Duke Admitted 849 Students in ED to the Class of 2029

Early Decision acceptances include 113 QuestBridge candidates

Duke has admitted its first 849 students to the Class of 2029.

Most of the students – 736 – applied to Duke under the Early Decision process, while 113 arrived through the QuestBridge National College Match program. These admitted students will comprise 49 percent of the next first-year class entering Duke in August.

Of the total, 672 will enroll in Trinity College and 177 will join the Pratt School of Engineering. Last year, 805 students were admitted in December.

The students received word of their admission Monday evening.

Early decision applicants indicate Duke is their first choice of university and commit to attending if admitted.

Duke received a record 6,627 Early Decision applications for the Class of 2029, representing an 8 percent increase over last year; in addition, 2,998 QuestBridge Finalists expressed an interest in matching with Duke. QuestBridge is a non-profit that helps academically exceptional students with low incomes apply to top universities; it has partnered with Duke since 2017. The number of students admitted to Duke through QuestBridge has more than doubled since 2022.

A record 207 of these admitted students are expected to be eligible for Pell Grants, and 131 indicate that they are first-generation college attendees. The Pell increase continues a trend among Duke undergraduates overall; about 23 percent of the current first-year class is eligible for Pell grants, twice as many as just two years prior.

There are 148 students from North and South Carolina in this admitted group, an increase of about 26 percent from just two years ago. That was when Duke unveiled its new Carolinas initiative, which now offers full tuition grants for undergraduates admitted to Duke from the Carolinas whose family incomes are $150,000 or less. For students from family incomes of $65,000 or less, Duke will provide full tuition grants, plus financial assistance for housing, meals and some course materials or other campus expenses, without the need for student loans.

“The applicant pool this year is remarkably deep and diverse,” said Provost Alec D. Gallimore. “We are excited that these talented students have committed to join us next year as we continue to broaden access to Duke.”

Students will join Duke from 45 states and the District of Columbia and represent 30 countries. The states most represented are North Carolina, New York, California, Florida, New Jersey, and Texas. Outside the United States, the countries most represented are China, the United Kingdom, Canada, India and Brazil. 

“It was more challenging than ever to choose among so many appealing and accomplished students,” said Christoph Guttentag, Duke’s dean of undergraduate admissions. “I’m pleased we were able to find room for slightly more students than last year. They’ll be a terrific foundation for the entering class.”

https://today.duke.edu/2024/12/duke-announces-first-members-class-2029