Duke University
Duke University logo

Duke University

🇺🇸 United States / North Carolina / Durham
Private AAU R1 Est. 1838
Website Ranking Overview
Official Website duke.edu Wikipedia Apply Financial Aid

About

Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James Buchanan Duke established the Duke Endowment and the institution changed its name to honor his deceased father, Washington Duke.

Ranking Overview

Ranking Snapshot

Ranked Top 50 worldwide across 4 major ranking systems

US News #27 (2026)
THE #28 (2026)

Ranked in 114 subject rankings

QS QS World University Rankings
# 70
8
75.8
2027
THE Times Higher Education World University Rankings
# 28
1
82.9
2026
ARWU Academic Ranking of World Universities
# 46
7
33.6
2025
US News U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings
# 27
1
80.7
2026

Key Facts

Students
17,871
Student-Staff Ratio
4.4 : 1
Int'l Students
25%
Female : Male
55 : 45
Staff
19,108

Historical Trend

Longitudinal View
QS QS
THE THE
ARWU ARWU
US News US News
1 26 51 76 100 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 Rank
:
Score:

Top Subjects

Best-performing areas
4
Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems
Top 10
US News 4
5
Nursing
Top 10
QS 5 ARWU 8
8
Clinical Medicine
Top 10
ARWU 8
9
Medical Technology
Top 10
ARWU 9
9
Theology, Divinity & Religious Studies
Top 10
QS 9
10
Biomedical Engineering
Top 10
ARWU 10
10
Statistics & Operational Research
Top 10
ARWU 10 QS 23
13
Clinical Medicine
Top 50
US News 13
14
Law & Legal Studies
Top 50
ARWU 14 THE 30 QS =44
15
Anatomy & Physiology
Top 50
QS 15
17
Psychology
Top 50
THE 17 ARWU 22 QS 34
17
Human Biological Sciences
Top 50
ARWU 17
18
Oncology
Top 50
US News 18
19
Business & Economics
Top 50
THE 19
19
Medicine
Top 50
QS 19

Subject Rankings

Detailed breakdown

QS

48 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Nursing 5 88.4 2026
Theology, Divinity & Religious Studies 9 84.7 2026
Anatomy & Physiology 15 88.7 2026
Medicine 19 81.4 2026
Life Sciences & Medicine =23 83.8 2026
Statistics & Operational Research 23 83.1 2026
English Language & Literature 24 80.6 2026
Economics & Econometrics =26 80.9 2026
Anthropology 28 81.2 2026
Biological Sciences =33 78.9 2026
Psychology 34 77.6 2026
Accounting & Finance 41 76.5 2026
Environmental Sciences 42 81.2 2026
Law & Legal Studies =44 76.0 2026
Politics 44 72.3 2026
Pharmacy & Pharmacology 47 75.6 2026
Classics & Ancient History 51-150 - 2026
History 51-100 - 2026
Mineral & Mining Engineering 51-60 - 2021
Communication & Media Studies 51-100 - 2026
Development Studies 51-100 - 2026
Marketing 51-100 - 2026
Social Policy & Administration 51-100 - 2026
Modern Languages 58 76.9 2026
Social Sciences & Management 59 76.6 2026
Business & Management Studies 60 74.0 2026
Arts & Humanities =63 78.1 2026
Mathematics 77 71.6 2026
Computer Science =91 68.2 2026
Performing Arts 101-150 - 2025
Philosophy 101-150 - 2026
Chemical Engineering 101-150 - 2026
Agriculture & Forestry 101-150 - 2026
Earth & Marine Sciences 101-150 - 2026
Geology 101-150 - 2026
Geophysics 101-150 - 2026
Education & Training 101-150 - 2026
Chemistry =114 70.8 2026
Natural Sciences =117 75.4 2026
Physics & Astronomy =128 70.9 2026
Electrical & Electronic Engineering =143 68.4 2026
Engineering & Technology =149 71.6 2026
Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing Engineering 151-200 - 2026
Materials Science 151-200 - 2026
Architecture 201-220 - 2021
Art & Design 201-300 - 2026
Civil & Structural Engineering 201-275 - 2025
Linguistics 251-300 - 2025

ARWU

46 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Clinical Medicine 8 275.2 2025
Nursing 8 230.8 2025
Medical Technology 9 239.5 2025
Biomedical Engineering 10 159.4 2025
Statistics & Operational Research 10 214.2 2025
Law & Legal Studies 14 125.1 2025
Human Biological Sciences 17 199.6 2025
Economics & Econometrics 20 185.4 2025
Mathematics 22 223.8 2025
Psychology 22 200.3 2025
Biotechnology 24 149.7 2025
Biological Sciences 35 196.9 2025
Politics 41 149.8 2025
Aerospace Engineering 42 185.5 2017
Public Health 44 163.5 2025
Sociology 45 129.7 2025
Finance 47 129.9 2025
Physics & Astronomy 51-75 - 2025
Electrical & Electronic Engineering 51-75 - 2025
Telecommunication Engineering 51-75 - 2025
Library & Information Science 51-75 - 2022
Chemistry 76-100 - 2025
Ecology 76-100 - 2025
Computer Science 76-100 - 2025
Remote Sensing 76-100 - 2022
Management 76-100 - 2025
Geography 101-150 - 2024
Atmospheric Science 101-150 - 2025
Environmental Sciences 101-150 - 2025
Pharmacy & Pharmacology 101-150 - 2025
Public Administration 101-150 - 2024
Oceanography 151-200 - 2025
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology 151-200 - 2025
Water Resources 151-200 - 2024
Earth & Marine Sciences 201-300 - 2025
Mechanical Engineering 201-300 - 2021
Materials Science 201-300 - 2025
Artificial Intelligence 201-300 - 2025
Veterinary Science 201-300 - 2022
Dentistry 201-300 - 2025
Education & Training 201-300 - 2025
Communication & Media Studies 201-300 - 2023
Instruments Science & Technology 301-400 - 2025
Energy Science & Engineering 301-400 - 2024
Business Administration 301-400 - 2025
Agricultural Sciences 401-500 - 2023

THE

10 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Psychology 17 79.1 2026
Business & Economics 19 82.7 2026
Clinical & Health 23 80.8 2026
Life Sciences 25 85.4 2026
Social Sciences 27 75.1 2026
Law & Legal Studies 30 70.1 2026
Arts & Humanities 40 66.5 2026
Physical Sciences 53 72.0 2026
Computer Science 59 70.9 2026
Engineering & Technology =63 69.4 2026

Organization Structure

Related units
University 1
View Details
Want to apply to this university? Talk to AI Advisor

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ranking of Duke University?

Duke University's performance in the latest university rankings: QS Rank 70, THE Rank 28, ARWU Rank 46, US News Rank 27.

When was Duke University founded?

Duke University was founded in 1838.

What are the top subjects at Duke University?

Top subjects at Duke University include: Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems, Nursing, Clinical Medicine, Medical Technology, Theology, Divinity & Religious Studies.

Where is Duke University located?

Duke University is located in Durham, United States.