New study shows that Duke has more students from the top one percent than bottom 60 percent

<p>The study was based on millions of anonymous tax records, according to the New York Times.&nbsp;</p>

The study was based on millions of anonymous tax records, according to the New York Times. 

The New York Times recently reported a new study which found that 38 colleges in the United States have more students from the top 1 percent of the income scale than from the entire bottom 60 percent—and Duke is one of them.

Nearly a fifth of Duke students come from families that fall within the top 1 percent of the income scale, with families earning more than $630,000, and 69 percent have families falling in the top 20 percent. However, only 16.5 percent of students come from the bottom 60 percent, which captures families earning less than $65,000 per year.

The article stated that the median family income for Duke students is $186,700.

"There are many ways to measure access, affordability and mobility, and this study provides a lot of valuable new data that will help us better analyze both the impact of our financial aid and recruitment policies on socioeconomic diversity and the value of a Duke education," wrote Micheal Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations.

The study—which was based on millions of anonymous tax records—also showed that the median individual income for Duke students at age 34 was $87,500. About 1.6 percent of students who went to Duke came from a poor family but became wealthy as adults.

Editor's note: This article was updated Wednesday at 11 p.m. to include Schoenfeld's statement.

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