,·Private (Catholic, Spiritan) Research University·Est. 1878
“A private Catholic, Spiritan university on a self-contained bluff campus overlooking downtown Pittsburgh.”
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic, Spiritan research university founded in 1878 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the only Spiritan university in the United States, and its 50-acre campus sits on a self-contained bluff (the 'Bluff') overlooking the Monongahela River and downtown Pittsburgh — a true urban campus with the feel of a small, walkable college. The university is classified R2 by Carnegie and enrolls around 8,700 students across ten schools. Duquesne is best known for its strength in the health professions: the six-year direct-entry Doctor of Pharmacy program in the Mylan School of Pharmacy is among the oldest in the country, and the John G. Rangos School of Health Sciences and School of Nursing supply a steady pipeline of clinicians to the Pittsburgh-area hospital systems UPMC and Allegheny Health Network. The newest addition is the Duquesne College of Osteopathic Medicine, which welcomed its first class in 2024. Outside the health sciences, the Palumbo Donahue School of Business, McAnulty College of Liberal Arts, Mary Pappert School of Music, Kline School of Law, and School of Science and Engineering round out a comprehensive academic portfolio shaped by the Spiritan commitment to ethical leadership and service. The student experience is shaped by Duquesne's Catholic-Spiritan identity, an emphasis on close faculty mentorship (student–faculty ratio about 13:1), and a residential campus where most underclassmen live on the Bluff. International students benefit from a dedicated Office of International Programs, low-stakes test-optional admissions, and easy access to one of the most affordable major U.S. cities — Pittsburgh — which has rapidly become a hub for healthcare, robotics, and AI.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceThe deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$47,798 – $50,898
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
Founded in 1925, one of the nation's most respected pharmacy schools, offering a six-year direct-entry PharmD that takes students from high school graduate to licensed pharmacist.
AACSB-accredited since 1962, with a focus on ethical, sustainable business leadership and strong placement into Pittsburgh's banking, healthcare, and energy sectors.
One of the most established nursing schools in the region, with traditional BSN, second-degree, and DNP/PhD options and clinical placements across UPMC.
Home to nationally ranked programs in physician assistant studies, athletic training, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.
The university's largest college, offering humanities and social-science programs anchored in the Spiritan tradition of ethical inquiry.
STEM programs with strong undergraduate research access, including ABET-accredited engineering tracks added in recent years.
6 years
High-school graduates earn both a BS in Pharmacy Foundations and a PharmD in six continuous years, bypassing the standard pre-pharmacy + PharmD application cycle. Among the most selective programs at Duquesne.
5 years
Direct-entry 5-year BS+MPAS program with a Nov 15 deadline; graduates have consistently strong PANCE pass rates and Pittsburgh-area placement.
4 years
One of the country's first music-therapy programs, housed in the Mary Pappert School of Music with clinical placements across regional hospitals and behavioral-health centers.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $48,986
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
