What does Duke value most?

Duke offers a multitude of opportunities to its undergraduates. We're looking for students ready to respond to those opportunities intelligently, creatively, and enthusiastically. We like ambition and curiosity, talent and persistence, energy and humanity.

What are Duke core values?

Our shared values — respect, trust, inclusion, discovery and excellence — are more than aspirations.

What does Duke believe in?

Putting these values into practice requires that we accept our responsibilities to one another—to think and act in ways that are ethical, legal and just, and that demonstrate courage, compassion, service, accountability and commitment in all we do on behalf of Duke.

What is Duke most known for?

Duke has a number of notable athletic achievements. Best known is the men's basketball team, coached by Mike Krzyzewski from 1980 to 2022. The team has earned 5 national championships. The women's golf team holds the record at Duke for most national championships, at 7.

What is Duke proud of?

Duke University is proud of its distinctive colors, Duke Blue and White. These colors can be seen throughout the campus, from the iconic Duke Chapel to the sports teams' uniforms.

Duke Values

What does Duke look for in a student?

Duke offers a multitude of opportunities to its undergraduates. We're looking for students ready to respond to those opportunities intelligently, creatively, and enthusiastically. We like ambition and curiosity, talent and persistence, energy and humanity.

What does Duke emphasize?

At Duke, students are immersed in a rigorous academic environment that promotes intellectual growth, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary exploration.

What is Duke University's motto?

Duke's Latin motto, Eruditio et Religio, translates to English as Knowledge and Religion, and is perhaps a reference to a hymn written by Charles Wesley, brother to John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.

What is an interesting fact about Duke?

Duke University was created in 1924 by James Buchanan Duke as a memorial to his father, Washington Duke. The Dukes, a Durham family that built a worldwide financial empire in the manufacture of tobacco products and developed electricity production in the Carolinas, long had been interested in Trinity College.

What is Duke culture like?

At Duke, the atmosphere is known to be collaborative but also quite competitive academically. Students are driven and focused on success, which means there can be pressure, but this also comes with high levels of peer motivation.

What is Duke's reputation?

Duke ranked No. 7 in the 2023-24 edition of the U.S. News and World Report Best National University rankings, rising three spots from its No. 10 ranking last year.

What are some Duke traditions?

What are the 5 pillars of Duke?

The five components of well-being are also the five pillars of Healthy Duke: mental and emotional well-being, physical activity and movement, food and nutrition, environment and culture, and fulfillment and purpose.

Does Duke value legacy?

Family ties that span generations are a valued part of our tradition. But as admission to Duke becomes more competitive, with record numbers of applicants, navigating the admissions process is more challenging than ever.

What is considered legacy at Duke?

Who is a Legacy at Duke? Duke defines legacy as “children and grandchildren of alumni.” Many top colleges only consider children of alums and not grandchildren, so Duke is slightly unique for considering both. Notably, Duke rarely uses the term legacy.

What is Duke the best academically?

Is Duke a stressful school?

Let's face it, Duke is stressful. No matter what year you are, what classes you are taking, or whether you are balancing being a student and a part-time worker. For me, finding that balance as a freshman has been one of the most difficult parts of transitioning.

Is Duke hard academically?

All this said, academically, Duke isn't too scary for most students. There are systems in place that make it difficult to just completely fail or to be utterly lost in terms of classes and grades; the system is easily navigable and there are always people there who can help along the way.

What is a Duke mascot?

The Blue Devil is the mascot of the Duke Blue Devils of Duke University. He is depicted as a costumed human character wearing a blue and white cape with the team's logo on it and a blue mask with white horns, he usually wears a white tape on his forehead that features a message written on it.

Is Duke a private Ivy?

Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1838 and has a long and prestigious history, with notable alumni including former U.S. president Richard Nixon and basketball legend Michael Jordan. However, Duke is not part of the Ivy League.

Why is Duke's mascot a devil?

Beyond the obvious fit with colors, Blue Devils served as an ode to the Chasseurs Alpins, also known as “les diables bleus” (“The Blue Devils”), a French military unit in World War I that wore blue jackets and had impressed many Duke students and alumni returning home from the Western Front.

Is Duke a Tier 1 school?

Duke is a community of scholars engaged in original inquiry and creative expression—and you will become part of that community. Duke is a Tier 1 Research University, a national research center conducting more $800 million in research expenditures annually.

What does Duke University offer that other colleges don t?

Unique Aspects of Duke

What is Duke University known for? Its academic philosophy encourages interdisciplinary scholarship outside of the classroom. For that reason, Duke provides a rich atmosphere for students to explore the world around them, from academics to athletics to art.

How would you describe Duke campus?

Our campus of 8,600+ acres gives students space to roam—both physically and intellectually. But it isn't just the setting that makes Duke unlike any other university. It's the feeling—the kinetic energy of connections forged, creativity sparked, and ideas born. It's an electricity that inspires passion and action.