Trustees Meet, Approve Tuition and Fees for 2022-23

The Duke University Board of Trustees approved tuition and fees for the next academic year and continued its year-long strategic education program focused on the Duke brand, and the future of higher education and academic medicine at its quarterly meeting that concluded on Saturday.

Following analysis and discussion with university leadership, the trustees ratified a proposed 4% increase in undergraduate tuition, room and board, as well as new tuition and fees for Duke’s graduate and professional schools. The trustees also reaffirmed Duke’s commitment to providing additional investments for financial aid to cover the increase for students who require it.

Duke undergraduate tuition in 2022-23 will be $60,435 and room, board and required fees for student health, recreation, activities and services will be $18,903, making the total cost of attendance for undergraduates $79,338.  Tuition and fees for more than 35 graduate and professional degrees were also approved, with an average increase of 3.1%.

In the current academic year, 51% of Duke undergraduate students receive some form of financial assistance, including aid based on family resources, athletics and endowed competitive scholarships.  Students who receive aid come from family incomes that range up to more than $200,000.  Since 2012, Duke has invested more than $1.5 billion in financial assistance for undergraduate students.

Duke is one of a small number of colleges and universities that admit U.S. students without regard to their ability to pay and then meet their full demonstrated financial need as long as they qualify for aid.  Duke’s financial aid packages include support for study abroad, summer programs and other components of the student experience in addition to tuition, room, board and fees.

While financial assistance varies based on family income and other circumstances, the average total financial aid package for first-year students who entered in 2021 and qualified for assistance was $57,726. Approximately 21% of students in the entering class of 2021 received financial aid grants that covered their full cost of tuition.

Under Duke’s program, students from households with a total income of $60,000 or less receive a financial aid package that covers their full tuition, room, board and fees.  In addition, students from first-generation low-income backgrounds are considered for the David M. Rubenstein Scholars programs, which includes loan-free financial aid package for four years including two summer or study-away terms), a laptop computer, funding to pursue special research and experiential projects and special mentoring and professional development opportunities. 

Tuition and fees cover only part of the cost of a Duke education. Other significant sources of support for students and financial aid include income generated by the university’s endowment and private philanthropy from individuals and foundations. 

In other business, the Trustees:

• Continued their year-long strategic education initiative with a review of academic health centers, and medical education and clinical research innovations at Duke.
• Welcomed new leaders, including Craig Albanese, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Duke University Health System; Mike Elko, Head Football Coach; Jennifer (Jenny) Lodge, Vice President for Research and Innovation; and Jerome (Jerry) Lynch, Dean of the Pratt School of Engineering.
• Discussed the report from Strategy Team 2030.
• Received updates on Duke’s academic, financial and operational initiatives.