What GPA do you need to get into Duke?

Among 380 applicants who posted a Duke admission on r/collegeresults, the median unweighted GPA was 4.00 and the middle half reported 3.95 to 4.00 (297 reported a GPA). Duke sets no minimum GPA; these are what admitted posters reported.

What SAT score do you need for Duke?

Among 380 applicants who posted a Duke admission on r/collegeresults, the median SAT was 1,550 and the middle half scored 1,530 to 1,570 (272 reported an SAT). The median ACT was 35.

Does applying early help at Duke?

In these posts, 35% of early applicants who reported a result were admitted (42 of 119), against 31% in regular decision (177 of 578). Early pools differ in who applies, so this is a description, not a promise.

What extracurriculars do Duke admits have?

The most common activity types among admitted posters were nonprofit/service (67%), research (49%), stem club/competition (43%), athletics (41%). 93% held at least one leadership role and 80% listed a national or international award.

What is the Duke acceptance rate?

The official rate is published by Duke in its Common Data Set. These pages do not compute one: people who post results are a self-selected group, so the share of admits among them is far higher than the real rate.

College admissions data

How to get into Duke

What 380 admitted applicants actually had: their grades, test scores, activities, awards and intended majors, counted from 1,366 Duke results that students posted for the 2016 to 2027 cycles. Every number below is counted, not estimated.

Applying to Duke? Book a free call with a Specialist to see how your student’s file compares.

Duke admits by the numbers

Median unweighted GPA

4.00

Middle half 3.95 to 4.00

Median SAT

1,550

Middle half 1,530 to 1,570

Median ACT

Middle half 34 to 36

Median weighted GPA

4.60

Middle half 4.42 to 4.77

Results posted: 380 admitted, 826 rejected, 160 waitlisted. People who post results are a self-selected group, so this is not the Duke acceptance rate; the official rate is in Duke’s Common Data Set.

Admitted vs. rejected: grades are not the difference

Median	Admitted	Rejected
Unweighted GPA	4.00	3.95
SAT	1,550	1,530
ACT	35	35

When the rejected applicants’ numbers sit this close to the admitted ones, the decision was made somewhere else in the file: the activities, the essays and the letters. That is where the rest of this page looks.

What Duke admits did outside class

Share of admitted applicants listing at least one activity of each type.

Nonprofit/Service67%
Research49%
STEM club/competition43%
Athletics41%
Internship40%
Tutoring/Teaching37%
Music34%
Debate/MUN/Speech33%

Held a leadership role

93%

Founded something

46%

National or intl. award

80%

Did research

49%

Early vs. regular decision at Duke

Early (119 results)35%
Regular (578 results)31%

Share of posters in each round who were admitted. Early applicants are a different group (often stronger and more certain), so read this as a description of these posts, not as odds.

Intended majors of Duke admits

Computer Science16%
Engineering16%
Political Science9%
Economics9%
Biology7%
Neuroscience6%

Who got in

Of the admitted posters, 13% first-generation, 15% low income, 19% underrepresented minority, 10% legacy, 2% recruited athlete and 10% international. Of those who said where they enrolled, 35% chose Duke.

Three recent Duke admits

2027 cycle · RD · Political Science
Los Angeles applicant whose essay examined the inequality between his commute's two worlds.
GPA 3.98 UW · SAT 1520 · Original post
2026 cycle · RD · Economics
Debate champion and civic organizer who co-founded a national debate organization and runs student education outreach.
GPA 4.00 UW · SAT 1550 · Original post
2026 cycle · Economics
Debate-focused student with public speaking coaching, nonprofit vocational-school work abroad, and law-related research.
GPA 4.00 UW · SAT 1550 · Original post

Where else Duke admits got in

Duke admissions questions

What GPA do you need to get into Duke?: Among 380 applicants who posted a Duke admission on r/collegeresults, the median unweighted GPA was 4.00 and the middle half reported 3.95 to 4.00 (297 reported a GPA). Duke sets no minimum GPA; these are what admitted posters reported.
What SAT score do you need for Duke?: Among 380 applicants who posted a Duke admission on r/collegeresults, the median SAT was 1,550 and the middle half scored 1,530 to 1,570 (272 reported an SAT). The median ACT was 35.
Does applying early help at Duke?: In these posts, 35% of early applicants who reported a result were admitted (42 of 119), against 31% in regular decision (177 of 578). Early pools differ in who applies, so this is a description, not a promise.
What extracurriculars do Duke admits have?: The most common activity types among admitted posters were nonprofit/service (67%), research (49%), stem club/competition (43%), athletics (41%). 93% held at least one leadership role and 80% listed a national or international award.
What is the Duke acceptance rate?: The official rate is published by Duke in its Common Data Set. These pages do not compute one: people who post results are a self-selected group, so the share of admits among them is far higher than the real rate.

Applying to Duke?

A Specialist who got into a school like Duke can read your student’s file against these numbers and say where it stands out and where it doesn’t.

Book a free call

Source: self-reported results posts on r/collegeresults, each linked from our Database, counted across the 2016 to 2027 cycles with transfer applicants excluded. Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with Duke. All colleges