Duke University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Duke University

Latin: Universitas Dukiana
Former names	Brown School (1838–1841) Union Institute (1841–1851) Normal College (1851–1859) Trinity College (1859–1924)
Motto	Eruditio et Religio (Latin)
Motto in English	"Knowledge and Faith"
Type	Private research university
Established	1838; 187 years ago (1838)
Accreditation	SACS
Religious affiliation	United Methodist Church
Academic affiliations	AAU COFHE IAMSCU NAICU ORAU URA
Endowment	$11.6 billion (2022) (The university is also the primary beneficiary (32%) of the independent $3.69 billion Duke Endowment)
Budget	$7.7 billion (FY 2022)
President	Vincent Price
Provost	Alec Gallimore
Academic staff	3,982 (fall 2021)
Administrative staff	8,498 campus employees 43,108 total campus & health system employees (July 2021)
Students	16,780 (fall 2021)
Undergraduates	6,789 (fall 2021)
Postgraduates	9,991 (fall 2021)
Location	Durham , North Carolina , United States 35°59′19″N 78°54′26″W / 35.98861°N 78.90722°W / 35.98861; -78.90722
Campus	Large city, 8,693 acres (35.18 km2)
Other campuses	Beaufort Bethesda Kunshan Singapore
Newspaper	The Chronicle
Colors	Duke blue and white
Nickname	Blue Devils
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I FBS – ACC
Mascot	Blue Devil

Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, USA. It was started by Methodists and Quakers in 1838 in a town called Trinity. The school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, a rich businessman named James Buchanan Duke created The Duke Endowment. The school then changed its name to Duke University to honor his father, Washington Duke.

The main campus in Durham covers over 8,600 acres. It has three connected areas and a marine lab in Beaufort. The West Campus has a cool Gothic style with the tall, 210-foot Duke Chapel at its center. The East Campus, about 1.5 miles away, is where all first-year students live. It has buildings in a Georgian style.

Duke also has two schools in Asia: the Duke–NUS Medical School in Singapore (started in 2005) and Duke Kunshan University in Kunshan, China (started in 2013).

Getting into Duke for college is very competitive. For the class of 2026, only about 6.2% of students who applied were accepted. Duke spends more than $1 billion each year on research. This makes it one of the top ten research universities in the United States. Many famous people have been connected to Duke, including 15 Nobel winners and one president of the United States (Richard Nixon).

University History

How Duke University Started

Duke University began in 1838 as Brown's Schoolhouse. It was a private school in Randolph County, North Carolina. A group of Methodists and Quakers helped start it. In 1841, it became the Union Institute Academy. Later, it was called Normal College in 1851 and then Trinity College in 1859.

In 1892, Trinity College moved to Durham. This move happened thanks to generous people like Julian S. Carr and Washington Duke. They were wealthy Methodists from the tobacco and electricity industries. Washington Duke gave the school money and land. He also said the college must "open its doors to women, placing them on an equal footing with men." This meant women should be treated the same as men.

In 1924, Washington Duke's son, James B. Duke, created The Duke Endowment. This was a huge fund of $40 million. The money from this fund would help hospitals, orphanages, the Methodist Church, and four colleges, including Trinity College. The president of Trinity, William Preston Few, wanted to rename the school Duke University. He wanted to honor the Duke family's kindness and make the school stand out. James B. Duke agreed, and the name changed.

The money from the endowment helped the university grow fast. The original campus, East Campus, was rebuilt between 1925 and 1927. The main West Campus, with its Collegiate Gothic buildings, was mostly finished by 1930. The beautiful Duke Chapel was completed in 1935.

Women were first allowed to earn degrees from Trinity in 1878. After the college moved to Durham in 1892, women were formally admitted to classes. A dorm for women was built in 1897. By 1904, 54 women were studying at the college. In 1930, the Woman's College was created. It worked alongside the men's college, which was called Trinity College.

In the 1920s, Duke did not allow Black students to enroll. They also could not use some campus facilities. In 1948, some students asked for the school to allow Black students. In 1963, the college officially ended its policy of keeping Black students out.

Growing and Expanding

Engineering became its own school at Duke in 1939. In sports, Duke hosted the first Rose Bowl football game ever played outside California in 1942. This happened at Wallace Wade Stadium. During World War II, Duke helped train students for the navy. In 1963, the university officially allowed all students, regardless of race, to attend.

Duke accepted its first Black graduate students in 1961. Black undergraduate students were admitted starting in September 1963. The teaching staff became diverse in 1966.

In the 1960s, students became more active on campus. Martin Luther King Jr. even spoke at Duke in 1964 about the Civil Rights Movement. Later, new schools and libraries were built, like the Fuqua School of Business. In 1972, the Woman's College joined back with Trinity College. This made Trinity a liberal arts college for both men and women.

