Duke University Ranking

Randolph County, USA

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87

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#61

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Private

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For the 2025–26 cycle, the Duke University admission deadline for Early Decision is November 4, 2025, and January 2, 2026, for Regular Decision. Submit the CSS Profile and FAFSA by the respective aid deadlines to be considered for financial aid.

Duke University ranks among the top institutions globally and nationally. In the QS World Rankings 2026, it holds the 62nd position, while the Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings place it at 27th, it also stands at 6th in the U.S. News & World Report National Rankings 2025. You’ll find Duke University rankings featured prominently across subjects like Biomedical (3rd), Anatomy & Physiology (5th), and Nursing (7th).

If you're planning to study in the USA, Duke offers a competitive environment backed by academic leadership and career results. Ranked among the best universities in the USA, it provides a wide range of programs from humanities to advanced sciences. With more than 80 departments, Duke University courses give you the flexibility to build your undergraduate or postgraduate path based on your goals.

Duke University Rankings 2025-26

Duke University ranks among the most reputed institutions across global and national platforms. In the U.S. News & World Report National Rankings 2025, Duke stands at 6th, while QS places it at 61 globally. Duke also ranks 106th nationally for Top Performers on Social Mobility, reflecting its growing support for underrepresented students.

The table below shows how Duke University rankings have shifted from 2024 to 2026.

Ranking Body	Rankings 2024	Rankings 2025	Rankings 2026
QS World Rankings	57	61	62
THE World Rankings	26	27	N/A
U.S News & Reports Rankings (National)	7	6	N/A

Below is a visual overview to help you grasp Duke’s year-on-year ranking trajectory more clearly.

Duke’s QS World Ranking shifted from 57 in 2024 to 61 in 2025, followed by a slight dip to 62 in 2026, indicating minor changes in global performance metrics. In THE Rankings, Duke moved from 26 to 27, a stable position that reflects consistency in research, teaching, and reputation.

Nationally, Duke improved its standing in the U.S. News & World Report, rising from 7 in 2024 to 6 in 2025, confirming its upward trajectory among U.S. institutions. These figures suggest strong performance, particularly in areas influencing U.S. rankings like graduation rates and faculty resources.

Duke’s subject-wise rankings offer deeper insight into its academic strengths. You’ll find which disciplines place it among the best.

Subject-Wise Ranking of Duke University Universities

Duke University ranks consistently across a wide range of disciplines, from humanities to engineering. It stands 24th globally in Sociology and 26th in Psychology, according to QS and THE rankings. These placements reflect academic strength across both social sciences and STEM.

Let’s begin exploring subject-wise rankings from each major ranking agency to understand Duke’s academic reputation in detail.

QS World Rankings 2026

In the 2026 QS World Rankings by Subject, Duke University secures top positions in health and social sciences. It ranks 5th globally in Anatomy & Physiology and 7th in Nursing, showcasing its consistent academic strength in life and medical sciences. This means Duke is perfect for students looking to pursue programs like a BSc in nursing.

The table below highlights Duke’s subject-wise positions in the QS 2026 rankings.

Subject	Rankings
Anatomy & Physiology	5
Nursing	7
Life Science & Medicine	22
Sociology	24
Politics	34

To understand how Duke performs across other evaluators, you can now examine its rankings in the Times Higher Education list.

Times Higher Education World Rankings 2025

The Times Higher Education 2025 subject rankings place Duke University among the global leaders in multiple fields. It ranks 15th in Business & Economics and 23rd in Life Sciences, underlining its cross-disciplinary academic depth. If you’re planning to pursue a master’s in Economics, Duke can be a good choice.

The table below lists Duke’s performance across various subjects in THE 2025 rankings.

Subject	Rankings
Arts & Humanities	36
Business & Economics	15
Computer Science	57
Life Science	23
Psychology	26

Now, let’s explore Duke’s subject strengths as evaluated by U.S. News & World Report for a domestic perspective.

U.S. News & World Report Rankings 2025

U.S. News ranks Duke highly in professional and undergraduate categories. It holds the 3rd spot in Biomedical, 6th in Nursing, and ranks 10th for Undergraduate Teaching, like a Bachelor’s in Education, reflecting its balanced focus on both research and classroom excellence.

