Duke Degrees Get More Pricey

Durham, N.C. — The Duke University Board of Trustees approved a 4.8 percent increase in total costs for the 2008-2009 school year. The plan calls for a 5 percent tuition increase for undergraduate students.

The total cost to attend Duke this fall, including room and board, will be $47,985, an increase of 4.8 percent from 2007-08. The trustees also approved tuition hikes for Duke’s graduate and professional schools.

Tuition rates for 2008-09 for the graduate and professional schools are:

Divinity School -- $16,570, up 4.5 percent over the current year.

Fuqua School of Business -- $44,100 (daytime MBA), up 5.8 percent.

Graduate School -- $36,190, up 6 percent.

Law School -- $42,160, up 5.5 percent.

Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences -- $27,600, up 3.8 percent.

School of Medicine -- $41,126, up 5.5 percent.

School of Nursing -- $36,900, up 13.9 percent.

Trustees also agreed to release 28 percent more from the university’s endowment to be used for financial aid in the coming school year. Duke expects to spend about $86 million on financial aid in 2008-09 to help the 40 percent of undergraduates who receive need-based aid.