Duke Kunshan University

About

Duke Kunshan University (DKU; ) is a university in Kunshan, Jiangsu, China. It was established in 2013 as a Sino-foreign cooperative university between Duke University and Wuhan University. The university is an independent legal entity and is not accredited by the same accreditor as Duke University U.S. Upon graduation, undergraduate students receive degrees from both Duke University and Duke Kunshan University, and are considered alumni of both institutions. Duke Kunshan offers a four-year, fully residential undergraduate program, along with two masters programs in conjunction with Duke University. Its undergraduate program features an experimental curriculum in which students choose from a set of interdiciplinary majors and tracks across three academic divisions towards the end of sophomore year. The university has 2,080 enrolled students as of Spring 2026, consisting of 1,530 domestic students and 550 international students. The inaugural undergraduate class of 2022 consisted of 234 students entering in 2018, but the class size has been consistently expanded and class of 2029 has about 600 students. The most recent acceptance rate of the university was 5%.

Jan. 2010 – A Cooperation Agreement signed between Duke University and the People's Government of Kunshan Sep. 2010 – Construction of Phase 1 campus started Jan. 2011 – Cooperation Principles Statement signed between Duke University and Wuhan University Jun. 2011 – Application for Preparation Approval of Duke Kunshan University submitted to Jiangsu Provincial Bureau of Education Aug. 2012 – Preparation Approval from China's Ministry of Education Sep. 2012 – Appointments of Duke Kunshan Chancellor and Executive Vice Chancellor Dec. 2012 – Celebration Ceremony of Preparation Approval in Kunshan Apr. 2013 – Application for formal establishment of Duke Kunshan University submitted to Jiangsu Provincial Bureau of Education Sep. 2013 – Duke Kunshan Establishment Approval granted by China's Ministry of Education Nov. 2013 – First meeting of Duke Kunshan Board of Trustees held at Wuhan University Dec. 2013 – Duke Kunshan legal entity registration completed Jan. 2014 – Duke Kunshan Advisory Board established Apr. 2014 – Second Meeting of Duke Kunshan Board of Trustees held in Kunshan May 2014 – First meeting of Duke Kunshan Advisory Board held in Beijing Jul. 2014 – Duke Kunshan Master of Management program began in Durham Aug. 2014 – Inaugural Convocation and Orientation Week held at Duke Kunshan University Aug. 2018 – Inaugural undergraduate program begins Aug. 2019 – Innovation Building opened, construction of Phase 2 campus begins Jan. 2020 – COVID-19 forces international students off campus, DKU switches to hybrid classes Aug. 2020 – First group of DKU undergraduates begin study abroad at Duke's main campus. May 2022 – Inaugural undergraduate of 2022 graduates in hybrid ceremony at Duke and DKU's campuses July 2023 – Creation of university mascot called the “Trailblazers” which is a Duke blue-colored deer

Duke Kunshan University is governed by an independent board of trustees, with members from Duke University and Wuhan University.

Duke Kunshan University admitted its first undergraduate students as part of the Class of 2022. Significantly exceeding its original target of 1,500 applicants, the university received a total of 3,143 applications for an estimated 225 first-year spots, including 2,551 applications from China and 332 from the United States. There were 80 countries represented in the applicant pool, including Kazakhstan, South Korea, Pakistan, and Ethiopia. In March 2025, DKU admitted 550 students from a pool of 11,884 total applicants, making the acceptance rate about 5%, a selectivity similar to the 4.8% acceptance rate at Duke University. Of those applications, 165 international students were chosen from a pool of 5,882, and 385 Chinese students from a pool of 6,002. For the Class of 2029, DKU received an unprecedented number of international applications, making this cycle the most rigorous. All undergraduate applications for Duke Kunshan are submitted using the Common Application. Students applying to Duke University can also check a box on the Duke application to apply for admission to Duke Kunshan University. International students, including those from the United States, typically submit transcripts, SAT or ACT standardized test scores, and application essays. However, a test-optional policy was in effect for applications submitted in 2020 and 2021. Students can apply separately to each of DKU's five graduate programs.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.