Tuition & Fees

The table below lists basic minimum expenditures for all degree programs. In addition to the fees cited here, there is an admission deposit fee of $100, which is applied to the first term bill as a credit. The figures shown are for full-time enrollment (eight courses per year). Tuition and fee rates listed are estimated for 2022-2023 and subject to change.

Estimated Total Costs

The total estimated cost for nine months (including tuition, all applicable fees, books, room, board, and other living expenses) for a student to attend Duke Divinity School varies according to individual tastes and requirements, and is estimated to be between $21,360 to $70,357 depending upon the degree program.

All degree seeking students are liable for tuition, fees, and all other costs and regulations for the degrees. ThM students are not eligible for institutional financial aid, although they may qualify for federal loans and federal work study.

Tuition Structure

• The MDiv degree is presumed to be a three-year, six-semester program; the MTS degree is a two-year, four-semester program, based on students taking four courses per semester.

• For full-time students, tuition is charged on a per-semester basis and is not affected by the number of courses taken.

• Students may take a reduced load of three courses per semester and remain full-time. A merit scholarship student is required to take three or four courses to remain eligible for a merit scholarship. In special circumstances, middler and senior students may take five courses per semester, but this is considered an overload and requires permission of the Academic Dean.

• Student pastors are required to take three courses per semester, and their program takes four years to complete. Their four-year MDiv degree will be the same as the cost of the three-year program.

• Students taking one or two courses per semester are considered part-time and will be charged a per-course tuition rate that will be equivalent to one-fourth the per-semester tuition amount plus a 10 percent registration fee. Part-time students are not eligible for merit scholarships or institutional aid.

• Divinity School scholarship awards are calculated as a percentage of overall tuition.

Special Students and Certificate in Theology and Health Care Students

A special student is one who is enrolled for academic credit, but who is not a candidate for a degree at that time. Financial aid is not available to students registered as a special student.

Nondegree seeking students pursuing the certificate in theology and health care who enroll full-time will be considered for financial aid.

International Students

All entering international students must submit the full amount of the first year’s tuition to Duke Divinity School financial aid office by no later than June 1 for fall enrollment. See further details in the section Policies and Procedures for International Applicants.

All returning international students are required to make an appointment with the financial aid office prior to June 1 to review funding sources for the upcoming academic year (including field education grants, outside resources, scholarships, and other employment). If there are funding concerns, the international office will help the student explore work authorization and visa options.

Additional Fees

Audit Fee. Anyone seeking to audit a course in the Divinity School must, with the consent of the instructor concerned, secure permission from the Office of Academic Affairs. A fee of $750 per course will be charged to all auditors who are not enrolled as full-time students.

Late Registration Fee. Continuing students who fail to register during the registration period must pay a fee of $75 to the bursar.

Course Continuation Fee. In instances where a student has registered for but not completed all the courses or requirements for their program, a $750 per term fee (MDiv Residential, MTS, and ThM) a $250 per semester fee (MDiv Hybrid, MA, DMin) is required. The student must also register for the continuation course (Continuation 500).

ThD Continuation Fee. ThD students who have completed coursework will need to register for the continuation course (Continuation - Divinity section 2) for the fall and spring semester. The ThD continuation fee is $3,250 per semester.

Payment and Penalty

Invoices for tuition, fees, and other charges are delivered to students electronically on DukeHub — students will not receive a copy via US Mail—and are payable by the invoice due date. DukeHub is an online system to view student accounts, financial aid, and personal data, and to register for classes. As a part of the agreement of admission to Duke University, a student is required to pay all invoices as presented. If full payment is not received, a late payment charge as described below will be assessed on the next invoice and certain restrictions as stated below will be applied. A monthly tuition payment plan is available through Nelnet. For more information on this plan, call (800) 609-8056 or visit mycollegepaymentplan.com/duke. If payment in the amount of the total amount due on the student invoice is not received by the invoice due date, a late payment penalty charge will be accrued from the billing date of the invoice. The penalty charge will be at a rate of 1.25 percent per month (16 percent per annum) applied to the past due balance on the student invoice. The past due balance is defined as the previous balance less any payments and credits received during the current month and also any student loan memo credits, related to the previous balance, which appear on the invoice. An individual will be in default of this agreement if the total amount due on the student invoice is not paid in full by the invoice due date.

An individual who is in default will not be allowed to register for classes, receive a transcript of academic records, have academic credits certified, be granted a leave of absence, or receive a diploma at graduation. In addition, an individual in default may be subject to withdrawal from school.

Tuition and Fees Refund Policy

Tuition and mandatory fees are required to be paid in full, regardless of:

• the method of instruction and/or mode of academic delivery;

• any changes to instructional content, schedule, or duration of the semester;

• any inability to access Duke University-maintained facilities; and

• any disruption to or cancellation of activities, events, services or programs during the academic year.

For the avoidance of doubt, and as has been the policy of Duke University in the past, tuition and mandatory fees will not be refunded in whole or in part for any reason, except as provided for under the Refund Policy for residential or hybrid programs. By paying the tuition and mandatory fees, the student and anyone paying tuition on their behalf acknowledges and accepts these terms.

In the event of death, a full tuition and fees refund will be granted; and in all other cases of withdrawal from school, tuition will be refunded according to the published schedule.

Debts

No records are released, and no students are considered by the faculty as candidates for graduation, until they have settled with the bursar for all indebtedness. Bills may be sent to parents or guardians provided the bursar has been requested in writing to do so. Failure to pay all university charges on or before the times specified by the university for the semester will bar the student from class attendance until the account is settled in full.