Duke Pre-College Programs

Experience learning at Duke. During these on-campus programs, students enjoy an unforgettable academic experience. They study and learn in Duke academic buildings, eat in world-class dining facilities, and visit significant locations throughout campus and the surrounding area. Students will have an unforgettable experience as they build connections with peers from around the world and learn from Duke Ph.D. and graduate students, as well as industry experts.

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• Current Grades: 6-12
  • Middle School: Current 6-8 grade
  • High School: Current 9-12 grade
     
• Dates:
  • June 13 - June 24, 2026
  • June 28 - July 9, 2026
  • July 13 - July 24, 2026
     
• Program fees (2026):
  • Residential: $6,050 (Middle or High)
  • Commuter: $3,905 (Middle School Only)
    • 8:45 AM Drop-Off
    • 5:00 PM Pick-Up

What's Included

All housing and meals during the program; classes; all books and supplies; guest speakers; field trips; interactive activities; evening and weekend leadership activities and socials.  

Extra Fees (optional)

• Airport Shuttles - $40 each way
• Additional Stay - $120 per night

Payment Options

At the time of registration, applicants are required to pay a non-refundable enrollment deposit of $500 to secure their place in the course.  Payment can be made in full or divided into monthly installments up to 30-days before your session start date.   If full program fees are NOT received before the session's final payment deadline (i.e. 30-days before the start-date), students will automatically be dropped from the course. Attendance is NOT guaranteed until all tuition and fees are fully paid.  Cancellation and refund policies are listed below under policies.

Summer 2026 courses will be announced in late December of 2025.

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Duke Pre-College is excited to announce a new programming initiative to provide all students with an interactive and fully developed session schedule.  This new initiative ensures an immersive and enriching experience for all students.

Each of our comprehensive 12-day programs is structured to include a minimum of ten intensive academic days. The academic schedule is strategically divided into two blocks each day:

• Mornings: 9:00 AM – 12:15 PM
• Afternoons: 1:30 PM – 4:45 PM

Class time will balance foundational knowledge with practical application:

• Direct Instruction: A key component of the academic environment is the opportunity for students to learn directly from the next generation of academic leaders. Instruction will be provided by current Duke Ph.D. and graduate students, who will serve as primary instructors and be present for one class block each day.  The instructors are then supported by a team of engaging teaching assistants (TAs).
• Expert Engagement: Learning will be significantly enhanced through sessions featuring guest speakers, including researchers and industry professionals.
• Interactive Application: The curriculum incorporates a variety of interactive activities designed to solidify learning and encourage critical thinking.  Each day, TAs will facilitate simulations, dedicated research time, hands-on laboratory experiments, and case studies.

The Comprehensive Residential Experience

Residential students will benefit from a fully programmed, structured daily schedule spanning from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Attendance is mandatory for all program activities except for designated social events, fostering a cohesive and committed learning community.

The extensive afternoon programming is designed for holistic development beyond the core academic sessions. These scheduled activities may include:

• Dedicated Study and Research Time: Structured periods for independent work, reading, and project advancement.
• Project Development: Collaborative and individual work sessions focused on bringing final projects to fruition.
• Leadership Workshops: Focused training on essential skills such as teamwork, conflict resolution, communication, and ethical decision-making.
• College Connection Presentations: Informative sessions about the college application process, admissions strategies, and life at a major research university like Duke.
• Community Service: Opportunities to engage in meaningful service projects, emphasizing civic responsibility and global citizenship.
• Off-Campus Excursions: Carefully planned trips designed to provide cultural enrichment or a practical application of academic concepts in a real-world setting.

Participation for Commuter Students

Commuter students are essential members of our academic community and will participate fully in all academic sessions from 9:00 AM to 4:45 PM.

• Drop-off: 8:45 AM
• Pick-up: 5:00 PM

While the core programming concludes at 4:45 PM for commuters, the commitment to academic success may necessitate additional collaboration. Commuter students may occasionally be asked to join their project teams remotely via Zoom after dinner, particularly if extra time is required for project completion and thorough preparation for final presentations. This flexible approach ensures all students are fully prepared to showcase their work at the conclusion of the program.

Marine Lab

Duke Pre-College will not be facilitating programs at the Duke University Marine Lab (DUML) in Beaufort, NC during the summer of 2026. We intend to offer a course per session, to be conducted on the main campus in Durham, focusing on topics such as sustainability, environmental studies, ecology, and/or marine science.

Parents on Campus & Final Presentations

The Duke Pre-College program is strategically designed to cultivate essential skills in exploration, independence, and self-directed learning among its participants. A core tenet of this educational philosophy is ensuring that students have the opportunity to fully engage with the academic and leadership components of the experience without external pressure.

With this in mind for  the upcoming summer 2026 session, parents and guardians will not be invited to attend final presentations and closing ceremonies. Final presentations serve as a critical, high-value academic component of the program. During these sessions, students are expected to present their final projects or research and receive direct, constructive, and comprehensive feedback. This feedback loop involves only the program's academic personnel—instructors, Teaching Assistants (TAs)—and the students' peers, creating a focused, professional, and low-stakes environment essential for genuine intellectual growth.

Immediately following the final presentations, the students will transition into a reflective leadership session. The overall impact and effectiveness of both the presentation feedback session and the subsequent leadership activities are considered to be significantly more impactful and profound when conducted exclusively among their teammates and program staff, without parental involvement. This structure ensures that the program components maximize their aim of promoting self-reliance and fostering a truly independent academic and leadership identity in every participant.

