What SAT or ACT score do you need for Duke?

As of November 2026: Duke is test-optional for the 2026-2027 admissions cycle (fall 2027 entry), and the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1510 to 1570. On the ACT, that middle half scored 34 to 35.

Duke's test policy for students who start college in fall 2027, the scores its enrolled first-years sent, how many get in, and what it costs.

By Nick Standlea, Test Prep Gurus. Figures may be quoted with attribution to Test Prep Gurus.

Duke's SAT band runs from 1510 to 1570. That is the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT in the fall 2023 class. On the ACT, the middle half of senders scored 34 to 35.

Half of Duke's enrolled first-years sent an SAT. In the fall 2023 class, 50 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT and 31 percent sent an ACT. Sending a score at Duke is common, not rare.

Duke's Common Data Set lists 55,541 applicants and 2,910 admits for fall 2025. That puts the overall admit rate at 5.24 percent. In fall 2023, the admit rate was 6.8 percent.

Does Duke require the SAT or ACT?

Duke's test policy for the 2026-2027 admissions cycle, in its own words.

College	Policy	Applies to	In Duke's words	Source
Duke University	optional	2026-2027 admissions cycle (fall 2027 entry)	Duke University will be test-optional for both first-year and transfer applicants in the 2026-2027 admissions cycle.	Source

Optional means Duke reads a score if one is sent, and a score is not required to apply.

Duke: score bands, who sends a score, how many get in, what it costs

Scores, sending shares, applicants and admits are for fall 2023. Prices are for a single year.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	46365
admits, fall 2023	3153
admit rate, percent	6.8
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1510
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1570
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	34
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	35
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	50
share who sent an ACT, percent	31
application fee, dollars	85
full price of a year, dollars	87072
average net price after aid, dollars	29612

The SAT and ACT bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in the fall 2023 class. They are not cutoffs.

Duke: early decision versus the overall rate

Duke's totals for the fall 2025 entering class.

Total applicants	Total admits	Overall rate, percent
55,541	2,910	5.2%

Duke does not publish its early decision applicant and admit counts for fall 2025.

Does Duke require the SAT or ACT?

No, Duke does not require the SAT or ACT in the 2026-2027 admissions cycle, when it is test-optional for both first-year and transfer applicants. That cycle is for high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027.

Test-optional means Duke reads a score if your child sends one, and a score is not required to apply. Duke puts it plainly on its own admissions page: "Duke University will be test-optional for both first-year and transfer applicants in the 2026-2027 admissions cycle."

A policy only covers the cycle it names. We tell families to read that page again the summer before senior year, so the plan matches the year your child applies.

What SAT score do enrolled first-years at Duke carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years at Duke who sent an SAT scored between 1510 and 1570. These scores come from the fall 2023 class, the most recent federal numbers.

A quarter of those students scored below 1510, and a quarter scored above 1570. So the band is not a cutoff. It is a picture of the students who chose to send an SAT and then enrolled.

When we look at a band like this with a family, we look at where their child sits today and where the child could sit after real practice. Those can be very different places.

What ACT score do enrolled first-years at Duke carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years at Duke who sent an ACT scored between 34 and 35. That is a narrow band near the top of the scale.

Because the band is so tight, a single point can move a score from below the band to inside it. That makes careful practice on the ACT pay off.

Some of our students do better on one test than the other. We have them take a full-length practice SAT and a full-length practice ACT before they choose which one to prepare for.

How many Duke first-years send a score?

Half of enrolled first-years at Duke, 50 percent, sent an SAT, and 31 percent sent an ACT. These shares come from the fall 2023 class.

We read each share on its own and do not add them together. What they tell a parent is simple: at Duke, sending a score is common, not rare. Many of your child's future classmates will have sent one.

Should my child send a score to Duke?

At a selective test-optional college like Duke, we tell families it is nearly always good to have a score, because a strong score bolsters the odds of getting in and most merit scholarships are keyed to one.

Our rule for Duke is the same rule we use everywhere. An SAT from 1510 up, or an ACT from 34 up, sits inside or above the band, and that is a score to send. A score below the band is one to think hard about before sending.

A score below the band does not mean your child should give up on testing. It often means the next sitting needs a better plan. A full-length mock test shows exactly which skills to fix, and that is where we start with our students.

How hard is it to get into Duke?

Duke's Common Data Set lists 55,541 applicants and 2,910 admits for the fall 2025 entering class. That puts the overall admit rate at 5.24 percent.

In fall 2023, 46,365 students applied and 3,153 were admitted, an admit rate of 6.8 percent.

Duke does not publish its early decision applicant and admit counts for fall 2025, so we cannot compare the early round with the overall rate. At a rate this low, we tell families to plan for a strong score and a strong application, not a score alone.

What does it cost to apply to and attend Duke?

The application fee at Duke is $85. The full price of a year is $87,072, and the average net price after aid is $29,612.

Your family's price can be higher or lower than that average. Duke publishes a net price calculator, as every US college must. We tell families to run it with their own income and savings before senior fall, so cost is never a surprise.

What should we do this month?

Sign your child up for a free full-length mock SAT and a free full-length mock ACT at Test Prep Gurus this month. Then compare each result with Duke's bands: 1510 to 1570 on the SAT and 34 to 35 on the ACT. Pick the test where your child sits closer to the band or inside it.

Plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts. Prepare for the whole test every sitting, not just one section, so every score your child might send is a full effort.

Call us at 949.229.5359 or start at https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step. We will go over the mock results with you and help you build the plan.

Questions parents ask

Does Duke require the SAT or ACT?
No, Duke does not require the SAT or ACT in the 2026-2027 admissions cycle, when it is test-optional for both first-year and transfer applicants.

What SAT score do Duke first-years have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years at Duke who sent an SAT scored between 1510 and 1570.

What ACT score do Duke first-years have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years at Duke who sent an ACT scored between 34 and 35.

Should my child send a score to Duke?
At a selective test-optional college like Duke, we tell families it is nearly always good to have a score, because a strong score bolsters the odds of getting in and most merit scholarships are keyed to one.

How many Duke first-years sent a test score?
Half of enrolled first-years at Duke, 50 percent, sent an SAT, and 31 percent sent an ACT.

How much does a year at Duke cost?
The full price of a year is $87,072, and the average net price after aid is $29,612.

Method and sources: The test policy comes from Duke's own admissions page, which names the 2026-2027 admissions cycle (fall 2027 entry). The SAT and ACT bands and the shares who sent each test describe enrolled first-years who submitted that test in fall 2023, the latest federal file; the fall 2023 applicant and admit counts describe that year's applicants and admitted students. The fall 2025 applicant and admit totals come from Duke's Common Data Set, and the overall rate is shown beside them. Prices come from the College Scorecard.