Does Duke require SAT scores 2023?

Published April 6, 2021 at 5:36 PM EDT

Duke University saw a significant increase in the number of undergraduate students applying for admission this fall, with about 10,000 more applicants than the year before. One major factor for the influx is that the university made standardized test scores optional on applications for the first time.

Duke's Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Christoph Guttentag says he was surprised to see applications rise by about 25%. WUNC's Liz Schlemmer spoke with Guttentag about what this experience could mean for a policy long-debated across higher education.

This interview has been edited for brevity.

There's been a debate in higher education over using test-optional admissions policies. Can you describe the debate?

The role of standardized tests, in general, has been something that's been discussed for decades, really. You've got many, many different colleges using these scores in many different ways and no single approach.

Part of the challenge is that there's a correlation between family income, family resources and standardized test scores. Because of the perceived and sometimes actual role of standardized tests in college admissions, there are students who don't apply to certain colleges because of their concern that their test scores might make them less competitive.

The ability for students to choose whether or not to submit scores reduces barriers to students from all kinds of backgrounds in deciding where to apply to college. But test scores do add information that admissions officers find useful in assessing a student's preparation, and how a student compares to the applicant pool as a whole.

Why did Duke decide to be test-optional now and why have we seen that from other colleges and universities recently?

Everybody will agree that 2020 was unlike any year that any of us had experienced. In the realm of college admissions, one of the effects was the dramatic decrease in the opportunities for students to take an ACT or SAT test, starting from the middle of their junior year through their senior.

Like many of our peer schools, we felt that we didn't want that lack of opportunity to be a deciding factor for students in terms of their decision whether to apply to college and certainly whether to apply to our colleges.

We saw in one year, essentially, an increase of 25%. In our applicants, we went from 40,000 to 50,000 applicants in a single year. I don't remember the last time we saw an increase of more than 10 or 12% in a single year and even that's unusual.

There are students — wonderful students, talented students, interesting students — who I think choose not to apply to some colleges because of their standardized test scores. The permission not to submit scores, makes it easier for those students to look at themselves and to say, you know, "I deserve to apply to these colleges."

And I'm going, "Oh, I think a large part of it was the test-optional policy."

What have you learned from being test-optional? Do you see it as a useful policy for the future?

We certainly learned that we were able to, we feel, fairly assess students in the absence of a standardized test score. There were certainly some students where we wish we'd had scores and we didn't.

But overwhelmingly, we felt that the absence of scores was not a dramatic factor in making our decisions. Now, what's going to be different next year as compared to this year? My hope is that the opportunities for students to take the SAT or the ACT will return as people are vaccinated.

So next year, what's going to be interesting is that whether a student submits a standardized test score or not will be more a matter of choice, rather than a limitation.

Is there anything interesting you can tell me about this freshly admitted class? Is it larger or more diverse or in any way different from before?

Well, this class is not larger. The decision was made to keep this first-year class at its normal size. So we expect around 1,700 first-year students.

I don't know yet exactly what shape it will take, because while we've admitted students now the ball is in their court. Now they get to choose whether they enroll or not.

What are Duke's average SAT scores and GPA? In this guide, we'll discuss what scores are needed for you to get admitted into Duke. You'll also get to calculate your own chances with our admissions calculator.

Location: Durham, NC

This school is also known as: Duke University

Duke Admissions Statistics

There are three critical numbers when considering your admissions chances: SAT scores, GPA, and acceptance rate. All these combine to tell you what you scores are required to get into Duke University.


Average SAT: 1510

The average SAT score composite at Duke is a 1510.

Does Duke require SAT scores 2023?

Duke SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)

The 25th percentile New SAT score is 1450, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1570.

In other words, a 1450 places you below average, while a 1570 will move you up to above average. There's no absolute SAT requirement at Duke, but they really want to see at least a 1450 to have a chance at being considered.

Here's the breakdown of new SAT scores by section:

Section Average 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
Math 770 740 800
Reading + Writing 740 710 770
Composite 1510 1450 1570

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Does Duke require SAT scores 2023?

