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Consumer Information

In accordance with federal regulations set forth under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, below is a summary of consumer information that must be made available to all students at Duke University.

Each topic provides a brief description of the information that must be disclosed and provides access to the information. Written copies of all information can be requested by emailing Finaid@duke.edu(link sends e-mail)

When clicking a link on this site, please use your browser's back arrow to return to the previous page.  Note, some links are external to Duke.

General Institutional Information

Each year, Duke distributes to all enrolled students a notice of the availability of information required pursuant to specific requirements under the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), as amended, and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended.

A paper copy of any and all of the information provided on this page is available upon request by emailing finaid@duke.edu or calling (919) 684-6225.

For institutional or undergraduate financial aid information at Duke or to obtain printed copies, please email the Assistant Director of Compliance at finaid@duke.edu(link sends e-mail) or call (919) 684-6225.
 
For school-specific information for Duke’s graduate and professional schools, or to obtain printed copies please contact the individual schools by phone or emails listed below: 
 

Celebrate the Constitution by attending our annual Constitution Day Lecture hosted by The Duke Program in American Values and Institutions!

Read our Constitution, take our Constitution Day Quiz and fun facts.

The Student Disability Access Office (SDAO) is the office on campus charged with and committed  to providing educational opportunities for students with disabilities in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008.

The SDAO uses a multifaceted team-based approach to determine eligibility for services and accommodations to qualified first-year students, sophomores, juniors and seniors as well as graduate and professional students. Our goal is to provide and coordinate accommodations that enable students with disabilities to have equal access to all Duke University programs and activities. Services and accommodations are provided to students with a variety of disabilities including, but not limited to, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders, blindness/low vision, deafness/hard of hearing, learning disabilities, psychological disorders (including Autism Spectrum disorders), mobility, and chronic health, as well as other medical conditions.

For more information including University student rights and responsibilities, please visit the SDAO website.

In 2008, President George W. Bush signed into law H.R. 4137, the Higher Education Opportunity Act. This bill, a reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965, includes provisions that are designed to reduce the illegal uploading and downloading of copyrighted works through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing.

To review Duke's policies on Copyright Law and File Sharing in greater detail, please visit Copyright and Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

To contact Duke's Digital Millennium Copyright Act Agent, email dmca-agent@duke.edu and visit Duke's Security Guides on this subject.

For information on Duke's harassment policies please see:

For Students

For Employees

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (link is external)(link is external) (FERPA, also known as the Buckley Amendment) was passed by Congress in 1974 to protect the confidentiality of student records and information. Duke University’s policy on student records incorporates the rights guaranteed by FERPA. Students are notified of their FERPA rights annually through publication in the Duke University Bulletin and the student handbook. Additional information can be found through the Registrar's Office.

University Center Activities and Events (UCAE) creates opportunities for students to expand their knowledge and skills outside the classroom.  To see Information about Duke Groups, Organizations, Events, Arts and Performance, Event Planning, and Student Involvement, click here.

The University’s student complaint process is outlined in detail on the Provost’s Policies Page.

To file a complaint with the appropriate state accrediting agency students should contact the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools(link is external).

Effective Fall 2010 the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) requires all institutions receiving federal financial aid to "publish," in time for registration, a list of all required and recommended books and other course materials for all classes offered at the institution. This includes all schools — undergraduate, graduate and professional. The items we must display are:

  • Book title, including edition
  • Book author
  • ISBN number
  • Retail price

This is an effort to make more transparent the cost of education, as indicated in the following statement from the HEOA:

PURPOSE AND INTENT — The purpose of this section is to ensure that students have access to affordable course materials by decreasing costs to students and enhancing transparency and disclosure with respect to the selection, purchase, sale, and use of course materials. It is the intent of this section to encourage all of the involved parties, including faculty, students, administrators, institutions of higher education, bookstores, distributors, and publishers, to work together to identify ways to decrease the cost of college textbooks and supplemental materials for students while supporting the academic freedom of faculty members to select high quality course materials for students.

For additional information on our Textbook Compliance Strategy and common Textbook FAQs please click here.

Duke University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools(link is external) to award baccalaureate, masters, doctorate, and professional degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Duke University or to file complaints with the accrediting association.

To vote in North Carolina or in your home state, get all the information you need by contacting the Center for Political Leadership, Innovation and Service at (919) 613-9320 or email bj.rudell@duke.edu.

Detailed information on voter registration and how to vote can also be found online or by stopping by the Center's Offices at 201 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708.

Information on Duke's Voting Policy for staff can be found on the Human Resources website.

Instructional Programs

Please visit Duke’s Course Schedule Policy.  To view the Schedule of Classes or to search for a class, visit Duke Hub and then select the Class Search tile (note: this link is for external users who are not logged into DukeHub).

