Duke University is a private institution that was founded in 1838. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,655, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 8,709 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Duke University's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 7. Its tuition and fees are $45,476 (2013-14).

Durham, N.C., which surrounds Duke’s campus, offers a variety of activities including shopping, dining and entertainment. Its "Bull City" nickname comes from the Blackwell Tobacco Company’s Bull Durham Tobacco. Students at Duke are required to live on campus for their first three years, and freshmen live together on the East Campus.