Duke University vs University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)

Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, both esteemed institutions in North Carolina, offer distinct educational experiences. Duke, a private research university, boasts a lower acceptance rate (8.2%) compared to UNC's 24.4%, indicating its highly selective admissions process. While Duke's student body is smaller, UNC's larger population fosters a diverse and vibrant campus community. Both universities excel in academics, with popular majors ranging from engineering and business to biology and psychology. However, Duke's graduation rate slightly edges out UNC's, with 94% of its students completing their degrees within four years compared to UNC's 89%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to uncover further distinctions between these two exceptional universities and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Duke University logo

Duke University

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill logo

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Overview

Location Durham, North Carolina Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Campus setting City: Large City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 98.0% 97.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Methodism

Admission

Acceptance rate 5.9% 20.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $85

Graduate: $95
Undergraduate: $85

Graduate: $95
SAT range 1468 - 1558 1140 - 1380
ACT range 33 - 35 22 - 27
Students submitting SAT score 47.0% 2.0%
Students submitting ACT score 46.0% 12.0%
Total number of applicants 49,703 50,729
Total number of admissions given out 2,927 10,348
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,744 4,690
Yield rate 59.6% 45.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $79,860
In state: $24,770

Out of state: $52,633
Average net price $27,297 $11,508
Tuition $58,085
In state: $7,019

Out of state: $34,882
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,164

Meal plan: $6,862
Room/dormitory: $6,878

Meal plan: $5,004
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

46.0%
Average amount $50,731
42.0%
Average amount $16,076
Students receiving federal student loan 20.0%
Average amount $4,537
17.0%
Average amount $4,244
Students taking out private loans 3.0%
Average amount $22,957
3.0%
Average amount $14,032

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 6,883
Men 48.4% Women 51.6%
19,845
Men 39.6% Women 60.4%
Graduate students 10,737
Men 45.5% Women 54.5%
11,796
Men 41.4% Women 58.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 16.2%
International students 21.4% 6.8%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Small
Dormitory capacity 5,718 9,984
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A North Carolina Georgia Maryland New York Pennsylvania

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Legal Profession
  • Social Sciences
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Social Sciences
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio 6:1 15:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 95.9% 90.5%
Dropout rate 4.0% 3.7%
Transferred out N/A 5.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
International Business (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $151,472
  • Year 2: $213,978
  • Year 3: $201,782
Law (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $155,031
  • Year 2: $168,098
  • Year 3: $200,300
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $143,622
  • Year 2: $148,189
  • Year 3: $163,560
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $163,977
  • Year 2: $138,342
  • Year 3: $159,598
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $115,135
  • Year 2: $106,898
  • Year 3: $134,542
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $123,138
  • Year 2: $116,541
  • Year 3: $124,406
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,817
  • Year 2: $97,071
  • Year 3: $117,262
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $94,699
  • Year 2: $90,856
  • Year 3: $112,646
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,661
  • Year 2: $91,078
  • Year 3: $108,736
Economics (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $104,348
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $168,979
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $238,213
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $135,965
  • Year 2: $127,836
  • Year 3: $150,089
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $116,248
  • Year 2: $82,440
  • Year 3: $128,102
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,961
  • Year 2: $103,078
  • Year 3: $117,488
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,271
  • Year 2: $86,036
  • Year 3: $96,602
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,162
  • Year 2: $72,083
  • Year 3: $95,204
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,938
  • Year 2: $73,823
  • Year 3: $89,917
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,557
  • Year 2: $57,770
  • Year 3: $87,057
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,899
  • Year 2: $67,660
  • Year 3: $86,155
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,205
  • Year 2: $68,666
  • Year 3: $82,520

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