Quad

Cost & aid

What it costs

In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $58,582 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $34.3K more than the national median. The 43% who received grants paid $21,981 on average; the other 57% paid the full sticker price of $87,072.

+1% after inflation since 2013–14Over time
Full price
$87,072 a year
tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
Need-based aid
Published data end at $110K
use the college's net price calculator for higher incomes

Cost by family income

Per year for a typical family of four with one child in college. Up to $110K it is the average price federal aid recipients paid (2023–24).

Hover, tap, or use the arrow keys to read the price at an income.

$0$25K$50K$75K$0$100K$200K$300K$400K+Full price $87KPublished data end at $110KUse the college's calculator
  • Published federal figures
View as a table
Price per year by family income
Family incomePrice per year
$0–30K$735 a year
$30–48K$-361 a year
$48–75K$6K a year
$75–110K$17K a year
$150KPublished data end at $110K
$200KPublished data end at $110K
$250KPublished data end at $110K
$300KPublished data end at $110K
$350KPublished data end at $110K
$400K and abovePublished data end at $110K
$150K a year

At $150K: Published data end at $110K

Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for a number.

Your own number depends on the details below, so use the college's calculator for it.

What can change this

  • Savings and investments above a typical amount raise the price. The curve assumes typical assets.
  • Home equity: some colleges that use the CSS Profile count it. Check this college's own aid page or calculator.
  • A sibling in college may lower the parent share at Duke University: Parent contribution is 60% of the calculated amount with two children in college and 45% with three.
Average total cost per year, all first-years (est.)

$58,582

Tuition, housing, food, books & other expenses, after grants · 2023–24

Full price$87,072
− Grants, averaged over every first-year−$28,490

43% got grants averaging $65,522; 57% got none.

= Average total cost$58,582
Tuition & fees$65.8KRoom & board$17.5KBooks & supplies$1.6KOther expenses$2.2K

Who pays what

Received grants · 43%$21,981 averagenet price after grants
No grants · 57%$87,072full sticker price

Share of first-year students, 2023–24.

Compared to all colleges$58,582
National median: $24,284Above typical

Housing and food use the college's on-campus rates, so the estimate runs high where many students live at home. “Other expenses” is the college's estimate of personal and transportation costs. Loans aren't subtracted because they're repaid.

Next year (2026–27), reported by Duke University

$96,597 before aid

Tuition, fees, and on-campus food and housing · up 16% from 2023–24.

Show the full next-year estimate
  • Tuition, fees, food & housing$96,597
  • Books and supplies$536
  • Transportation$778
  • Other expenses$1,637
  • Total for a student living on campus$99,548
Median debt at graduation

$13K

≈ $138/month for 10 years

Payback estimate

2.4 yrs

of median salary to cover 4 years of net price

Undergrads with a federal loan14%
National median: 45%Below typical

About 1 in 7 undergrads borrows federally.

Median federal debt, by background

Everyone who borrowed and left, whether or not they graduated.

Pell Grant recipients$8,500
No Pell Grant$13,000
Family income under $30K$13,500
$30K–$75K$10,596
Over $75K$12,000

Three years into repayment

Where former undergraduates stand on their federal loans.

  • Paid in full38%
  • Paying it down29%
  • Payments paused23%
  • Not paying it down8%
  • Behind or in default0–2%
  • Forgiven or discharged0–1%

Some shares are published as a small range to protect privacy.

Who actually gets aid

33%of full price

Aid generosity

Moderate

Grants cover 33% of the $87,072 full price on average across all first-years (moderate), more than at 32% of colleges.

$28,490 in grants per first-year ÷ $87,072 full price.

Compared to every college33%
33%
← Limitedmore generous than 32% of 1,514Very generous →

Who gets grants and scholarships

Full-time first-year students (1,741), 2023–24

Received grants or scholarships, avg $65,522 No grants

About 1 in 2 first-year students got no grant aid and paid the full sticker price of $87,072.

Where the aid comes from

From the college43% · avg $62.7K
Pell Grants17% · avg $5.8K
State or local grants3%
Student loans14% · avg $11.5K

Share of first-year students receiving each; averages are per recipient.

Aid by family income

The whole first-year class (1,741)

  • Federal aid + grants512avg grant $65.9K
  • Grants, no federal aid245avg grant $64.8K
  • No grants984pay full price

Students with grants but no federal aid usually got the college's own need-based aid (without federal loans or Pell) or merit aid.

By family income: only students who received federal aid (587 of 1,741), because income is only reported for them.

IncomeStudentsAvg grant
$0–30K68$86.3K
$30–48K62$87.4K
$48–75K98$81.4K
$75–110K72$70K
$110K+287$32.8K

From Duke University's Common Data Set

First-years and all full-time undergraduates, 2024–25.

First-yearsAll full-time
Have financial need42%726 students41%2,702 students
Average aid package$83,513$79,797
Average need-based grant$76,455$73,694
Average need-based loan$4,310$4,452
Merit aid without need–2%average $87,775
Athletic scholarships–352average $69,778

Each college decides what a family needs, so “100% of need met” can mean different prices at different colleges. Merit awards that went toward a student's need count as need-based here.

Applying for aid

For fall 2026 entrants.

To apply for aid: the FAFSA and the CSS Profile.

If your parents are divorced or separated, the other parent also files the .

Need is calculated with the college's own formula as well as the federal one.

Deadline: February 1 · Aid offers: about April 1 · Reply by: May 1

Dates for fall 2026 entrants; the next cycle's are usually similar.

What the college's own scholarships consider

Academics✓✓
Alumni connection✓✓
Athletics✓not marked
ROTC✓not marked
Leadership✓✓
Music or drama✓✓
Religious affiliation✓✓
State or district residency✓✓

A blank means the college didn't mark it, not that it never counts.

International students

215 international students received an average of $87,841 from the college in 2024–25.

Need-based and merit aid offered.

International applicants file: the CSS Profile, another form ().

Sources:IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, 2023–24;College Scorecard, most recent release;Duke University Common Data Set 2025–26, 2026–27;Duke University Common Data Set 2025–26, 2024–25;Duke University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 entrants;Duke University Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;Duke University (2026–27), 2026–27;Common Data Set, most recent releaseAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)