1
Student to faculty ratio
20
Average class size
88%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

Duke has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 5:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
490
10-19
654
20-29
153
30-39
100
40-49
43
50-99
70
100+
45

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at Duke University:

98%
First-year retention rate
88%
4-year grad rate
96%
6-year grad rate

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Duke University's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Computer Science
Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
132.2
161.96
191.72
221.48
251.24
281

The Full List

Major Graduates
Area
  • Area Studies, Other 27
  • African Studies 4
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other 2
  • Women's Studies 1
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 157
  • Neuroscience 89
  • Anatomy 21
  • Biophysics 3
  • Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography 1
  • Biostatistics 0
  • Pathology/Experimental Pathology 0
Communication
  • Journalism, Other 0
  • Political Communication 0
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Science 249
  • Computer Software and Media Applications, Other 1
  • Computer and Information Sciences, Other 0
Education
  • International and Comparative Education 17
Engineering
  • Computer Engineering, General 101
  • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 95
  • Mechanical Engineering 70
  • Civil Engineering, General 17
  • Engineering, Other 4
  • Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering 3
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering 0
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
  • Environmental/Environmental Engineering Technology/Technician 0
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 25
  • General Literature 11
Foreign Languages
  • Linguistics 6
  • French Language and Literature 3
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures, General 3
  • Spanish Language and Literature 2
  • Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 1
  • German Language and Literature 1
  • Russian Language and Literature 1
  • Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 1
  • Italian Language and Literature 1
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 0
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 0
  • Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 0
  • Portuguese Language and Literature 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 224
  • Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 0
  • International Public Health/International Health 0
History
  • History, General 23
  • History, Other 3
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Statistics, General 56
  • Mathematics, General 49
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 281
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 20
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 20
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 20
  • Mathematics and Computer Science 4
  • Behavioral Sciences 3
  • Natural Sciences 3
  • Biological and Physical Sciences 2
  • Computational Science 1
  • Medieval and Renaissance Studies 0
  • Cognitive Science, General 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Environmental Studies 49
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 13
  • Religion/Religious Studies 1
Physical Sciences
  • Chemistry, General 26
  • Physics, General 11
  • Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other 4
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 0
Psychology
  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 107
  • Psychology, General 0
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
  • Public Policy Analysis, General 128
Social Sciences
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 186
  • Political Science and Government, General 91
  • Sociology, General 35
  • Anthropology, General 8
  • Economics, General 0
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Visual and Performing Arts, Other 20
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 4
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 2
  • Dance, General 2
  • Visual and Performing Arts, General 2
  • Music, General 1

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