Durham, US · 21 months · class of 359
Duke Fuqua MBA: cost, salary and payback
A consulting-first class, 34% of graduates, with one of the lowest living budgets among American schools.
Paid back after graduation in
4.8 years
Total cost $385,168 · 10-year NPV $159,119
| Tuition and fees, whole program | $177,088 |
| Living budget | $50,580 |
| Salary given up, 21 months | $157,500 |
| Total cost | $385,168 |
| Salary after: median base salary | $160,000 |
| Signing bonus × share receiving it | $25,530 |
| 10-year net present value | $159,119 |
| Return on the cost (present values) | 42% |
US dollars at the ECB rate of the last update. Raises of 5% a year with the MBA and 3% without, discounted at 5%, before tax. How this is calculated.
Fees and budget read on October 13, 2026 · employment: Class of 2025 (MBA CSEA standard) · Built by Radif Partners · Method
- Tuition and fees
- $177,088
- Total cost, salary given up included
- $385,168
- median base salary
- $160,000
- Payback, reference person
- 4.8 years
Two years at Duke's Fuqua School cost $227,668 in tuition, fees and the school's living budget, based on the first-year figures for the Class of 2028 counted twice; medical insurance is required but waivable and is left out. For a person earning $90,000 today, the 21 months away add $157,500, for a total of $385,168. The class of 2025 reported a median base salary of $160,000, and 85.1% received a signing bonus with a median of $30,000. On those figures the degree is repaid 4.8 years after graduation, with a ten-year net present value of $159,119. What sets Fuqua apart is a consulting pipeline that ranks number 5 of 38 in our consulting list, paired with a cost of living in Durham that is number 2 from the lowest of the 29 American budgets in our data.
Consulting first, at the top median
34% of the class of 2025 went into consulting at a median base of $190,000, the highest of any industry in the report. The employers the report names as hiring several graduates are led by strategy and advisory firms, and the function split confirms it: consulting is the largest function too. On share, salary and ten-year value, Fuqua is number 5 of 38 in our consulting ranking. Aimed at consulting, the reference person repays the degree in 3.5 years, faster than on the school-wide median.
General management roles took 16.5% at $142,800, and healthcare, products and services together, took 7.4% of the class, number 7 of 22 in our healthcare list.
Duke Fuqua: where the class went
Share of the class
34%
| Salary reported | $190,000 |
| Graduates, about | 122 |
| Payback with that salary | 3.5 years |
Reference person earning $90,000 before the MBA.
Finance by function, and why investing roles pay less here
Fuqua reports finance by the job, not by the employer. Investment banking roles took 10.6% of the class at $175,000, while private equity, venture capital and similar investing roles took 5.5% at a median of $127,500; private wealth management took 4.6% at $150,000. The investing group mixes several kinds of firms, which pulls its median down; someone targeting buyouts specifically should not read it as a private equity salary. Corporate finance roles inside companies paid less than banking as well, and the calculator lets you test that lower salary against the cost of the two years.
Where graduates went
92.2% of graduates who took a job stayed in the United States. Latin America took 6.1%, the largest share of any American school in our data, which places Fuqua number 6 of 9 in our Latin America ranking. The report collects outcomes within four months of graduation and gives no salary by region, so the payback for someone heading home to Latin America cannot be computed from the school's figures. The comparison tool sets Fuqua next to UVA Darden or UNC Kenan-Flagler, its neighbors in the Southeast.
Duke Fuqua: when the MBA pays back, for your salary
Payback after graduation
4.8 years
| Total cost with the salary given up | $385,168 |
| Salary after (median base salary) | $160,000 |
| 10-year NPV | $159,119 |
Same assumptions as the main calculator; US dollars.
Where Duke Fuqua stands in our rankings
- #23 of 40 · Any industry (whole class)
- #5 of 38 · Consulting
- #14 of 39 · Finance, all segments
- #17 of 40 · Technology
- #25 of 39 · Working in the United States
Our fit score, reference person earning $90,000 before the MBA (method). Third-party rankings play no part in it. For reference, Duke Fuqua was ranked 16 in the FT Global MBA 2026.
What the Duke Fuqua MBA costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, whole program (published yearly rate ×2.00) | $167,400 |
| Mandatory fees | $9,688 |
| Living budget, whole program | $50,580 |
| Salary given up: $90,000 a year for 21 months | $157,500 |
| Total cost, reference person | $385,168 |
Duke Fuqua employment report: Class of 2025
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median base salary | $160,000 |
| Signing bonus (median) | $30,000, received by 85.1% |
| Graduates who accepted an offer within three months | 79% |
Duke Fuqua graduates by industry
| Industry, as the school names it | Share | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Consulting | 34% | $190,000 |
| Financial Services | 20.9% | $175,000 |
| Technology | 15.6% | $144,000 |
| Hospitality + Other + Real Estate | 7.7% | not published |
| Consumer Packaged Goods + Retail | 7.4% | not published |
| Healthcare (Including Products and Services) | 7.4% | $140,000 |
| Manufacturing + Transportation and Logistics Services | 3.2% | not published |
| Energy | 2.9% | $145,000 |
| Non-Profit | 0.8% | not published |
Where Duke Fuqua graduates went to work
| Region | Share | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| US (US Mid-Atlantic + US Midwest + US Northeast + US South + US Southwest + US West) | 92.2% | not published |
| Canada | 0.4% | not published |
| Asia | 0.4% | not published |
| Middle East | 0.4% | not published |
| Africa | 0.4% | not published |
| Latin America | 6.1% | not published |
Duke Fuqua graduates by job function
| Function | Share | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Consulting | 35.9% | $190,000 |
| Finance/Accounting (total) | 27.4% | $150,000 |
| Investment Banking | 10.6% | $175,000 |
| Corporate Finance | 5.5% | $135,000 |
| Private Wealth Management | 4.6% | $150,000 |
| Investment Management | 1.3% | $143,000 |
| Private Equity / Venture Capital / Other | 5.5% | $127,500 |
| General Management | 16.5% | $142,800 |
| Marketing/Sales | 13.1% | $130,000 |
| Operations/Logistics | 4.2% | $149,500 |
| Human Resources | 0.4% | not published |
| Information Technology | 0.4% | not published |
| Other | 2.1% | $150,000 |
Employers named by Duke Fuqua
Accenture Strategy · Amazon · Bain & Company · BCG · McKinsey · Deloitte Consulting · EY-Parthenon · Kearney · Apple · Microsoft Corporation · Goldman Sachs · JPMorgan Chase · Bank of America · Morgan Stanley · Eli Lilly and Company
Names only: the school gives no hire counts.
The Duke Fuqua class
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| International students | 38% |
| Women | 44% |
| Average age | 29 |
| Average years of work experience | 6 |
| Class size | 359 |