The University Bulletins provide the University’s official information on programs of study, academic requirements, teaching staff, academic calendar, and other matters pertaining to study at the University.  Please consult the current University Bulletin for the School you are interested in.

As of July 1, 2019, Duke University will early implement the Department’s decision to rescind gainful employment (GE) regulations (2014 Rule) in the Federal Register.  

Subject: Gainful Employment Electronic Announcement #122 – Early Implementation of the Rescission of the Gainful Employment Rule

We will no longer be providing Gainful Employment information by way of this website. Please contact us with any questions you may have.

A student's enrollment in a program of study abroad approved for credit by the home institution may be considered enrollment at the home institution for the purpose of applying for assistance under Title IV, of the Higher Education Act, as amended, program. 

For more information on Duke’s Study Abroad and Study Away Programs please visit Duke's Global Education Office.

To view the Transfer Credit Policies and Articulation Agreements for schools at Duke please visit the websites below for the school-specific policies:

Financial Assistance

Federal Regulations require that students have an “Ability to Benefit” from post-secondary education before they can receive Federal Student Aid, which typically refers to earning a high school diploma and being enrolled in a degree-seeking program.  For more information on Duke’s ATB policy, please click here.

To view information on Entrance and first time borrower loan counseling and visit this link to view information on Exit Loan Counseling.

Institutional need-based and merit-based funds as well as federal, state and outside sources of grant funding are available to all undergraduates applying to Duke. Work Study Funds are also available to all undergraduates at Duke. Different eligibility requirements must be met to qualify for different types of funding. To review the types of funding available to undergraduates at Duke and their eligibility requirements, please visit: types of assistance.

For information on the Graduate and Professional Programs, please visit the links below:

Federal Student Loans

Need-based loan funds are available to undergraduates at Duke.  Non-need based federal student loans are also available to undergraduates, graduate students, and parents of undergraduates at Duke.  For information on how to apply for federal student loans, to review rates and terms, and to see sample repayment schedules, please visit this link regarding loans.

Private Student Loans

Private student loans are available to students at a variety of interest rates and repayment terms.  To see the difference between the federal loans and private loans, to understand how to apply and to learn more about Dukes Educational Assistance Loan (DEAL), please click here.

Other Sources of Aid

While the Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid considers students for need-based aid only, other sources of funding are available to help with the cost of Duke. Merit scholarships, scholarships from outside organizations, veterans benefits, tuition benefit programs, loans, and other sources of aid can all serve to make a Duke education more affordable.

Please visit this link to review information on merit scholarships, veterans benefits, outside scholarships, tuition benefits, and other sources of aid available to undergraduates at Duke. 

To see sources of aid at the graduate and professional schools please visit the links below:

Financial Aid Policies and Guidelines are updated and published every year for each school at Duke University. To see the individual school guidelines, please see links below.

In an effort to make the lender selection process easier for our students and parents, and to ensure that they are choosing reliable and stable lenders, the University publishes a list of “Recommended Private Lenders.”  To review our full list for US Citizens/Permanent Residents, Non-US citizens with co-signers, and Non-US citizens, please visit Recommended Lenders.

To view the University’s policy on when federal Title IV funds must be returned, and the policies surrounding those funds, please find information at this link.

Medicine - Page 38-39 of Policy and Procedure Manual

Federal regulations require that, in order to be eligible for assistance from any Federal Title IV student aid program (Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG, Federal Work-Study, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Direct/PLUS Loan, and State Student Incentive Grant Programs), a student must be making satisfactory academic progress.

To read Duke’s full policy on SAP for undergraduates, click here.

For SAP requirements for the Graduate and Professional Schools, please click the links below:

Duke provides a federally outlined Shopping Sheet to all veterans applying to Duke, so that they can compare Duke’s award with a Shopping Sheet from another institution.  The Shopping Sheet is included with any financial aid offer an admitted veteran receives.

To see what is included on the Shopping Sheet, click here.

Duke University has established a set of publicly available principles and policies to govern educational lending practices for undergraduate, graduate and professional students. These principles emphasize that our lending practices come from a commitment to the best interests of our students. Neither Duke nor its employees accept financial payments, goods or services of material value from lenders. All employees involved in financial aid and student lending are subject to a rigorous conflict-of-interest policy. Please review our full Educational Lending Code of Conduct.

A range of need-based and non-need based loans are available to students and parents of undergraduates at duke.  To see how to apply, review the terms and repayment schedules, consider recommended private lenders please visit our student loan page.