The table below outlines Duke University’s top subject-level rankings from U.S. News 2025.

Subject	Rankings
Nursing	6
Psychology	8
Undergraduate Teaching	10
Economics	15
Biomedical	3

Besides subject-based evaluations, Duke also earns recognition across diverse performance metrics and specialized listings.

Miscellaneous Ranking 2025

Duke University maintains its reputation across value, innovation, and teaching quality. It ranks 16th in U.S. News Best Value Schools 2025 and 11th in Most Innovative Schools, adding to its appeal for students seeking strong returns on investment. Niche ranks 1st in North Carolina, affirming its place among the top universities in the USA for Master’s and Bachelor’s programs.

The rankings below reflect Duke’s recognition beyond traditional academic categories.

Category	Rankings
U.S. News & Report: Best Value Schools 2025	16
U.S News & Report Most Innovative Schools 2025	11
Niche’s Best Colleges in North Carolina Rankings	1 out of 50
Niche’s Colleges with the Best Professors in America	12 out of 1503
QS Sustainability Rankings 2025	206

Duke’s performance is also shaped by its physical and academic infrastructure. Its campuses reflect academic achievement, innovation, and leadership in higher education.

Duke University: Excellence and Achievements

Duke University campuses serve as platforms for academic growth, cultural impact, and civic leadership. In 2024, the Sanford School of Public Policy received the Gold-level CASE Circle of Excellence Award, highlighting Duke’s recognition in educational innovation. The WomC Awards celebrate student-led social change through six competitive categories.

Let’s explore how Duke’s academic milestones contribute to its national recognition and institutional excellence.

Academic Excellence and National Recognition

Duke University’s reputation goes beyond classroom rankings. Its academic output, student awards, and institutional honors reflect consistent national recognition. In 2025, its Cybersecurity program earned designation from the U.S. NSA, and its students won Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships, which are among the most competitive global academic awards.

The examples below show how Duke continues to lead in academic and institutional excellence.

Category	Recognition
Cybersecurity	In April 2025, Duke’s Master of Engineering in Cybersecurity was designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the U.S. National Security Agency.
Rhodes, Marshall Scholars	Members of Duke's Class of 2025 earned Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships, nationally competitive awards that fund postgraduate study at Oxford and other UK universities.
CASE Circle of Excellence	A video series by the Sanford School of Public Policy received the 2024 Gold-level CASE Circle of Excellence Award, a national recognition for educational advancement.
Forever Duke Leadership	In May 2025, Duke awarded the Forever Duke Student Leadership Award to three graduate students for exceptional contributions to the university community.

Beyond academic awards, Duke also receives honors tied to campus experience, student engagement, and support networks.

Community and Lifestyle Recognitions

Duke University strengthens its campus by rewarding service-driven leadership. The In the Spotlight Awards honor standout students and groups for year-round contributions. The Duke Employee Community Service Award also recognizes staff who serve the local Durham community with lasting impact.

The awards below highlight how Duke promotes leadership, volunteerism, and civic engagement across all levels.

Category	Recognition
In the Spotlight Awards	Annual ceremony by Student Affairs recognizing outstanding individuals and student groups for exemplary community service and leadership throughout the academic year.
Duke Employee Community Service Award	Honors a Duke staff member for exceptional volunteer service in the Durham area, with a $200 (INR 17K) donation to their chosen nonprofit.
Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award	University-wide award acknowledging community members (staff, faculty, students) whose character and humanitarian service meaningfully benefit others.
WomC Awards	Event celebrating individuals and campus organizations making significant social‑change impacts at Duke and beyond, with six award categories.

This strong campus recognition culture supports Duke’s overall performance and visibility in national evaluations. Understanding how rankings are assigned helps you interpret them better.

Cultural and Creative Excellence

Duke University fosters a strong creative environment across literature, arts, and visual storytelling. In 2025, Professor Anne‑Gaëlle Saliot was honored as a Knight in France’s Ordre des Palmes Académiques for her work in French studies and culture.

With multiple awards and grants for student artists, Duke ranks among the best places to study abroad creative writing and the liberal arts.

The recognitions below show how Duke rewards creativity, research, and artistic innovation.

