International and Comparative Education at Duke University

Duke's International and Comparative Education program sits in an unusual space—it ranks at the 95th percentile nationally but only the 60th percentile within North Carolina. The catch? This is one of just six programs nationwide reporting data, and Duke is the only NC school offering it, making those percentiles somewhat artificial. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means a few data points heavily influence these numbers.

What matters more is the actual trajectory: graduates start at $40,723 and reach $57,321 within four years—41% growth that suggests the degree opens doors even if initial placement feels modest for a school with Duke's selectivity. The $8,000 median debt is remarkably low, likely reflecting Duke's financial aid strength (though only 13% of students receive Pell grants, indicating a wealthier student body who may graduate with less need to borrow). That 0.20 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in under three months of gross income.

The real question is opportunity cost. Students admitted to Duke (7% acceptance rate, 1539 average SAT) likely have options in higher-earning fields. If your child is passionate about international education or planning graduate school where this serves as groundwork, the manageable debt makes it workable. But if they're choosing this over Duke's economics or engineering programs simply out of interest, understand they're trading significant earning potential—at least in the early years—for that passion.