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Does Duke require SAT scores 2023?

Average GPA: 4.13

The average GPA at Duke is 4.13. This makes Duke Extremely Competitive for GPAs.

Does Duke require SAT scores 2023?

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA. This school did not officially report its average GPA, but we've estimated it here using data from over 1,000 schools.)

With a GPA of 4.13, Duke requires you to be at the top of your class. You'll need nearly straight A's in all your classes to compete with other applicants. You should also have taken plenty of AP or IB classes to show your ability to excel in academic challenge.

If you're a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change from this point on. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 4.13, you'll need a higher SAT score to compensate and show that you're prepared to take on college academics. This will help you compete effectively with other applicants.

Admissions Rate: 8.9%

The acceptance rate at Duke is 8.9%. In other words, of 100 students who apply, only 9 are admitted.

Does Duke require SAT scores 2023?

This means the school is very selective. Scores are vital to getting past their first round of filters. After that, you will need to impress them beyond just your academic scores.

Final Admissions Verdict

Does Duke require SAT scores 2023?

Because this school is extremely selective, getting a high SAT score and GPA is vital to having a chance at getting in. If you don't pass their SAT and GPA requirements, they'll likely reject you without much consideration.

To be safe, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1570 SAT and a 4.13 GPA or higher to be above average.

This is only part of the challenge - after this, you'll need to impress them beyond your academic scores, with your accomplishments and extracurriculars. But if you apply with a 1510 SAT or below, you unfortunately have a small chance of getting in.


Does Duke require SAT scores 2023?

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Does Duke require SAT scores 2023?


Admissions Calculator

What are your chances of admission at Duke University?

Chances of admission with these scores:

Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are.

Pick your test: New SAT ACT


Note: Your admission decision relies not only on your GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but also on your coursework difficulty, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. This tool provides only a simplistic estimate of your chances of admission. Instead of treating this tool as a crystal ball, we recommend you consider the big picture of what your chance means:

  • 80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
  • 50-80%: More likely than not getting in
  • 20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
  • 5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
  • 0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in
We recommend you apply to schools across a range of chances. Applying to some safety schools will guarantee you have a college to go to, while applying to some reach schools will give you a shot at getting into the school at the top of your range.


Other Schools For You

If you're interested in Duke, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to Duke.


Does Duke require SAT scores 2023?

Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than Duke. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

School NameLocationSAT AvgACT Avg
Yale University New Haven, CT 1515 34
Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA 1510 34
Columbia University New York, NY 1505 34

Does Duke require SAT scores 2023?

Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for Duke, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

School NameLocationSAT AvgACT Avg
Princeton University Princeton, NJ 1505 34
University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 1500 34
Dartmouth College Hanover, NH 1500 34
Tufts University Medford, MA 1465 33
Northeastern University Boston, MA 1465 34
New York University New York, NY 1440 32
University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 1435 33

Does Duke require SAT scores 2023?

Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for Duke, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If Duke is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

School NameLocationSAT AvgACT Avg
Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA 1420 33
Boston University Boston, MA 1420 32
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY 1409 31

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Are SAT scores required for Duke?

Duke SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT) There's no absolute SAT requirement at Duke, but they really want to see at least a 1450 to have a chance at being considered.

Is Duke waiving SAT?

Duke is test-optional for both first-year applicants and transfer applicants in the 2022-23 admissions cycle. Middle 50% range SAT scores for accepted students in the class of 2025 were between 1510 and 1560, and middle 50% range ACT scores were between 34 and 36.

Does Duke require SAT 2025?

A minimum score of 1450 on the SAT is recommended for admission to Duke University; however, the school does not require that applicants have this score in order to be considered. Duke Class of 2025 statistics revealed the typical grade point average at Duke is 4.13.

Is Dartmouth test optional 2023?

Harvard, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Penn, Dartmouth, and Stanford have all recently announced that they will remain test optional through the high school class of 2023, with Cornell going a step further remaining test optional through the high school class of 2024, and Harvard through 2026!