Category	Recognition
Literary Prizes	The English Department awards the Reynolds Price Fiction Award, the Anne Flexner Memorial Awards for Poetry & Nonfiction, and the George P. Lucaci Creative Nonfiction Award.
Ordre des Palmes Académiques	Professor Anne‑Gaëlle Saliot was named Chevalier (Knight) in France’s Ordre des Palmes Académiques in April 2025.
Arts Prizes & Grants	Duke Arts offers Creative Arts Grants to undergraduates, the Louis Sudler Prize, Benenson Awards, and dance awards like Julia Wray and Clay Taliaferro.
Lange‑Taylor Documentary Prize	The Center for Documentary Studies awards the prestigious Dorothea Lange–Paul Taylor Prize, an annual recognition for excellence in collaborative documentary writing and photography.

These cultural honors contribute to Duke’s reputation across global evaluations. You now need to see how Duke compares against its acceptance rate and institutional standing.

Duke University: Ranking V/S Acceptance Rate

High rankings often come with competitive admissions. Duke University’s top-ranked programs, like Anatomy & Physiology (5th) and Nursing (7th), admit only a small percentage of applicants.

For example, the acceptance rate across Duke programs stands at just 7 percent, making it a selective option for students pursuing degrees like Bachelors of Social Science or pre-med pathways.

Below, you can see how Duke’s academic rankings align with its program selectivity.

Subject	Ranking	Acceptance Rate
Anatomy & Physiology	5	7%
Nursing	7
Life Science & Medicine	22
Sociology	24
Politics	34

Understanding how ranking bodies evaluate universities helps you interpret these numbers better. You’ll now learn how those methodologies work.

Ranking Bodies Methodologies

Duke University rankings are not based on a single metric. They reflect performance across teaching, research, employment outcomes, and student resources.

For example, U.S. News assigns 16% weight to graduation rates, while QS gives 30% weight to academic reputation. These variations explain why Duke’s position shifts across ranking platforms and influence how applicants evaluate the Duke University admission experience.

Let’s understand how each ranking body measures performance. The methods below reveal what matters most in these global evaluations.

U.S. News and World Report Methodology

U.S. News prioritizes student outcomes, peer reputation, and faculty support. It places 20% weight on peer assessment and 16% on graduation rates, making it highly outcome-oriented. Financial factors like debt and resources also carry significant weight.

Below is the breakdown of performance indicators used by U.S. News to assign national rankings.

Focus Indicators	Weightage
Graduation Rates	16%
First-year retention rates	5%
Graduation rate performance	10%
Pell graduation rates	5.5%
Pell graduation performance	5.5%
College grads earning more than a high school grad	5%
Borrower debt	5%
Peer assessment	20%
Financial resources	8%
Faculty salaries	8%
Full-time faculty	3%
Student-faculty ratio	4%
Standardized tests	5%

You now move to the QS rankings, where global perception and research output take the lead.

QS World University Rankings Methodology

QS evaluates universities through global reputation and academic influence. Academic reputation accounts for 30%, followed by citations per faculty at 20%. It also considers faculty-student ratio, sustainability, and employment outcomes.

The indicators below show how QS measures university performance across international dimensions.

Focus Indicators	Weightage
Academic Reputation	30%
Citations per Faculty	20%
Employer Reputation	15%
Employment Outcomes	5%
International Faculty Ratio	5%
International Research Network	5%
International Student Diversity	0%
International Student Ratio	5%
Faculty Student Ratio	10%
Sustainability	5%

The Times Higher Education rankings offer a broader perspective by combining research, teaching, and industry partnerships.

Times Higher Education (THE) University Rankings Methodology

THE rankings combine academic environment, research volume, and global outlook. For example, Teaching Reputation weighs 15%, while Citation Impact carries another 15%, making research visibility a major factor. Industry links and patents are also considered.

The table below presents the full indicator set used in THE rankings.

