Duke Engineering Facts & Stats
A leading engineering school set within a Top 10 research university
Duke's Pratt School of Engineering is a vibrant teaching and research institution dedicated to training the next generation of leaders, and to leading discovery at the frontiers of engineering.
Our graduates are creative engineers inspired and equipped to solve complex societal problems.
Mission
To provide a rigorous engineering education, enabling our students to lead productive, rewarding, and ethical lives for the betterment of society. We envision Duke Engineering students and faculty as catalysts for discovery, whose work makes impact toward solutions to the grand challenges facing society and our world.
Learn more about our mission.
Degree Programs
The Pratt School of Engineering is one of two undergraduate schools, and one of seven graduate and professional schools, at Duke.
We offer degree programs granting:
- Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE)
- Master of Engineering (MEng)
- Master of Engineering Management (MEM)
- Master of Science (MS)
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Academic Departments
Our degree programs are offered through four academic departments:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
And, through our participation in the Duke University Program in Materials Science & Engineering.
Research
Duke Engineering's research expenditures exceed $76 million per year—and have grown by more than 84 percent over the last decade. We rank #8 among leading U.S. engineering schools in per-faculty research expenditures.
We are a leader in multidisciplinary education and research. We maintain extensive collaboration with researchers in each of Duke's graduate and professional schools—especially the highly-regarded Duke University School of Medicine.
Learn more about our research »
Rankings
Undergraduate and Graduate Study
- #4 in the U.S. in undergraduate biomedical engineering—U.S. News & World Report
- #4 in the U.S. in graduate biomedical engineering—U.S. News & World Report
- #7 in the U.S. in electrical engineering—College Factual
- #11 in the U.S. in graduate Environmental Engineering—U.S. News & World Report
- #15 in the U.S. in undergraduate Environmental Engineering—U.S. News & World Report
Research and Faculty
- #3 in the world in biomedical engineering—Academic Ranking of World Universities (ShanghaiRanking)
- #6 in the U.S./#11 in the world in environmental science & engineering—Academic Ranking of World Universities (ShanghaiRanking)
- #8 among top-ranked U.S. engineering schools in per-faculty research expenditures—data from U.S. News & World Report
- #11 among U.S. engineering schools in research productivity—Academic Analytics 2016, published June 2018
Student Life and Community
- Top 10 Graduate Engineering Program Popular with Women—U.S. News & World Report
- #20 on Business Insider's 50 Best Engineering Schools
- #20 School for Undergraduate Engineering—U.S. News & World Report
- #26 School for Graduate Engineering—U.S. News & World Report
- Top 25 Best Online Engineering Program, the Distributed Master of Engineering Management—U.S. News & World Report
- Top 10 Best School for Engineering Majors by Salary Potential ($78,400 median pay with 0-5 years of work experience)—Payscale.com
Duke University
- #8 National University—U.S. News & World Report
- #5 University—Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education, 2018
Students
Undergraduates
- 35 percent are women (national average: 23 percent)
- More than 75 percent participate in an industry internship
- More than two-thirds have an intensive research experience with a faculty member
- 37 percent study abroad
- 84 percent have jobs or job offers before graduation
PhD and Master's Students
- 487 PhD students—22 percent enrollment growth in the last five years
- 297 Master of Engineering Management (MEM)
- 70 distributed Master of Engineering Management (d-MEM)
- 157 Master of Science (MS)
- 230 Master of Engineering (MEng)
- 15 percent of current PhD students have received NSF or major fellowship awards
Faculty
- 150 faculty (123 tenure-track)
- 20 percent growth in the past 5 years
- Rank 11th overall in research productivity among U.S. engineering schools (Academic Analytics 2016—published June 2018)
- 41 spin-off companies started by Pratt faculty—5 in the past year
- 7 members of the National Academy of Engineering
Meet our world-class faculty »
Alumni
- More than 14,000
- Noted for achievements in engineering, finance, entrepreneurship, corporate leadership, teaching, medicine and other fields
- 25 members of the National Academy of Engineering
Learn more about our alumni »
Location
Duke Engineering occupies 311,321 net square feet of educational, administrative and research space on and near the Duke campus in Durham, North Carolina.
Our campus adjacent to Duke University Medical Center gives engineering researchers and students uncommon collaborative opportunity with world-leading clinicians.
We are just miles from Research Triangle Park—the country's largest research park and home to 200+ tech companies.
Duke's regional advantages include:
- Energetic mid-sized city economy—Ranked #1 in the nation for jobs (Forbes)
- Comfortable climate—220 sunny days a year, average daily high temp 70.2°F (21.2°C)
- Affordability—Cost of living is far less than in New York, Boston or California's Bay Area
Learn more about our campus »