Undergraduate Student Outcomes

Know Where You’re Going, By Graduation

After four years with us, you’ll have learned a lot. How to work in diverse teams. How to apply technical know-how. How to succeed after failure. But perhaps most importantly, you’ll have discovered a lot about your purpose.

Understanding their purpose means that most of our graduates know where they’re heading—well before putting on the mortarboard and shaking hands with the dean.

Duke University 2023 Commencement at Wallace Wade Stadium.

Ready to Make an Impact

As they get ready to graduate, we ask our students about their life and career plans. Here’s what our 2023 graduates had to say:

60%

expected to be working full-time in the fall

4 out of 5

of those planning to work for pay had a job or job offers by graduation

33%

planned to study full-time in graduate or professional school

Enrollment & Graduation Rates

Academic YearTotal UndergraduatesDegrees Awarded
20241,363272
20231,314290
20221,278289
20211,289278
20201,212283

Total undergraduates at the beginning of the fall semester. Degrees awarded for the academic year, first major only.

More Data

Student Learning Outcomes

Our students will have the following capabilities upon completion of their degrees:

  1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
  2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
  3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
  4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
  5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
  6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
  7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Outcomes by Major

Shyni Varghese, professor of biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering and materials science and orthopaedics (right), in her Duke University lab. She is taking a microscope slide from a colleague.

Biomedical Engineering

Our BME graduates work in medical device design and development, consulting, medicine and biotechnology. About half go to work full-time after graduation. About 40% transition to grad school or medical school.

Descriptive and quantitative hydrology, hydraulics of pressure conduits and measurement of flow, compound pipe systems, analysis of flow in pressure distribution systems, open channel flow, reservoirs and distribution system storage. Groundwater hydrology and well-hydraulics. Probability and statistics in water resources.

Civil & Environmental Engineering

CE grads design public infrastructure—systems that deliver utilities or facilitate travel, communication and commerce. EnvE majors work on controlling pollution and making communities resilient to climate change and disasters. About two-thirds go into full-time work after graduation; a third went on to grad school.

Mark Kuzyk an Electrical and Computer Engineering Postdoctoral Fellow in the Brown Lab works on a quantum computer setup.

Electrical & Computer Engineering

ECE grads apply their knowledge of AI, machine learning, electrical systems and electronics to design software and hardware. Nearly 80% go into full-time work. About 15% attend graduate school.

Duke AERO team with rocket at competition

Mechanical Engineering

These graduates design machines that make life better. Recent grad have roles working with advanced tech touching on robotics, aerospace and health care. About two-thirds go into full-time work. A third transition to grad school.

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