Starting in the 1970s, Duke worked to become more famous around the world. They focused on different subjects working together and bringing in diverse teachers and students. The first Physician Assistant degree program in the United States started here. Duke University Hospital was finished in 1980. Duke's men's soccer team won its first national championship in 1986. The men's basketball team won championships in 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, and 2015.

Duke's Campus

Duke University has 256 buildings on over 8,600 acres of land. This includes the 7,044-acre Duke Forest. The campus has four main parts: West, East, Central, and the Medical Center. Free buses connect all these areas. Duke also has a marine lab in Beaufort on the Atlantic coast. A popular spot on campus is the 54-acre Sarah P. Duke Gardens.

Students often call the West Campus "the Gothic Wonderland." This is because of its Collegiate Gothic style buildings. Many of these buildings were designed by Julian Abele, an important African-American architect. The East Campus, where first-year students live, has buildings in the Georgian architecture style. In 2011, Travel+Leisure magazine said Duke was one of the most beautiful college campuses in the United States.

Duke Chapel is in the middle of West Campus. It was built between 1930 and 1935 using special "Duke stone." It is one of the tallest buildings in Durham County.

West, East, and Central Campuses

West Campus is the main campus. It is home to sophomores, juniors, and some seniors. Most of the academic and administrative buildings are here. West Campus covers 720 acres. It includes Science Drive, where science and engineering buildings are located. Many dining spots and sports facilities, like Cameron Indoor Stadium, are also on West Campus.

East Campus is Duke's original location in Durham. It is now the campus for all first-year students. This helps build a strong sense of community among new students. East Campus is 172 acres and is 1.5 miles from West Campus. Departments like Art History, Literature, Music, and Women's Studies are on East Campus. It has dorms, a dining hall, a library, and sports facilities.

Central Campus used to house about 1,000 students in apartments. However, undergraduate housing on Central Campus ended after the 2018–2019 school year. Central Campus is home to the Nasher Museum of Art, the Freeman Center for Jewish Life, and the Campus Police Department.

Duke University Hospital and Health System

Duke University Hospital is a large hospital in Durham. It was built in 1930. It is the main teaching hospital for the Duke University Health System. This system includes doctors and hospitals that serve Durham and nearby areas. The Duke University Health System brings together the Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University School of Nursing, and other hospitals for research, patient care, and education.

In 2012, the Duke Cancer Center opened next to Duke Hospital. This building brings together many of Duke's cancer care services.

Other Important Places

Duke Forest is a large forest of 7,044 acres located west of West Campus. It is the biggest private research forest in North Carolina. It is used for many research projects. Over 30 miles of trails are open to the public for hiking, cycling, and horseback riding. The Duke Lemur Center, located inside Duke Forest, is the world's largest home for rare and endangered lemurs and other primates. It has nearly 300 animals of 25 different species.

The Sarah P. Duke Gardens were started in the 1930s. They cover 55 acres between West and Central Campuses. The gardens have different sections, including plants native to the Southeastern United States and plants from Eastern Asia. There are five miles of paths to explore.

The Duke University Marine Laboratory is in Beaufort, North Carolina. It is on Pivers Island, close to Beaufort. Duke started its work here in the 1930s. Scientists at the marine lab study oceanography, marine biology, and marine policy.

Duke Stone

The special stone used for West Campus and other Duke buildings is called "Duke stone." It is said to have many colors and shades. People believe that using this stone helped Duke become a great university because it looked impressive from the start.

When planning the Collegiate Gothic buildings, James B. Duke first thought about using stone from a quarry in Princeton. But they decided to buy a local quarry in Hillsborough to save money. This local stone was chosen because it looked warmer and older, making the university seem like it had been there forever.

Duke stone is a type of rock called phyllite. It formed from volcanic material and sediments millions of years ago. Today, the Duke stone quarry is part of the Duke Forest. When new buildings are made or old ones repaired, the use of Duke stone is carefully controlled. Because it is expensive to get and shape, Duke also uses a mix of bricks that look like Duke stone.

New Buildings and Updates

Duke has done many construction projects recently. These include updates to Duke Chapel, Wallace Wade Stadium (for football), and Cameron Indoor Stadium (for basketball).

In 2014, the Nicholas School of the Environment opened a new building called Environmental Hall. It is a modern, eco-friendly building. The School of Nursing also added a new section to its building in 2014. The David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library reopened in 2015 after big renovations. These updates added more space, new technology, and exhibits.

From 2001 to 2005, Duke spent $835 million on 34 major building projects. These included new additions to the business, law, nursing, and divinity schools. They also built a new art museum, a football training facility, and new research buildings.

In 2020, the Wilkinson Building opened for classes. This 150,000-square-foot building has new spaces for learning and research. It focuses on improving human health, advancing computing, and promoting sustainability.

