RESEARCH
ACADEMICS
DEPARTMENT
Life in Durham, NC
Duke University is located near North Carolina's famed Research Triangle Park, named for the triangle formed by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University in Raleigh, and Duke University in Durham. Durham itself, nestled in the lush North Carolina Piedmont, is located just a few hours from both the Atlantic Ocean and the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Duke University campus boasts the beautiful 55-acre Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Lemur Center, Duke Chapel, outstanding basketball and other college sports teams, and strong fine art and performance arts communities.
Big City Amenities
People love Durham, in fact, The New York Times ranked Durham as one of "The 41 Places To Go In 2011" in large part because of our wonderful dining opportunities. And Forbes called the Raleigh/Durhamarea of North Carolina the #2 place to live in the nation in 2006, using rankings of cost of living, cost of doing business, crime rate, culture and leisure, advanced degrees and educational attainment, income growth, job growth and net migration.
Our city is known as a mecca for fine dining, with more than 300 restaurants ranging from chains to good old fashioned North Carolina barbeque, and from Ethiopian, Greek, Indian, Italian, Continental, Mexican and Chinese to great seafood and steakhouses.
The outdoor Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek, located minutes from Duke, features a wide range of concerts each year catering to a diverse audience from country to classical, rap to pop rock to bluegrass.
The Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill area is home to multiple museums, including the Museum of Life and Science, contemporary and fine art museums such as the Nasher at Duke, a planetarium, and historical battlefield sites and southern antebellum farms.
The Great Outdoors
North Carolina offers an amazing range of outdoor recreational opportunities. The state has 1,500 lakes 10 acres or more in size and 37,000 miles of fresh water streams, and there are more than 1.2 million acres of national forest land in the Tar Heel State, and numerous state parks. The mild climate makes it enjoyable to be outdoors all year round.
Hiking, fishing, camping, white water rafting, ocean kayaking & surf fishing, year round golf, birding and skiing are just some of the activities students can take part in.
This area is also experiencing a 'local foods' movement, with with many farmer's markets on the weekends, farm product co-ops where you can have fresh local foods delivered weekly, and restaurants that prioritize local fare.
Housing for Graduate Students:
Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke offers the amenities of a world-class research institution and a vibrant metropolitan scene with the benefits of being able live within walking distance to campus or within a reasonable commute distance.
For more information about housing, visit:
IMPORTANT: Before making a final decision about housing, please take the time to talk with other graduate students about their experiences and recommendations.
