Duke University - Safety & Security

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

Most Duke students feel pretty secure on campus, and Duke has worked hard to provide students with the utmost safety and comfort. Duke has implemented, and expanded upon, many safety measures that are becoming standard on many college campuses, like carded entry to dorms and other facilities. Students are also briefed on methods for getting anyone out of the dorm who they don’t think should be there. The bathrooms are also locked, and as of a few years ago, the bathroom keys will open only the same-sex bathroom in your dorm, as opposed to the old keys that would open any bathroom on any floor (sorry, boys!). Campus always seems to have people milling about, but if you’re walking through Edens or Central late at night, it might be best to bring along a friend—preferably a tall, muscular one. Duke likes to keep students updated on safety and security measures. However, Duke is not in a very attractive area of Durham, and walking alone off campus is extremely unwise, and there are occasionally thefts and robberies that occur on campus.

Duke tries hard to keep its students safe. However, the old real-estate maxim (“location, location, location”) should serve to remind us that Duke has some inherent problems simply because of the instability of the surrounding area. Fortunately, very few Duke students feel like they have to stay holed up in their rooms at night staring out the windows at the lurking shadows below. The best advice has already been given a number of times: use common sense.

Free Profile Tools

Do I Stand A Chance?

Calculate YOUR chances of admission at every school CP covers!

__%

Personality Match

Calculate YOUR personality match with every school CP covers!

__%

What'll It Cost Me?

Estimate your out-of-pocket costs at every school CP covers!

$__,___

Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

Security and safety could... Security and safety could definitely be improved on campus. Many walkways and parking lots are poorly lit at night. The dorms feel pretty secure, though, as card access is required for entry. 12345 Safety & Security Report

Anonymous says:

Security is good on campus, but a... Security is good on campus, but a girl can’t walk around by herself at night because the East Campus area isn’t the best. There are lots of emergency phones and police around, though, so I never feel unsafe, as long as I’m not alone. 12345 Safety & Security Report

Anonymous says:

Security on campus is about... Security on campus is about average for any college campus. Most of the students are fairly well behaved, and there really haven’t been any incidents to speak of. You would be perfectly safe on campus, I have no doubt. 12345 Safety & Security Report

Anonymous says:

Students at Duke live in what is... Students at Duke live in what is essentially a closed environment. Access to the campus is restricted both geographically and legally. Isolated incidents of non-violent crime are occasional on campus, but not too prevalent. 12345 Safety & Security Report

Anonymous says:

I personally feel pretty safe... I personally feel pretty safe here. The campus police actually picked me up once for being a ‘female walking alone’ between campuses at night (yeah, that was dumb). We do, of course, have the odd incident, but each time, there has been a quick response from the administration. For example, a man hid in one of the girls’ bathrooms, and now bathrooms must be opened with a room key. 12345 Safety & Security Report

Write for Us!

College Prowler is actively seeking talented students to be "Contributing Authors," and assist with updating the College Prowler guide to their school. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain internship experience, be a part of a nationally recognized company, gain tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college. Read more >