Category	Focus Indicators	Weightage
Teaching (The Learning Environment)	Teaching Reputation	15%
	Staff-to-Student Ratio	4.5%
	Doctorate-to-Bachelor's Ratio	2%
	Doctorates-Awarded-to-Academic-Staff Ratio	5.5%
	Institutional Income	2.5%
Research Environment	Research Reputation	18%
	Research Income	5.5%
	Research Productivity	5.5%
Research Quality	Citation Impact	15%
	Research Strength	5%
	Research Excellence	5%
	Research Influence	5%
International Outlook	Proportion of International Students	2.5%
	Proportion of International Staff	2.5%
	International Collaboration	2.5%
Industry	Industry Income	2%
Industry	Patents	2%

Now, let’s understand how expert guidance from upGrad can help you study abroad at Duke University.

Conclusion

Duke University ranks 6th nationally (U.S. News 2025), 61st globally (QS 2025), and 27th in THE World Rankings 2025. Subject-wise, it holds 3rd in Biomedical, 5th in Anatomy & Physiology, and 7th in Nursing. It also ranks 16th in Best Value Schools and 1st in North Carolina.

With strong placements across global and national charts, Duke proves its academic strength, research output, and campus quality. If you're aiming high, Duke University remains a strong and competitive choice.

FAQs

For a career in chemistry, which one should I choose: Duke or Drexel?

Duke ranks 93rd globally in Chemistry per QS 2025, while Drexel is in the 601–700 range. Duke’s stronger research output, faculty citations, and lab infrastructure make it the better option for advanced chemistry education and career-building.

How does Duke perform in terms of placements and employment?

According to Niche, Duke’s post-grad success is strong: 95% of graduates are employed one year out (94% at five years). Median salary is $74,497 (INR 64.5L) at one year and $104,271 (INR 90L) at five years, well above national averages .

Do rankings affect chances of getting research grants at Duke?

No. Duke’s success in securing over $1.3 billion in external awards (3,300+ in FY 2024) comes from proposal quality, interdisciplinary strength and federal support , not institutional reputation or rankings.

Is Duke more prestigious in STEM or humanities programs?

Duke stands out in both. The Pratt School of Engineering and the top‑10 Statistical Science program reflect strong STEM prestige. Meanwhile, Trinity’s award‑winning faculty, Thompson Writing Program, and Franklin Humanities Institute showcase humanities excellence.

Are the global positions of Duke’s medical and law schools tracked separately?

Yes. Duke’s medical and law schools each maintain distinct tracking and reporting systems. The School of Medicine reports NIH funding ($608 million in FY 2021, third in the nation and the Law School tracks bar passage and placement metrics, independent of university-wide rankings.

How much do alumni contributions influence Duke’s institutional positions?

Alumni contributions are pivotal. In FY 2023, over 90,000 donors gave nearly $543 million, $219 million for research, $114 million for aid, and support for faculty, facilities, and programs . These gifts fund endowed chairs, professorships, capital projects and help shape Duke’s strategic priorities.

What external accreditations strengthen Duke’s program-level rankings?

Many Duke programs carry specialized external accreditations: the School of Nursing holds CCNE and Nurse Anesthesia DNP accreditation ; Duke Health’s IRB is AAHRPP‑accredited ; Physical Therapy is CAPTE‑accredited; and SACSCOC accredits the university itself.

Do Duke’s global positions reflect its performance in sustainability and innovation?

Yes. Duke earned a top‑5 global ranking in interdisciplinary science by Times Higher Education , and its 2030 Climate & Sustainability Strategy aims to become “globally recognized…as a powerfully innovative” leader.

For a career in marketing, which one should I choose: Duke or Drexel?

Duke’s Fuqua School offers a Marketing Ph.D. and undergraduate marketing concentration with faculty publishing in top journals and serving global brands . Drexel info isn’t Duke official, only Duke data included.

How does Duke compare to Ivy League universities in terms of academic prestige?

Per Niche 2025, Duke ranks #12 among private U.S. universities, earning an A+ grade and a 3.96 average review score. While falling just short of Ivy League schools, Duke’s rigorous academics, work/life balance, and student satisfaction place it well within elite tiers.

Is Duke well-known for combining research and interdisciplinary learning?

Yes. Duke’s Office of Interdisciplinary Studies supports cross-school collaboration through seed grants, Bass Connections, UICs and programs like Data+ and Global Health. More than 50% of undergraduates and nearly 20% of graduate/professional students engage in interdisciplinary, research-driven education.

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