Duquesne University

In the US News ranking, Duquesne University placed 156th in 2027, declining over the past decade from 120th in 2018. Gaining admission is relatively accessible, as the institution accepted 83.6% of applicants in 2025. That acceptance rate is higher than 93% of peer schools in a comparison group of similarly ranked private comprehensive universities. While securing an acceptance letter is comparatively straightforward, the university experiences substantial difficulty in persuading admitted students to enroll. Its yield rate stood at 13.4% in 2025, showing that only a small share of admitted candidates ultimately chose to matriculate. For families weighing an application, these figures demonstrate that admission hurdles are low, but the institution faces strong competition from other colleges when candidates decide where to commit.

Applicants to Duquesne University face moderate academic expectations during the admissions process. For enrolled students in 2025, the university reported a median SAT score of 1260. High school classroom performance carries substantial weight in evaluation decisions, with published grade distributions showing that more than a third of admitted candidates achieved top grade point averages. For international candidates, unofficial applicant cases collected by Forward Pathway—based on admitted students—recorded a median unweighted high school GPA of 3.62 alongside a median SAT score of 1220. These metrics suggest that admissions standards remain accessible for students with consistent secondary school performance. Prospective applicants should aim to present steady academic records and coursework rigor to remain competitive, while recognizing that standardized testing benchmarks remain well within reach for qualified high school graduates.

Duquesne University concentrates much of its academic strength in healthcare disciplines, where its largest undergraduate programs closely align with its highest-ranked fields and strongest earnings outcomes. The top three bachelor's majors accounted for 33% of all undergraduate degrees awarded in 2025, led by Nursing Science. This flagship area matches the school's top program assessments, with its undergraduate nursing program placing 56th in the 2027 U.S. News rankings and graduate nursing reaching 36th in 2026. In 2023 earnings data, registered nursing graduates also achieved the school's highest starting pay, earning a median of $78,333 one year after graduation. While international students accounted for 1.7% of bachelor's degrees in 2025, their representation rose to 16.1% at the master's level. For prospective applicants, Duquesne stands out primarily as a health-focused institution where core clinical offerings deliver recognized academic standing alongside solid early-career wages.

Duquesne University enrolls a primarily domestic student body with a female majority across all academic levels. In 2025, total enrollment stood at 8,234 students, with women comprising more than six in ten students across undergraduate and graduate divisions. White students make up the overwhelming majority across campus. Among incoming first-year undergraduates, international students numbered 49, representing 3.4% of the entering cohort, while Asian students totaled 37, accounting for 2.6%. Non-white and foreign representation expands slightly in advanced programs: at the graduate level, international scholars comprise 10.1% of students, while Asian students make up a small share of degree candidates. For prospective applicants, these figures illustrate an educational environment anchored predominantly by regional domestic students, though graduate classrooms present a relatively more diverse cross-section of nationalities.

Undergraduate life at Duquesne University is centered firmly around traditional college-age students. In 2025, undergraduates aged 18 to 19 totaled 2,514, or 46.9% of the undergraduate population, while those aged 20 to 21 accounted for 2,223 students, or 41.5%. Together, these cohorts represent nearly nine out of ten undergraduates, pointing to a conventional campus routine structured around straight-from-high-school matriculation. Graduate education, by contrast, attracts primarily young professionals. Students aged 22 to 24 made up the largest graduate bracket at 1,170 individuals, or 40.9%, followed by those aged 25 to 29 at 24.3%. This profile indicates that many graduate attendees transition directly from bachelor's studies into advanced professional programs.

International enrollment at Duquesne University follows divergent paths between degree levels, with global representation remaining small in undergraduate colleges but more visible at the graduate stage. Between 2016 and 2025, the undergraduate international proportion trended downward, settling at 3.1%. In contrast, the graduate international share increased over the same decade, reaching 10.1% in 2025. This divide is strongly reflected in graduation outcomes: international students accounted for only 1.7% of bachelor's degree recipients in 2025, compared to 16.1% of master's degree recipients. At the bachelor's level, international representation in prominent majors like Nursing Science remained under one percent. Conversely, international master's students concentrated heavily in specialized clinical disciplines, including physical therapy and speech-language pathology. For prospective international applicants, these patterns indicate that undergraduate study takes place within a largely domestic student body, whereas graduate cohorts in select health programs provide a more internationally diverse peer community.

Students researching Duquesne University can explore several higher education institutions situated within close proximity in the greater Pittsburgh area. Located just 2.2 kilometers away, University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus is a National University ranked 59th in the 2027 rankings. Nearby at a distance of 2.7 kilometers stands Carnegie Mellon University, a National University holding the 14th spot nationally. Another urban neighbor is Chatham University, situated 3.6 kilometers away and ranked 236th among National Universities. Slightly farther out at 12.8 kilometers, Robert Morris University offers an additional alternative, ranking 219th on the National University list. These neighboring institutions provide applicants with varied institutional settings, academic focuses, and ranking tiers within a compact geographic radius.

Campus safety conditions at Duquesne University have demonstrated general improvement over time, with safety incidents primarily centered on university disciplinary infractions rather than violent crime. The school's crime rate per 1,000 students dropped to 9.1 in 2025, reflecting a steady decrease from earlier years in the decade. Across the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, the vast majority of documented campus incidents involved internal disciplinary actions for substance policy violations. Specifically, the university recorded 327 disciplinary referrals for liquor violations and 142 disciplinary referrals for drug violations over those years. Law enforcement arrests for drugs and alcohol occurred in far smaller numbers, while reported violent and personal crimes, including rape and sexual harassment, remained limited across the same span. For prospective students and families evaluating the urban campus, these statistics suggest that routine campus security concerns predominantly involve student substance conduct rather than widespread threats to physical safety.