Location

Economy

North Carolina has an economy driven by knowledge-based enterprises like software, IT, financial services, and film and TV production. Durham is home to the Research Triangle Park (RTP), which houses more than 200 companies, from Fortune 100 multinational corporations to innovative start-ups. Having employers like BCG, Cisco, Dupont, ABB, and Pfizer close by enables us to bring influential local speakers to campus, connect student clubs with business representatives, and tap more than 3,000 local Fuqua alumni as mentors for students.

Culture

With a world-renowned culinary scene as well as noteworthy arts and entertainment venues, there’s much to explore. Durham eateries run the gamut: laid-back Carolina BBQ joints, artisanal donut shops, food truck rodeos, decadent ice cream parlors, nationally reviewed pizza places, sushi, tapas, and other restaurants. With a huge focus on farm to table, even in our trendy microbreweries, Durham was voted “America’s foodiest small town” by Bon Appetit. You’ll also enjoy shopping, sports venues, arts festivals, houses of worship, and the great North Carolina outdoors. Living in Durham, you’ll be a short flight from New York and a direct flight from London. The area is dense with parks and forests, and in just three hours, you can reach either the mountains to the west or the beaches to the east.

The Duke campus offers plenty to do—including many time-tested Duke traditions. You’ll want to make time to experience all the cultural activities, sports events, and popular sites that Duke University has to offer.

Duke Chapel

An iconic symbol of the university, the chapel was built in 1932 and stands at the center of the Gothic West Campus. It features three pipe organs, a 210-foot tower, a 50-bell carillon, and 77 stained-glass windows, and can seat 1,600 people.

Sarah P. Duke Gardens

The 55 acres of landscaped and woodland gardens in the heart of Duke's West Campus are open to the public daily from 8 a.m. to dusk. Each year more than 300,000 visitors enjoy the garden's five miles of walkways and more than 8,000 species and varieties of plants.

Duke Forest

Covering more than 7,000 acres in the north-central Piedmont, Duke Forest serves as a natural outdoor laboratory for Duke and neighboring universities, and its trails are popular with local walkers and runners.

Cameron Indoor Stadium

This stadium is considered a crown jewel of college basketball. Originally conceived on the back of a matchbook cover in 1935, Cameron has become the celebrated home of the Duke Blue Devils.

Page Auditorium

Duke's largest theater, with the capacity to seat 1,200, has been the site of thousands of performances and lectures since its 1930 opening, including speeches by Sen. John F. Kennedy in 1959 and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1964.

The Duke Lemur Center

The only university-based facility in the world devoted to the study of prosimian primates, the Lemur Center is home to the world's largest colony of endangered primates.

The Duke campus offers plenty to do—including many time-tested Duke traditions. You’ll want to make time to experience all the cultural activities, sports events, and popular sites that Duke University has to offer.

Duke Chapel

An iconic symbol of the university, the chapel was built in 1932 and stands at the center of the Gothic West Campus. It features three pipe organs, a 210-foot tower, a 50-bell carillon, and 77 stained-glass windows, and can seat 1,600 people.

Sarah P. Duke Gardens

The 55 acres of landscaped and woodland gardens in the heart of Duke's West Campus are open to the public daily from 8 a.m. to dusk. Each year more than 300,000 visitors enjoy the garden's five miles of walkways and more than 8,000 species and varieties of plants.

Duke Forest

Covering more than 7,000 acres in the north-central Piedmont, Duke Forest serves as a natural outdoor laboratory for Duke and neighboring universities, and its trails are popular with local walkers and runners.

Cameron Indoor Stadium

This stadium is considered a crown jewel of college basketball. Originally conceived on the back of a matchbook cover in 1935, Cameron has become the celebrated home of the Duke Blue Devils.

Page Auditorium

Duke's largest theater, with the capacity to seat 1,200, has been the site of thousands of performances and lectures since its 1930 opening, including speeches by Sen. John F. Kennedy in 1959 and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1964.

The Duke Lemur Center

The only university-based facility in the world devoted to the study of prosimian primates, the Lemur Center is home to the world's largest colony of endangered primates.

It’s easy to make your home here. The Durham area is touted as one of the best places to live in the country in part due to the affordable standard of living. While housing options are plentiful in Durham, there is limited graduate student housing on Duke’s campus—so students typically find off-campus housing.

Our Off-Campus Housing site is a searchable database of houses, apartments, and rooms for rent. It’s just one of the resources available to help you find accommodations and roommates.