Is Duke or Northwestern harder to get into?

Duke is harder to get into than Northwestern. Duke's 5.1% acceptance rate is lower than Northwestern's 7.2%.

Which is cheaper, Duke or Northwestern?

Northwestern costs less on average. After grants and scholarships, Northwestern's average net price is $29,167 vs $29,612 at Duke.

Which has higher post-graduation earnings, Duke or Northwestern?

Duke graduates earn more on average. Median earnings 10 years after entry are $97,800 at Duke and $89,363 at Northwestern.

Duke vs. Northwestern: Acceptance Rate, SAT, Cost & Outcomes Compared

Metric	Duke	Northwestern
Acceptance rate	5.1%	7.2%
SAT mid-50%	1490–1570	1500–1560
ACT mid-50%	34–35	34–35
Cost of attendance	$90,222	$90,304
Avg net price (after aid)	$29,612	$29,167
Undergrad enrollment	6,717	8,848
6-yr graduation rate	96.8%	95.1%
Median earnings (10yr)	$97,800	$89,363
Setting	Durham, North Carolina	Evanston, Illinois

The Real Differences

Duke is modestly harder to get into. The 2.1-point gap matters at the margin but doesn't change the overall difficulty tier. Both schools draw similar applicant pools and admit similar profiles.

Net cost is essentially the same at both schools after grants and scholarships, despite different sticker prices. Both schools meet most demonstrated need for in-range income brackets.

Duke graduates earn $8,437 more on average at the 10-year mark. This usually reflects major distribution more than school quality — schools that concentrate in CS, engineering, and finance pull higher medians than schools with more humanities and social science graduates. Northwestern grads' earnings within the same major category are typically comparable.

Geographic difference matters more than the campus tour suggests. Duke is in Durham, North Carolina; Northwestern is in Evanston, Illinois. Climate, cost-of-living, and proximity to job markets in your target field shape the four-year experience and post-grad pipeline more than most prospective students realize.

Student Body Composition

The two schools have different student body compositions. Duke is 53.7% women, 10.5% international, and 21.8% Asian-American. Northwestern is 54.3% women, 11.6% international, and 21.2% Asian-American.

Demographic	Duke	Northwestern
Women	53.7%	54.3%
International	10.5%	11.6%
White	35.2%	30.6%
Asian	21.8%	21.2%
Hispanic	10.7%	15.8%
Black	8.7%	8.4%

Personalized estimate

What are your odds at Duke vs. Northwestern?

Get a probability for both schools calibrated to your full profile, not the headline rate.

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The Verdict

Pick Duke if

Higher median post-grad earnings ($97,800 vs $89,363)
Higher 6-year graduation rate
Trinity College and Pratt Engineering

Pick Northwestern if

Your odds are realistic at Northwestern (slightly easier admit)
Net price matters: Northwestern costs $445 less per year on average
the quarter system

Headline numbers favor one school or the other on each axis, but neither is unambiguously “better.” The right answer depends on your major fit, geographic preference, financial need, and personal odds at each. Most applicants who get into one of these schools also get into the other.

Full School Pages

For complete admissions data, supplemental essay strategy, and class profile breakdowns:

Full profile

Duke University

5.1% accept · Durham, North Carolina

Full profile

Northwestern University

7.2% accept · Evanston, Illinois

Sources

U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard for acceptance rates, test ranges, financial aid, demographics, completion, and earnings.
IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) for the underlying federal data.
Each school's most recent published Common Data Set for cycle-specific admissions stats.

Last verified May 2026. Stats reflect each school's most recent publicly published admit cycle.

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