Note: To help alleviate financial strain on students and families due to COVID-19, Duke has rolled tuition for the 2020-2021 academic year back to the 2019-2020 rates. A number of student fees have also been adjusted. The tables below reflect those changes. Please see the announcement about tuition and fee adjustments for details, and the August 13 update about digital membership for Duke Rec.
NOTE: All numbers below are estimates pending approval by the Board of Trustees
Ph.D. Students
Students must be registered each fall and spring semester until all degree requirements are completed. In some cases, they may also need to be registered for a summer term (see policy). For each term in which students are registered, they are charged the following tuition and fees. Rates are subject to change each year. Tuition typically increases by no more than 4 percent per academic year.
Generally speaking, The Graduate School covers the tuition and fees for a Ph.D. student’s first five years. After that, students are responsible for tuition and fees, and most students obtain external or departmental funding that helps cover those costs. The Graduate School also covers health insurance for years 1-6 if students choose the Duke student medical insurance plan. Visit our Statistics section to see the typical time to completion for your degree program. | More details on financial support for Ph.D. students
2020-2021 Cost of Attendance for Ph.D. Students in Years 1-3
Note: Tuition, fees, and health insurance (for the Duke student medical insurance plan) in years 1-3 are generally covered by The Graduate School's financial support package.
| Fall 2020 | Spring 2021 | Summer 2021 | 12 Months | |
| Tuition, Years 1-3 | $27,840 | $27,840 | $3,850 | $59,530 |
| Health Fee | $429 | $429 | $302 | $1,160 |
| Transcript Fee | $120 | $120 | ||
| Grad Student Services Fee | $8 | $7 | $15 | |
| Health Insurance | $3,605 | $3,605 | ||
| Total - Tuition/Fees** | $32,002 | $28,276 | $4,152 | $64,430 |
| Books & Supplies | $312 | $312 | $312 | $936 |
| Housing | $4,624 | $5,780 | $3,468 | $13,872 |
| Board | $1,480 | $1,850 | $1,110 | $4,440 |
| Local Transportation | $736 | $920 | $552 | $2,208 |
| Personal & Misc | $1,600 | $2,000 | $1,200 | $4,800 |
| Total - Living Expense | $8,752 | $10,862 | $6,642 | $26,256 |
| Total Cost of Attendance | $40,754 | $39,138 | $10,794 | $90,686 |
2020-2021 Cost of Attendance for Ph.D. Students in Years 4+
Note: The Graduate School's financial support package generally covers tuition and fees for years 4-5, as well as health insurance (for the Duke student medical insurance plan) for years 4-6. Starting in year 6, students are responsible for tuition and fees, and most of our students obtain external or departmental funding to help cover those costs. Duke also provides sixth-year tuition scholarships for students who applied for but did not obtain external or departmental tuition support.
| Fall 2020 | Spring 2021 | Summer 2021 | 12 Months | |
| Tuition, Years 4+ | $3,850 | $3,850 | $3,850 | $11,550 |
| Health Fee | $429 | $429 | $302 | $1,160 |
| Grad Student Services Fee | $8 | $7 | $15 | |
| Health Insurance | $3,605 | $3,605 | ||
| Total - Tuition/Fees** | $7,892 | $4,286 | $4,152 | $16,330 |
| Books & Supplies | $312 | $312 | $312 | $936 |
| Housing | $4,624 | $5,780 | $3,468 | $13,872 |
| Board | $1,480 | $1,850 | $1,110 | $4,440 |
| Local Transportation | $736 | $920 | $552 | $2,208 |
| Personal & Misc | $1,600 | $2,000 | $1,200 | $4,800 |
| Total - Living Expense | $8,752 | $10,862 | $6,642 | $26,256 |
| Total Cost of Attendance | $16,644 | $15,148 | $10,794 | $42,586 |
* – The Graduate School will pay the recreation fee for all Ph.D. students during their first five years at Duke. Starting in year 6, students will be responsible for paying it if they want to continue using campus recreation facilities.
** – Estimated amounts due to bursar
Master's Students
Master's students are required to enroll in and pay tuition for at least three semesters of full-time study. After that, they will be charged at an estimated rate of $3,230 per credit. Master's summer tuition will be charged at the per-credit rate up to a maximum of one-half the fall/spring full-time tuition.
Rates are subject to change each year. Tuition typically increases by no more than 4 percent per academic year.
2020–2021 Cost of Attendance for DOMESTIC Master's Students
| Fall 2020 | Spring 2021 | |
| Tuition | $27,840 | $27,840 |
| Health Fee* | $429 | $429 |
| Transcript Fee | $120 | |
| Graduate Student Serv Fee* | $8 | $7 |
| Health Insurance | $3,605 | |
| Total - Tuition/Fees* | $32,002 | $28,276 |
| Books & Supplies | $312 | $312 |
| Estimated Loan Fees | $578 | $578 |
| Housing | $4,624 | $5,780 |
| Board | $1,480 | $1,850 |
| Local Transportation | $736 | $920 |
| Personal & Misc | $1,600 | $2,000 |
| Total - Living Expense | $9,330 | $11,440 |
| Total Per Term | $41,332 | $39,716 |
| Total Cost of Attendance | $81,048 |
2020–2021 Cost of Attendance for INTERNATIONAL Master's Students
| Fall 2020 | Spring 2021 | |
| Tuition | $27,840 | $27,840 |
| Health Fee* | $429 | $429 |
| Transcript Fee | $120 | |
| Graduate Student Serv Fee | $8 | $7 |
| Health Insurance | $3,605 | |
| Total - Tuition/Fees* | $32,002 | $28,276 |
| Books & Supplies | $312 | $312 |
| Housing | $4,624 | $5,780 |
| Board | $1,480 | $1,850 |
| Local Transportation | $736 | $920 |
| Personal & Misc | $1,600 | $2,000 |
| Total - Living Expense | $8,752 | $10,862 |
| Total Per Term | $40,754 | $39,138 |
| Total Cost of Attendance | $79,892 |
* – Estimated amounts due to bursar
Exceptions to the cost listed above
For All Students
Estimated cost for room, board, transportation, personal, and misc: $2,066 per month
For International Students