If anyone is African American/Black or of African American/Black heritage, could you explain how life at Duke has been for you? Is the diversity at Duke really noticeable and do you feel like an outsider?
Things like this are really important to me, especially as an URM. 
Go to Youtube and search for black students at Duke or ask on their BSA Facebook page.
Duke is constantly making an effort to become more diverse (racially and socioeconomically). It was recently ranked as one of the best school for African American students.
http://time.com/money/4284374/tour-best-colleges-african-americans/ (3rd behind Harvard and Princeton)
Thanks for the link!
As with most schools you’re going to encounter institutionalized racism. I am not African American but I am URM. Though duke puts on a generally good front to hearing out students about racial issues, change is a slow process here. Additionally, being located in the south definitely doesn’t help…I still enjoy my time here for the most part, but coming from a very diverse town…Duke feels very “white.”
@JenniferClint I don’t know how they came up with there rankings but #5 Florida A&M is dismal. Any college who can’t graduate half there incoming class is a poor example for anyone. Almost 2 out of 3 AA’s drop out of this college, so much for that ranking.
Percentage of students who are African American: 87%
African-American graduation rate: 39%
Estimated average net price of a degree: $94,300
Estimated average student debt load at graduation: $27,300
@CU123 African-American graduation rates have a lot to do with financial aid. I wouldn’t discount the school just because the graduation rate is on the lower side.
@CU123 “The new rankings focus on four key factors, including African-American graduation rates, affordability, graduates’ earnings potential, and campus diversity.”
87% of students at Florida A&M are African American. Compare that to Princeton, Harvard, and Duke (between 5-7%). That is why A&M is ranked so high.
Personally I wouldn’t care if it was 100%, no college should be highly ranked if it only graduates 39% of its matriculants, so for me that ranking is garbage. High debt load and no degree is a recipe for disaster and that is the way I see Florida A&M.
It’s possible that A&M has a significantly higher 6-year graduation rate but I see where you’re coming from!
Hard to disagree with where the elite schools are ranked. They have high graduation rates, manageable debt burdens, and good starting salaries. The point about A&M still stands. Perhaps they should ignore the diversity component in the next version.