Travel Days

Unaccompanied Minors

Only Duke Pre-College middle school students may request unaccompanied minor (UMR) escorts from Pre-College staff.   We encourage all families to explore multiple airlines to avoid extra fees.  We recommend parents utilize Southwest Airlines to avoid UMR requirements. 

Parent Escorts on Flights

Our dedicated and experienced team will be present at the airport on the arrival date to facilitate student arrivals and will assist with each student's return to Raleigh/Durham International Airport (RDU) on the departure date. For high school students specifically, this presents an ideal (and secure) opportunity to gain experience traveling independently. Parental accompaniment to Durham is unnecessary unless you have other family or professional obligations in the area. For those who opt to drive to Durham, parents are permitted to attend registration from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM on the arrival date and to assist with student move-out from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM on the departure date.

Third Party Disclaimer

As part of our commitment to excellence, for summer 2026 programming, all aspects of Duke University Pre-College are managed by EngageU, a third-party organization with over 30 years of experience running experiential pre-college programs such as the National Student Leadership Conference.  

Check out our 2026 course offerings:

• High School Classes
• Middle School Classes

GPA recommendations

Students must have a 3.0+ GPA to successfully participate in Duke Pre-College programs. Our programs are open to all for registration, but do offer an advanced academic opportunity with elevated expectations. Students considering enrolling in one of our programs should be prepared to meet the standards expected in Duke Pre-College courses.

Academic Prerequisites 

Some courses will require a prerequisite to complete registration. For those courses with this requirement, an option to upload the required document will be given in the checkout process. For details on the prerequisites, visit the course page for more information. 

Age and current grade requirements by program

• Current Grades: 6-12
  • Middle School: Current 6-8 grade
    • Students must be at least 11 years old to attend.
    • Students must have completed one year of middle school before attending.
  • High School: Current 9-12 grade
    • Students must be at least 14 years of age to attend.
    • Students must have completed one year of high school before attending.  
      Students may attend the summer after high school graduation. 

Immunization Requirements

All students are required to have immunizations in accordance with North Carolina state law. International students or others who lack access to the Tdap and Meningococcal ACWY immunizations may receive the vaccines at the Duke Student Health Center upon arrival. 

The fee for the Tdap immunization is $123, and the cost for the Meningococcal ACWY vaccine is $287.  

The Varicella and other immunizations cannot be provided on campus. You must upload proof of immunizations to your student portal no later than June 1, 2026. 

VISAS & LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT  (International Students)

Applicants who are not U.S. Citizens must demonstrate English Language Proficiency through one of the following methods: 

• Provide evidence of attendance at an international high school where instruction is conducted in English.
• Submit English Language Test Scores of a minimum of 90 on TOEFL, 7.0 on the IELTS, or 115 or higher on the DuoLingo English Test.
• Demonstrate English proficiency via an oral interview conducted by staff from the Duke English for International Students (EIS) program. There is a fee of $130 (USD) for this service. 

 Please note that a B-2 Tourist Visa is required to attend in-person sessions. 

In order to fully participate in Duke Pre-College Programs, in addition to the minimum requirements listed below, you will need:

• Access to an email account for essential communications for your course.

Minimum requirements for Duke Pre-College Programs

These technical requirements apply to all Duke Pre-College students. Please contact precollege@duke.edu if you need to make arrangements to meet any of the following requirements. 

• Hardware
  • Computer running one of the following operating systems:
    • Windows 7 or newer
    • Mac OSX 10.10 or newer
  • Access only to a mobile device will not be suitable for fully participating in Duke Pre-College Programs.
  • 1 GB RAM available
  • 2 GHz or faster processor
• Supported browsers
  • Chrome 117 | 118
  • Firefox 117 | 118 (Extended Releases are not supported)
  • Edge 117 | 118
  • Safari 16 | 17 (Macintosh only)
• Internet
  • Consistently reliable internet with at least 2k kbps available bandwidth.
  • Cookies and JavaScript enabled

Other requirements

• Adobe Acrobat Reader, free to download.

Technical assistance

If you are having difficulty with hardware or with software, please seek technical assistance from the computer or software manufacturer.

Duke Youth Protection Policy 

Duke Pre-College and all participants are required to align with all Duke Youth Protection guidelines and policies.   

Refund/Cancellation. 

Cancellation requests may be submitted through the Account section of your Duke myNSLC Student Portal.

Transfers or Course Change

Participants may transfer to a different session date or change their course preference as long as space is available. All transfers and course updates should be submitted online using the Duke myNSLC Student Portal. 

GYM ACCESS

Duke Pre-College students will not be allowed to use the gym on campus.  

Additional Policies

Non-Discrimination Policy

Duke University prohibits discrimination and harassment, and provides equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex or age. The university also makes good faith efforts to recruit, employ, and promote qualified minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and veterans. It admits qualified students to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students. The university also does not tolerate harassment of any kind.

Smoking Policy

Duke University is a Tobacco Free campus.

Housing Policy

For participants residing on campus, Residential Policies and Expectations will apply.

Third Party Disclaimer

As part of our commitment to excellence, for summer 2026 programming, all aspects of Duke University Pre-College are managed by EngageU, a third-party organization with over 30 years of experience running experiential pre-college programs such as the National Student Leadership Conference.  

Duke Pre-College is pleased to collaborate with local and state scholarship organizations dedicated to enhancing college access and attainment for low-income and first-generation students. Annually, a selection of organizations throughout the state will be chosen to assist in identifying students requiring partial or full scholarships to participate in our summer programs.