George Washington University (GWU) vs Duke University

When it comes to higher education, George Washington University (GWU) and Duke University stand out as two of the most prestigious institutions in the United States. Both universities offer a world-class education, but they also have distinct differences that may influence your college decision. GWU, located in the heart of Washington, D.C., boasts a diverse student body and strong connections to the government and international organizations. Duke, situated in Durham, North Carolina, is known for its rigorous academics, vibrant campus culture, and Division I athletics. With GWU's higher acceptance rate and Duke's slightly larger student body, the choice between these two esteemed universities ultimately depends on your academic interests, preferred campus environment, and desired location. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your aspirations and goals.

	Duke University	George Washington University
Overview
Location	Durham, North Carolina	Washington, District of Columbia
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	98.0%	91.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	5.9%	49.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $85 Graduate: $95	Undergraduate: $80 Graduate: $80
SAT range	1468 - 1558	1310 - 1490
ACT range	33 - 35	30 - 34
Students submitting SAT score	47.0%	29.0%
Students submitting ACT score	46.0%	18.0%
Total number of applicants	49,703	27,236
Total number of admissions given out	2,927	13,539
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,744	2,571
Yield rate	59.6%	19.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$79,860	$78,335
Average net price	$27,297	$31,240
Tuition	$58,085	$59,780
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,164 Meal plan: $6,862	Room/dormitory: $15,260 Meal plan: $3,240
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	46.0% Average amount $50,731	74.0% Average amount $31,678
Students receiving federal student loan	20.0% Average amount $4,537	30.0% Average amount $5,150
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $22,957	5.0% Average amount $25,366

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,883 Men 48.4% Women 51.6%	11,502 Men 36.3% Women 63.7%
Graduate students	10,737 Men 45.5% Women 54.5%	14,955 Men 38.1% Women 61.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	98.7%
International students	21.4%	11.6%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	5,718	6,693
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	New York New Jersey Virginia California Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Engineering Legal Profession Social Sciences	Health Professions Business Social Sciences Legal Profession Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	6:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	95.9%	83.7%
Dropout rate	4.0%	16.1%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	International Business (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $151,472 Year 2: $213,978 Year 3: $201,782 Law (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $155,031 Year 2: $168,098 Year 3: $200,300 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $143,622 Year 2: $148,189 Year 3: $163,560 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $163,977 Year 2: $138,342 Year 3: $159,598 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $115,135 Year 2: $106,898 Year 3: $134,542 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $123,138 Year 2: $116,541 Year 3: $124,406 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $108,817 Year 2: $97,071 Year 3: $117,262 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $94,699 Year 2: $90,856 Year 3: $112,646 Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,661 Year 2: $91,078 Year 3: $108,736 Economics (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $104,348	Systems Engineering (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $160,692 Year 2: $146,893 Year 3: $153,607 Human Resources Management and Services (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $124,764 Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $130,306 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $124,241 Year 2: $127,142 Year 3: $127,952 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $107,834 Year 2: $114,046 Year 3: $119,393 Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $106,809 Year 2: $101,072 Year 3: $112,813 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $98,922 Year 2: $104,061 Year 3: $111,679 Public Health (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $84,962 Year 2: $104,192 Year 3: $105,816 Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $104,747 Year 2: $96,405 Year 3: $105,562 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $95,274 Year 2: $101,254 Year 3: $103,350 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $77,345 Year 2: $83,177 Year 3: $102,875

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