Could student costs at Duke University soon top $100,000?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Duke set annual cost at $96,597, a 5% hike, pushing totals toward $100,000
- NC State won over $5 million in DOE awards to advance nuclear engineering projects
- ECSU received a $42 million gift to fund scholarships, programs, and infrastructure
Hello subscribers! Welcome to this week’s edition of Higher Stakes, your place for higher education news in North Carolina. I’m Jane Winik Sartwell. Let’s get to it.
Will student costs at Duke soon exceed $100,000?
The total cost of one year at Duke University is now $96,597, the university’s Board of Trustees decided at its recent quarterly meeting. That price — which represents a 5% increase from last year — includes tuition, fees, room and board.
Duke typically raises costs by 3 to 4% each year, according to the Duke Chronicle. Lately, though, those hikes have been higher, at 5% this year and 6% last year. For rising seniors at Duke, the cost of attendance has increased 16% since their freshman year, the Chronicle reported.
At this rate, costs could exceed $100,000 by next year. The University of Southern California has already crossed this threshold, and Brown University is only $16 away.
The majority of Duke students don’t pay the full cost of attendance, however, thanks to the financial aid office. The school says it meets 100% of demonstrated need, and distributed $171 million in need-based grants and scholarships last year.
NC State is a nuclear energy powerhouse
The U.S. Department of Energy just announced a huge funding package for nuclear technologies. The institution that received the largest share of the funding? NC State University.
NC State received more than $5 million in awards, which will be used across five projects. Those projects focus on topics like reactor simulation accuracy, remote damage detection, fuel transport and 3D-printed metal durability.
“This recognition reflects the extraordinary leadership of our faculty and the strength of our nuclear engineering program,” engineering dean Jim Pfaendtner said in a statement. “Leading the nation in these awards underscores the College of Engineering’s commitment to advancing innovative nuclear technologies, strengthening partnerships with national laboratories and industry, and preparing the next generation of engineers. ... We are helping to power America’s nuclear future.”
Nuclear power is having a bit of a renaissance, due to the priorities of the Trump administration and increased energy demand from data centers. Popularity for the once-controversial energy source is up across the aisle.
A $42 million gift for Elizabeth City State
Elizabeth City State University, which just recognized its 135-year anniversary, now has even more reason to celebrate. Philanthropist Mackenzie Scott announced a $42 million gift to the university last week.
Scott has given to ECSU previously, as well as to other HBCUs in North Carolina like Winston-Salem State University and N.C. A&T State University.
“The gift was the largest dollar per student enrolled gift of any historically black college and university among Ms. Scott’s recent gifts, and almost triple what ECSU received from Ms. Scott in 2020,” a statement from the university reads. “More importantly, it comes at a pivotal time at the university, as ECSU just launched its five-year strategic plan — ASCEND 2030.”
ECSU says it will use the money to create endowed scholarships and innovative academic programs, and support academic, athletic, and residential infrastructure.
UNC campus tour guide takes to TikTok
This week, a student tour guide at UNC-Chapel Hill says she was put on employment probation after an undercover university representative took her tour. She says people love her tours, but the administration feels differently. Here are a couple of things they dinged her for, she says:
- Mentioning an interaction with a homeless person.
- Expressing her antipathy towards rival schools like Duke.
- Pointing out bars and clubs on Franklin Street.
The email she received also points out that she made generalizations about Greek life, started the tour early, misquoted some statistics, said that the bus drivers drive fast, and forgot the name of a building, she says.
UNC declined to comment on this specific case, citing human-resources privacy laws, but shared some perspective on the importance of tour guides in general.
“The Division of Enrollment, including the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, cares deeply about making campus visits welcoming, informative and respectful for every prospective student and guest,” university spokesperson Kevin Best told The N&O. “Our student tour guides work hard to represent the Carolina community and share their personal experiences with honesty and enthusiasm. Because of the significance of this role and the weight their words carry, we regularly conduct reviews and provide coaching to ensure guides represent the University in a professional and accurate manner.”
Is there a story lurking out there about campus tour guides? If you know any scuttlebutt on this issue, my inbox is always open. My email is jane.sartwell@newsobserver.com.
Headlines you don’t want to miss
- Duke student was arrested at ICE protest. Now the school is investigating her by me
- Fired NC State Pride Center leader speaks out, and students rally around him by me
- Campbell Law School removed Charlie Kirk flyers. A student claims discrimination by me
- Poe Hall report confirms elevated cancer rates. Why it can’t prove their cause by me
- Winning another ACC basketball title satisfying for Duke, but only to a point by Chip Alexander
- UNC’s NCAA Tournament seed has been announced. Where are the Tar Heels playing? by Shelby Swanson
- NC State wants to end season on high note, regardless of March Madness draw by Jadyn Watson-Fisher
What I’m reading
- Federal funding may return too late for UNC’s soon-to-be consolidated area studies centers by Satchel Walton at The Daily Tar Heel
- Israel-Palestine trip canceled for UNC class following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran by Ragan Huntsman at The Daily Tar Heel
- In one Fuqua classroom, AI is always listening by Leyuan Zhang at The Duke Chronicle
- Pentagon identifies UNC as potential new partner after cutting ties to elite schools by Kate Denning at Carolina Public Press
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— Jane Winik Sartwell
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This story was originally published March 17, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
