Duke University vs University of Pennsylvania

Durham, NC · Philadelphia, PA · largest Scorecard gap: median debt at graduation

Scorecard match plate

Pair NC:PA

PRIVATE-NP-PAIR · CROSS-STATE · ACCEPT-TIGHT · NET-PAR · EARN-SPLIT · DEBT-SPLIT · COMPLETE-HIGH · GAP-DEBT

  • PRIVATE-NP-PAIR Private nonprofit pair
  • CROSS-STATE NC × PA
  • ACCEPT-TIGHT Tight admission
  • NET-PAR Net near-par
  • EARN-SPLIT Earnings split
  • DEBT-SPLIT Debt split
  • COMPLETE-HIGH High completion
  • GAP-DEBT Largest gap · Median Debt at Graduation

Instrument codes from this pair's College Scorecard ownership, geography, acceptance, net price, earnings, debt, and completion, plus the TWIN-TIGHTEN · adm · 2013–2023 decade-path stamp below, not a ranking or recommendation.

Decade path · College Scorecard

Both acceptance rates tightened, 2013–2023

TWIN-TIGHTEN · adm · 2013–2023

Duke University and University of Pennsylvania each posted a directional decline in acceptance rate over the same College Scorecard window. The squeeze is shared; the magnitude is close.

  • University of Pennsylvania: acceptance rate tightened -52.0% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.89).
  • Duke University: acceptance rate tightened -49.5% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.93).
  • Duke University: net price ranged $23,442–$36,415 across 11 years (2013–2023); endpoint change +22.8% is not a trend (r² 0.06).
  • University of Pennsylvania: net price ranged $14,851–$31,229 across 11 years (2013–2023); endpoint change +36.1% is not a trend (r² 0.03).

College Scorecard institution series; dollars are nominal. Direction claims require r² ≥ 0.40 on the fitted annual slope, otherwise the page reports the observed range. Descriptive history, not a recommendation.

Scorecard metrics

Cards ordered by relative gap on this pair. Teal = better side.

Largest gaps: Duke University vs University of Pennsylvania

  1. MEDIAN-DEBT-AT-GRA Duke University leads on median debt at graduation ($13,000 vs $15,715 at University of Pennsylvania)
  2. MEDIAN-EARNINGS-(1 University of Pennsylvania leads on median earnings (10 yr) ($111,371 vs $97,800 at Duke University)
  3. ACCEPTANCE-RATE University of Pennsylvania leads on acceptance rate (5.4% vs 5.7% at Duke University)

Duke University profile · University of Pennsylvania profile · Compare other colleges

Median Debt at Graduation and other Scorecard questions

On median debt at graduation, who leads between Duke University and University of Pennsylvania?▼
Duke University leads on median debt at graduation at $13,000 versus $15,715 at University of Pennsylvania. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On median earnings (10 yr), who leads between Duke University and University of Pennsylvania?▼
University of Pennsylvania leads on median earnings (10 yr) at $111,371 versus $97,800 at Duke University. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On acceptance rate, who leads between Duke University and University of Pennsylvania?▼
University of Pennsylvania leads on acceptance rate at 5.4% versus 5.7% at Duke University. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard College Scorecard institution outcomes (earnings, completion, debt); median debt at graduation focus for this pair · 2025