Duke University

According to the school, Duke University offers a unique and compelling combination of academic achievement, engagement with society, and athletic accomplishment at the highest levels. Duke, a private comprehensive teaching and research university, traces its roots to 1838, officially becoming Duke University in 1924. In addition to liberal arts and engineering education at the undergraduate level, Duke offers graduate and professional study in arts and sciences, business, divinity, engineering, the environment, law, public policy, medicine, and nursing. At the same time, Duke is an intimate setting, with 6,800 undergraduates and an additional 6,000 graduate and professional students.

Duke is a global university with students and faculty from nearly every country. We encourage students to go abroad to study, perform service and conduct research. About half of Duke's graduating class spends at least a semester in another country, one of the highest percentages of any of the nation's top private research universities. We offer instruction in 25 foreign languages. One of our most popular programs is DukeEngage, which supports undergraduates who want to pursue an immersive service experience in the U.S. or abroad.

Duke is characterized by innovation, entrepreneurship, energy and ambition. Duke students have a vast range of opportunities and the freedom to choose the academic path that best meets their needs. Duke students are encouraged to make a difference, to experiment with ideas and organizations, and they are challenged to become engaged with society's problems and solutions. Our students spend four years on one of the most beautiful campuses in America -- soaring Gothic buildings, modern teaching and research facilities, lush botanical gardens, and accessible athletics and recreational spaces. Duke's home of Durham is a historic tobacco and textile hub that has emerged as the heart of North Carolina's hi-tech Research Triangle and is consistently recognized as one of the most desirable and vibrant places to live in the country. Durham's arts, culture, recreation and restaurants have earned a national following, and the region provides numerous opportunities for post-graduate employment. Duke students exhibit legendary passion and enthusiasm.

Duke's athletic program is regularly ranked among the nation's most robust and most competitive, with some of the country's most talented scholar-athletes and dedicated fans: the Cameron Crazies. A member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Duke has thirteen men's varsity teams and thirteen women's varsity teams and numerous intramural, recreational, and club sports. Duke consistently leads the ACC in Academic Honor Roll students and is a top producer of Academic All Americans. The residential experience is an essential component of a Duke education. About 85 per cent of all undergraduates live on campus. First-year students live together on East Campus, where nearly a quarter of them participate in FOCUS, a living/learning program organized around academic themes. It gives them immediate access to faculty mentoring and a smaller community of students they get to know well. Duke is one of many schools committed to a need-blind admission policy. We admit undergraduates without consideration of a family's ability to pay tuition and other college costs and meet 100 per cent of a student's demonstrated financial need for four years. About 54 per cent of our undergraduates receive financial assistance, including need-based aid, merit or athletic scholarships. With the rigorous academics, the plethora of social and artistic activities, the immersive service and cultural opportunities and the occasional basketball game in Cameron Indoor Stadium, the most important things students need to bring to Duke are energy and intellectual.

The University is located on a 9,350-acre, suburban campus in Durham (population: 245,475), 20 miles from Raleigh; marine lab campus in Beaufort. Served by bus; air and train serve Raleigh. School operates campus shuttle service.