Schools in Singapore and China

In 2005, Duke and the National University of Singapore teamed up to create the Duke–NUS Medical School in Singapore. This school teaches medicine using a similar plan to Duke's own medical school. Most students are from Singapore, but others come from over 20 countries.

In 2013, Duke Kunshan University (DKU) was started in Kunshan, China. It is a partnership between Duke University, Wuhan University, and the city of Kunshan. DKU offers graduate programs and an undergraduate liberal arts college. Students who graduate from DKU get degrees from both Duke Kunshan University and Duke University. DKU also does research on topics like climate change and health.

How Duke is Organized

School founding
School	Year founded
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences	1838
Duke University School of Law	1868
Graduate School of Duke University	1926
Duke Divinity School	1926
Duke University School of Medicine	1930
Duke University School of Nursing	1931
Nicholas School of the Environment	1938
Pratt School of Engineering	1939
Fuqua School of Business	1969
Sanford School of Public Policy	1971
Duke-NUS Medical School	2007
Duke Kunshan University	2013

Duke University has 12 different schools and institutes. Three of these offer programs for undergraduate students: Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, Pratt School of Engineering, and Duke Kunshan University.

Duke has connections with the United Methodist Church. However, it is an independent university that welcomes people of all faiths.

Duke has a large endowment (money set aside for the future) of $12.1 billion as of 2022. The university has special facilities like an art museum, language labs, Duke Forest, a lemur center, and a marine lab. Duke is also part of the National Lambda Rail Network, which is a very fast internet network for research.

Academics at Duke

Getting into Duke

Getting into Duke is very competitive. For the Class of 2025, Duke received almost 50,000 applications. Only about 6.2% of these students were accepted.

Duke is known for being generous with financial aid. This means they help students pay for college based on their family's financial needs. About half of all Duke students receive some form of financial help. This can be need-based aid, sports scholarships, or merit-based scholarships. In 2020, a study said Duke was the most generous college to students who needed the most financial help.

Duke offers about 60 scholarships that cover full tuition. These include the Angier B. Duke Memorial Scholarship for excellent students and the Benjamin N. Duke Scholarship for community service. The Robertson Scholars Leadership Program is a special scholarship that lets students study at both Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill.

Graduate Programs

Duke has many graduate and professional schools. These include the Graduate School, Pratt School of Engineering, Nicholas School of the Environment, School of Medicine, Duke-NUS Medical School, School of Nursing, the Fuqua School of Business, School of Law, Divinity School, and Sanford School of Public Policy.

For example, in 2023, the School of Medicine received over 7,000 applications. Only about 2.9% of these were accepted.

What Students Study

Duke offers many different majors and minors. Students can choose from 46 arts and sciences majors and four engineering majors. They can also create their own interdisciplinary major if they want. Most undergraduate students (85%) are in the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences. The rest are in Duke's Pratt School of Engineering.

Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Trinity College is at the heart of the undergraduate experience at Duke. Even engineering students take about half of their classes within Trinity. Students in both colleges can take classes from the other. The curriculum focuses on helping students think critically and solve problems. First-year students can join the FOCUS Program. This program lets them explore a topic in a small group setting.

Pratt School of Engineering

Duke's Pratt School of Engineering helps students learn about design, computing, research, and starting their own businesses. The school encourages students to do research with professors. Many engineering students have research experiences and some even publish their work. Over 60% of Duke Engineering students have a research experience during their time at Duke.

Duke Engineering students have even set Guinness World Records for creating the world's most fuel-efficient and all-electric vehicles! The school was named after Edmund T. Pratt Jr., who gave a large gift in 1999.

The Fitzpatrick Center for Interdisciplinary Engineering, Medicine and Applied Sciences (FCIEMAS) opened in 2004. It has research labs for fields like photonics and bioengineering. The goal of this building is to help different departments work together.

The newest building is the Wilkinson Building, which opened in 2021. It has new spaces for learning and research related to health, computing, and sustainability.

Duke Kunshan University

Duke Kunshan University (DKU) offers Duke's newest undergraduate programs. Its classes focus on combining different subjects. The goal is to give students a global and research-focused learning experience. DKU also has five Master's programs.

Libraries and Museums

Duke Libraries include the Perkins, Bostock, and Rubenstein Libraries on West Campus. There are also libraries on East Campus and at the Duke Marine Lab. Other schools, like business and law, have their own libraries.

Duke's art collections are at the Nasher Museum of Art on Central Campus. The museum opened in 2005 and has over 13,000 pieces of art.

Research at Duke

The National Science Foundation ranked Duke 11th among American universities for research spending in 2021. Duke spends a lot on research, making it a leader in many fields.

