Colleges Duke University

Duke University https://duke.edu

Duke University is a private institution that was founded in 1838. Its campus is set on 8,693 acres in Durham, North Carolina, which surrounds Duke’s campus, and offers a variety of activities including shopping, dining and entertainment. Durham is a historic tobacco and textile hub that has emerged as the heart of North Carolina’s hi-tech Research Triangle, and is recognized as one of the most desirable and vibrant places to live in the country. Students at Duke are required to live on campus for their first three years, and freshmen live together on the East Campus. There are more than 700 student groups at Duke University, including fraternities and sororities, sports clubs, and organizations for a variety of other interests. One of the most popular programs is DukeEngage, which supports undergraduates who want to pursue an immersive service experience in the U.S. or abroad.

Academics

Duke University is divided into 10 schools and colleges, many of which serve both undergraduate and graduate students. Its graduate programs include the highly ranked Fuqua School of Business, Pratt School of Engineering, School of Law, School of Medicine, Sanford School of Public Policy and School of Nursing. Duke also offers graduate programs through its Divinity School and Nicholas School of the Environment. Duke’s most esteemed undergraduate scholarship, the Robertson Scholars Leadership Program, is offered to students at both Duke University and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The student-faculty ratio at Duke is 5:1, and the school has 71% of its classes with fewer than 20 students. Popular majors include Computer Science, Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, and Public Policy Analysis.

Special Highlights

Pratt School of Engineering. The curriculum of Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering immerses students in design, computing, research, and entrepreneurship, but still accommodates educational opportunities, including double majors, in a variety of disciplines from across Duke. The school emphasizes undergraduate research opportunities with faculty. Research and design opportunities arise through a real-world design course for first-year students, internships, independent study, and research fellowships, and through design-focused capstone courses. More than 60 percent of Duke Engineering undergraduates have an intensive research experience during their four years, and nearly a fifth publish or present a research paper off-campus.

Duke Forest. Duke Forest, established in 1931, consists of 7,044 acres in six divisions, just west of West Campus, is the largest private research forest in North Carolina and one of the largest in the nation. Duke Forest is used extensively for research and includes the Aquatic Research Facility, Forest Carbon Transfer and Storage (FACTS-I) research facility, two permanent towers suitable for micrometeorological studies, and other areas designated for animal behavior and ecosystem study. More than 30 miles of trails are open to the public for hiking, cycling, and horseback riding. Duke Lemur Center, located inside Duke Forest, spans 85 acres and contains nearly 300 animals of 25 different species of lemurs, galagos and lorises.

School Mission & Unique Qualities

The mission of Duke University is to provide a superior liberal education to undergraduate students, attending not only to their intellectual growth but also to their development as adults committed to high ethical standards and full participation as leaders in their communities; to prepare future members of the learned professions for lives of skilled and ethical service by providing excellent graduate and professional education. A standout quality of Duke is its impressive campus and buildings: West Campus – designed largely by architect Julian Abele – incorporates Gothic architecture with the 210-foot Duke Chapel at the campus’s center and highest point of elevation, is adjacent to the Medical Center. East Campus, 1.5 miles away, home to all first-years, contains Georgian-style architecture.

Student Reviews…

“Overall I highly recommend Duke as an undergraduate university because the sense of community is unbeatable and the professors are willing and able to help their students prosper. The athletics and school pride is shown often and proves to create community and garner relationships for a lifetime.”