Duke University is a private North American research university located in Durham, North Carolina. The university is named after the Duke dynasty. 

Although the university was not officially founded until 1924 (its roots go back to 1838). Frequently referred to as the "Harvard of the South", Duke is the most selective university in the American South. 

The university is a member of the Association of American Universities, an association which, since 1900, has brought together the elite research universities of North America.