As members of the Class of 2029 from around the world begin to arrive on campus, Duke Kunshan University (DKU) welcomes about 600 undergraduates from 30 countries—its largest intake since launching its undergraduate program in 2018.
Among the Class of 2029, approximately 390 are from China and 210 are international students, representing 29 countries across five continents, including the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Vietnam, Mongolia, New Zealand, Morocco and Ethiopia.
Last November, DKU’s Board of Trustees approved a requested increase in DKU’s annual incoming undergraduate class size to 550 students from its previous level of 500. This year’s actual enrollment exceeded that figure by about 10 percent, underscoring the international influence and appeal of DKU’s interdisciplinary and innovative undergraduate education.
The university received nearly 12,000 undergraduate applications from 144 countries for the 2025–26 academic year, an increase of about 20 percent from last year and setting a new record for the third consecutive year. This included 6,002 applications from China and 5,882 from overseas, both record highs. Half of the international applications came from the United States, with the applicant pool continuing to diversify geographically.
Executive Vice Chancellor John Quelch said, “The record size of this year’s incoming class is a testament to Duke Kunshan’s growing reputation for academic excellence, innovative pedagogy, and global engagement. It also affirms the value of our mission—to offer a Duke-quality education for the world, and to prepare graduates who can bridge cultures, think critically across disciplines, and lead with integrity in an increasingly interconnected world.”
Over the next four years, these students will study at both DKU and Duke University in the United States, receiving a liberal arts and sciences education. Upon graduation, they will earn bachelor’s degrees from both institutions, joining Duke’s global alumni network of more than 200,000 members.
“Welcoming the largest undergraduate class in our history is both a proud milestone and a profound responsibility,” said Chancellor Yaolin Liu. “It reflects the trust that students and families from around the world place in Duke Kunshan’s unique model of global liberal arts education. We are committed to helping every student here grow intellectually, culturally, and personally, so they can make a meaningful impact on the world.”
Among DKU’s first three graduating undergraduate classes, around 84 percent pursued further studies, with 80 percent attending top 10 U.S. universities or Ivy League institutions. Graduates have earned prestigious honors, including the Rhodes Scholarship, the U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, the EU Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s program, the McCall MacBain Scholarship, the Schwarzman Scholars program at Tsinghua University, and the Yenching Scholars program at Peking University. Those who entered the workforce have joined leading organizations such as Amazon and McKinsey & Company.
The university’s fourth graduating class this year also achieved strong outcomes. Most will pursue graduate studies at leading global institutions, and those entering the workforce will join global companies such as Meta, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo.