The Duke University Offices of Student Financial Aid (OSFA), in partnership with students (and students' parents), provides federal, state, and institutional funds to help defray the cost of education. Student financial aid recipients have a number of responsibilities and rights.  Student Rights and Responsibilities

 

If a student withdraws from school before the end of the term, there may be an adjustment of the amount of tuition charged depending on the withdrawal date.  To see the official university schedule of percentage of tuition to be refunded at a particular time during the semester please visit: Tuition Withdrawal.  For the schedule of tuition refund at the medical school please visit: Tuition Withdrawal.

Medical School

Use our interactive calculators for an estimate of how much financial aid you might be eligible to receive and what your overall cost to attend Duke undergraduate programs might be.  Click here.

The Undergraduate cost of attendance is an estimate of the total of tuition, fees, room, meals, transportation, books/supplies, and personal expenses not accounting for any financial assistance from Duke or any outside grant agency that may be received.

To see the Undergraduate total cost of attendance please visit this site.

To estimate your own cost at Duke (to include estimated grant aid) please go to our Net Price Calculator.

To get a quick estimated aid range visit our cost estimator.

Health and Safety

Annual Clery Security Report

Duke prepares an Annual Security Report in compliance with the Clery Act and distributes it by email to the Duke community in the beginning of October each year. It includes reported campus crime statistics for the past three years and information about campus security policies.

A printed report is available by visiting the Records Division, Duke University Police Department, 502 Oregon Street, Durham, NC 27708, or by calling (919) 684-4602.

Annual Fire Safety Report

The Campus Fire Safety Right-to-Know Act is an amendment to the Higher Education Opportunity Act. This amendment serves to increase campus fire safety awareness across the nation, providing students and their families with the fire safety records of colleges/universities. Signed into law by President George W. Bush on August 14, 2008, this amendment requires post-secondary institutions to publicly display fire safety information and statistics, much as they already do with other safety statistics, such as campus theft and assault. This information provides prospective and current students of the policies, concerns, and fire safety conditions that are present at the institution in which they have applied or are enrolled.

To view Duke University’s Fire Safety Information including fire safety descriptions, fire drill information, policies, evacuation procedures, training, improvement plans and fire incident logs please, click here.

For the most recent Fire Safety Report

For Fire Drill Information

For Fire Prevention Information

For site specific fire plans

For more information or for written copies of fire policies, programs and procedures please contact:  Fred Knipper, Director of Fire and Life Safety, (919) 668-3231 / fred.knipper@duke.edu.

The Duke University Police Department maintains and provides daily and weekly summaries of all reported campus crimes. Campus crime logs can be viewed here.

Crime Prevention Programs at Duke

The Crime Prevention Unit conducts safety presentations and workshops for students, staff and faculty.  Here are links for listings of current events and workshops.

As a community of scholars and learners, Duke University expects those within its community to be responsible with the use of alcohol. This policy shall guide the role of alcohol everywhere on the Duke campus and at all events sponsored by Duke organizations, schools, or administrative units. Students, staff, and faculty members are encouraged to learn about the social, physiological, and psychological consequences of drinking and alcohol abuse. Excessive and high-risk drinking can lead to negative consequences for the Duke community, including assault, illness, injury, litter, noise, property damage, and driving under the influence. All members of the Duke community share responsibility for creating an environment that limits dangerous drinking behaviors and, therefore, reduces the likelihood of these negative outcomes.

To read the University-Wide Alcohol Policy in full, please visit the Alcohol section at this link.

To read the University-Wide Drug and Drug Paraphernalia policy in full and possible consequences of violating that policy please visit the policy under Substance Abuse Policy.

Duke University is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all students and employees. The university Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program (DAAPP) seeks to provide students and employees education and support regarding the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol. 

The Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (DFSCA) as detailed in 34 CFR Part 86 requires institutions of higher education to certify that they have adopted and implemented drug and alcohol abuse prevention programs and to disseminate that report to all students and employees annually.

To read the full DAAPP document, please open the PDF [link to document].

Alcohol and other substance misuse and abuse can impact all dimensions of your wellbeing. We are here as a resource to provide prevention and education opportunities, social host responsibility training, and organizational risk management workshops. Whether you are looking for information or strategies for yourself, a friend, or for a larger organization, DuWell can work with you to develop an action plan for reducing the potential harm stemming from high-risk activities.  

Click here for more detailed information on programs and help.

Emergency preparedness and emergency response is critical to the reliability of our systems on campus and is equally important in helping to manage emergencies that impact Duke facilities. 

For more information or to view the University’s Emergency Planning and What to Do in an Emergency.

For Duke’s policy during Severe Weather and Emergency Conditions.

In accordance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, Duke University has developed a policy for notifying the designated emergency contact in DukeHub for a student who is determined to be missing.

If members of the Duke community believe that a student has been missing for 24 hours, it is critical that they report that information to the Duke University Police at (919) 684-2444.

