Duke University GPA requirements & acceptance rate
Average GPA, acceptance rate and SAT/ACT ranges for Duke University, all from its own Common Data Set 2024-25, plus a quick estimate of your chances.
What are my chances at Duke University?
Enter your unweighted GPA to see an estimate.
What GPA do you need to get into Duke University?
Duke University’s own Common Data Set (2024-25) does not report an average high school GPA (item C12 is blank), so there is no official average to target and none is shown here. Use the acceptance rate and test-score ranges below as your guide, and focus on a rigorous course load and strong grades. Source: Duke University Common Data Set 2024-25.
Duke University acceptance rate
Duke University’s Common Data Set 2024-25 (item C1) reports 51,795 first-time, first-year applicants for fall 2024 and 2,957 admitted, an acceptance rate of 5.7%. That makes Duke University extremely selective — one of the most competitive in the country. GPA is only one piece: Duke University also weighs the rigor of your courses, essays, recommendations and activities, and test scores where it considers them.
Duke University SAT and ACT scores
The middle 50% of Duke University’s enrolled first-year students who submitted scores had ACT 34–35 (25th to 75th percentile, Common Data Set 2024-25, item C9). The CDS does not report SAT composite percentiles (some colleges give only the section scores). A score at or above the 75th percentile puts you in the top quarter of enrolled students who reported one.
| Test | 25th | 50th | 75th | Submitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACT composite | 34 | 35 | 35 | 30% |
Duke University admissions at a glance
| First-year applicants (fall 2024) | 51,795 |
| Admitted | 2,957 |
| Acceptance rate | 5.7% |
| Average high school GPA | Not reported |
| Submitted a GPA | — |
| SAT composite, 25th–75th | Not reported |
| ACT composite, 25th–75th | 34–35 |
| Common Data Set year | 2024-25 |
Source: Duke University Common Data Set 2024-25, items C1 (applicants and admits), C9 (SAT/ACT) and C12 (GPA), read October 2026. Every figure on this page comes from the college’s own Common Data Set; none is from a third-party website.
Estimate your odds
The estimator above starts from Duke University’s acceptance rate and moves it up or down with your GPA. It is a rough guide, not a prediction: it does not see your essays, course rigor or major. To plan the grades you need, try the college GPA calculator and the target GPA planner.
How to strengthen your application
Beyond the GPA range, focus on what you can still move: take the most challenging courses your school offers, keep your grades trending upward, prepare for the SAT or ACT if Duke University considers them, and write essays that show genuine fit.