Duke researchers have made important discoveries. For example, the biomedical engineering department developed the first real-time, three-dimensional ultrasound system. In 2015, Paul Modrich won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on DNA repair. In 2012, Robert Lefkowitz also won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on cell receptors. Duke has also done important studies in physics, looking at complex systems.

In 2006, Duke researchers helped finish mapping the last human chromosome. This was a big step in the Human Genome Project. Duke is also involved in research for new AIDS vaccines.

Rankings and Reputation

Duke is considered one of the top universities in the United States and the world.

In 2021, The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education ranked Duke fifth among colleges. They also ranked Duke second for how well students do after graduation. This includes graduation rates and salaries.

In 2020, U.S. News & World Report ranked Duke 22nd in the world. QS World University Rankings placed Duke 50th globally in 2023. Duke is also known for producing many Rhodes, Marshall, and Truman Scholars.

Forbes magazine ranked Duke 11th among universities that have produced billionaires in the U.S. and first in the South. In 2015, NPR ranked Duke first for "schools that make financial sense."

Student Life

Duke asks its undergraduate students to live on campus for their first three years. This helps students connect with each other and feel like they belong. About 85% of undergraduates live on campus. All first-year students live in one of 14 dorms on East Campus. These dorms vary in size. Students can join "learning communities" that connect their dorm life with their academic interests.

Sophomores and juniors live on West Campus. Most seniors choose to live off campus. West Campus has seven residential areas. Housing on West Campus is organized into "houses," which are sections of dorms. Students can return to the same house each year. There are also "selective living groups" (SLGs). These are residential groups that are often co-ed and based on a shared interest, like entrepreneurship or different cultures.

Greek Life and Social Activities

About 30% of undergraduate men and 40% of undergraduate women at Duke are part of fraternities and sororities. Many of these groups have sections within the dorms. There are also historically African-American Greek letter organizations and multicultural Greek groups. SLGs also host social events, which are often open to all students.

Duke sports, especially men's basketball, are a big part of student life. Duke students are known for being very creative and enthusiastic fans. They are called the Cameron Crazies. Students show their support for the men's basketball team by "tenting" for big games. This means setting up and living in a tent on the grass near Cameron Indoor Stadium, an area called Krzyzewskiville, or K-Ville. Students might tent for hours or even days before a game. K-Ville often becomes a party spot at night. Duke also has a tradition of lighting bonfires after certain basketball wins.

Famous Duke Alumni

Duke has over 145,000 active alumni (former students). They stay involved with the university through events like Reunion Weekend. There are many Duke clubs around the U.S. and internationally.

Duke Alumni Association

The Duke Alumni Association (DAA) is a group for all Duke graduates. It offers alumni events, a global network of alumni clubs, and travel opportunities. It also provides access to places like the Duke Lemur Center and Nasher Museum of Art.

Sports at Duke

Duke's sports teams are called the Blue Devils. This name started in 1922. The Duke University Athletic Association has 27 sports and over 650 student-athletes. The Blue Devils compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level. They are part of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Duke teams have won 17 NCAA national championships. The women's golf team has won seven, and the men's basketball team has won five. The men's lacrosse team has won three. The men's soccer and women's tennis teams have each won one. Duke is often ranked high in overall athletic success.

Duke's sports programs also do well academically. Many teams have perfect scores in the NCAA's Academic Progress Report.

Men's Basketball

Duke's men's basketball team is one of the most successful in the nation. They have been especially strong under coach Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K) for the past 30 years. The Blue Devils are the only team to win five national championships since 1985. They have also reached the Final Four 11 times in the last 25 years. Coach K also coached the USA men's national basketball team. He led them to Olympic gold medals in 2008, 2012, and 2016. Many Duke players have been chosen in the first round of the NBA draft.

Football

The Blue Devils football team has won seven ACC Football Championships. They have also had many players recognized as ACC Player of the Year. Three former Duke players are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The most famous Duke football season was in 1938. Coach Wallace Wade led the "Iron Dukes" team, which did not let any regular season opponents score. They played in the Rose Bowl that year but lost. They lost another Rose Bowl in 1942, which was played at Duke's home stadium because of World War II.

While the football team has sometimes struggled on the field, their players have very high graduation rates. Duke has won more Academic Achievement Awards than any other school for its high graduation rates.

In 2012, the Duke football team played in a bowl game for the first time since 1994. In 2013, they had a great season, winning 10 games and becoming Coastal Division Champions. They played in the ACC Championship game and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. In recent years, some Duke football players have been drafted into the NFL.

Track and Field

In 2003, Norm Ogilvie became the Director of Track and Field. Since then, Duke athletes have won over 60 individual ACC championships. Many track and field records have been broken during his time. A new facility, the Morris Williams Track and Field Stadium, opened in 2015.

See also In Spanish: Universidad Duke para niños