For a full record of Duke’s Policy on Missing Student Notification please Duke University Annual Security Report (see page 34/36).

Keeping you safe is Duke’s top priority. As required by the The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or "Clery Act", Duke alerts students and employees in a timely manner of crimes that pose a serious or continuing threat to the Duke community. Depending on the nature and location of the incident, Duke may send a “DukeALERT” message to all students, faculty, and staff at their Duke e-mail accounts and mobile device, if they enrolled in the text service.

Duke University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational programs, and sexual harassment and sexual violence are types of sex discrimination. Other acts can also be forms of sex-based discrimination and are also prohibited, sexually based or not, and include dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. As a result, Duke University issues this statement of policy to inform the community of our comprehensive plan addressing sexual misconduct, educational programs, and  procedures that address sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, whether the incident occurs on or off campus and when it is reported to a University official. In this context, Duke University prohibits the offenses of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking and reaffirms its commitment to maintain a campus environment emphasizing the dignity and worth of all members of the University community.

Click here for information on Duke University’s Harassment & Discrimination Policy  (see page 16).

Click here for information on Duke University’s Workplace Violence Response

For the student policy on sexual misconduct/gender violence, click here.

Sex Offender Registry

To Search a database through the North Carolina Department of Justice or to sign up to receive email alerts when a sex offender registers to an address in your community please visit the North Carolina Sex Offender and Public Protection Registry.

Substance abuse is detrimental to an individual’s health and may jeopardize safety in the workplace. For these and other reasons, the unauthorized use, possession, storage, manufacture, distribution and sale of alcohol, controlled substances, and illegal drugs is prohibited on Duke’s premises or during any business conducted in Duke-supplied vehicles or during working hours.

The “Drug-Free Workplace Act” and the “Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Regulation” require Duke – as a federal contractor and grant recipient – to certify that it will provide a drug-free workplace/campus. As a condition of employment on such contracts and grants, staff will abide by the terms of this statement and notify Duke of any criminal drug statute convictions not later than five days after such convictions for violations occurring on Duke premises. This includes convictions for the unlawful use, possession (including the storage in a desk, locker, or other repository), manufacture, distribution, dispensation, or sale of illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia, or controlled substances on Duke premises or while conducting business in Duke supplied vehicles or during working hours.

Duke will not condone criminal activity on its property (or on property under its direct control) and will take appropriate corrective actions up to and including termination or required participation in drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation programs.

Please visit the Substance Abuse Policy Statement for details.

All students are required to complete certain immunization requirements prior to their arrival on-campus. North Carolina State Law (General Statutes §130A 152–157) requires that all students entering college present a certificate of immunization that documents that the student has received all immunizations required by law. While a state or country of origin may have different immunization requirements, all students must comply with North Carolina laws and Duke requirements.

Intercollegiate Athletics

For the report on Duke's athletic program's participation rates and financial support data pursuant to the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act.

Duke University Equity in Athletics Report (link is external) (EADA) lists the number of participants in varsity athletics, information on the coaching staff including salaries, athletically related student aid as well as information on revenues and expenses by team and in total. 

NCAA Division 1 Graduation Success Rates(link is external) (GSR) lists the overall GSR for Division I, Football subdivision GSR, football championship subdivision GSR as well as Division I (non-football) GSR. To see Duke specific graduation success rates, please enter Duke University to Search.

Student Outcomes

The Duke Career Outcomes data is from the Senior Survey, designed by the Consortium on Financing Higher Education (COFHE)(link is external), and is administered to seniors, via the web each April. It asks seniors about their post-graduation plans, satisfaction with their undergraduate education, services provided by the university and their participation in activities.

To see the most recent survey results please visit this link.

In addition, we conduct an alumni survey to track the career paths of our undergraduates over time. Please visit this link to see the most recent Career Path survey results:

The Common Data Set outlines Institutional enrollment, persistence by sex and ethnicity.  It also outlines graduation rates separated out by Pell grant recipients and Federal Loan recipients.

Please click this link to view the most recent Data Set.

Duke reports its retention and graduation rates through the Integrated Post Secondary Education Data System (IPEDS).  It outlines first-to-second- year retention rates, overall graduation rate, 4-year, 6-year and 8-year bachelor’s degree graduation rates,  and graduation rates by ethnicity.  Outcome measures are broken out by Pell grant and non-Pell grant recipients. 

Please visit this link to view Duke’s most recent Graduation and Retention rates in IPEDS.

View Duke’s most recent outcome measures by Pell eligibility.

The IPEDS Report contains university-specific annual data relating to cost, aid available, net price, enrollment, admissions, retention and graduation rates, Outcome measures, program/majors, veterans information, athletic teams, accreditation, campus security, and cohort default rates.

View Duke University’s most recent IPEDs report here.