Duke Gets More Than 26,400 Applications for Class of 2014

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More than 26,400 high school seniors have submitted applications for admission to Duke University this year, beating last year's record by 2,500, or 11 percent.This marks the third year in a row in which the number of applications has set a record. Last year, the school received 23,899 applications for admission, which at the time was a nearly 17 percent increase over the previous record. The number of applicants to Duke has increased by almost 6,000 in the last two years alone."Families are clearly considering education at schools like Duke as an investment," Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Christoph Guttentag said. "We've seen a 30 percent increase in applications in the last two years in spite of the worst economic news in a generation. People are recognizing the value of a Duke education, and our strong commitment to affordability. We're constantly humbled by the quality of the individuals who are applying, and by the task of choosing those to whom we can offer admission."The total number of high school seniors applying to Duke this year was 26,415. Of that total, 21,618 applied to the Trinity School of Arts & Sciences (a 9.5 percent increase over last year), while 4,797 applied to the Pratt School of Engineering (a 15.5 percent increase).
California was the most represented state among the applicants, with New York second and North Carolina a close third. The greatest growth among applicants in recent years has been among students from the West Coast and from overseas. The applicant pool is fairly evenly divided between males and females. Other demographic data was not yet available. The students will receive notices of acceptance in early April.
Duke President Richard H. Brodhead said the continued strong interest in Duke reflected the university's strong commitment to undergraduate education. "The best students in the country, and indeed the world, have many choices," Brodhead said. "But they are increasingly drawn to Duke's unique character as a place of reflection, action and growth."
In November, more than 2,000 students applied to Duke through the Early Decision process and 602 students were admitted, which are also record numbers. The increased number of Early Decision acceptances means there will be fewer spots available for Regular Decision applicants -- those applying will be vying for about 1,100 spaces in the Class of 2014. Guttentag expects the incoming class to have about 1,700 students.