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<p>Duke = 47% white
Durham = 46% white</p>
<p>[Quick</a> Facts about Duke](<a href=“http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/resources/quickfacts.html]Quick”>http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/resources/quickfacts.html)</p>
<p>Although admittedly, Duke has 7% unreported so that could be white, and the non-white population at Duke is largely Asian, while the non-white population in Durham in largely African American (44% of Durham is African American).</p>
<p>By the way, the most recent class at UNC, located just 8 mile away, is reported by the university to be 75% white:</p>
<p>[Discover</a> academic opportunities that distinguish Carolina](<a href=“http://admissions.unc.edu/Academics/Class_Profile_and_Rankings/default.html]Discover”>Our Newest Class - Undergraduate Admissions)</p>
<p>There seems to be a misconception that Duke is an overwhelmingly white university when in reality it’s a very racially diverse institution and has more diversity than public universities that somehow escape the “white” label. The school itself may be affluent, but many students receive basically full rides from financial aid. </p>
<p>How much does the supposed “town-gown strain” affect Duke students’ daily lives? Not at all. It’s really nothing to worry about. It’s not like when you go off campus you are vilified by anybody; you don’t notice any difference except for the fact that it’s a lot more southern than on campus. At every university, the VAST majority of your time is spent with other students/faculty/people your age/etc. How often do students hang out with 40-year old local residents at the local pub? I mean, you see them there, but don’t typically befriend them. It’s not any different at Columbia, then it is at Dartmouth, then it is at Duke. A ton of Duke students volunteer in the community and by and large have positive experiences. I tutored high school students in the community as well as middle school students for two years and the vast majority of them loved Duke. Some were UNC fans, I admit, but still thought highly of Duke students and the university. </p>
<p>There are aspects of a city that are worth considering like crime, entertainment, and things to do, etc. Town/gown relations are generally overhyped in proportion to how much they actually affect a student’s experience. They may need to be dealt with from an administrative standpoint, but don’t really have any bearing on the quality of the life of the students. Durham is not a quintessential college town, but there’s more to do than you’d think and there’s actually a decent number of really great restaurants nearby. It’s a city of 200,000, there’s bound to be something to do. And if not, you spend the vast majority of time on a beautiful campus where there is plenty to do anyways…</p>
<p>If you want more responses, I’d suggest posting in the Duke-specific forum.</p>