Is Tulane or Duke more selective for admissions?

The biggest practical difference is that Duke sits in a clearly more selective admissions tier overall, while Tulane is also selective but is especially shaped by application strategy, including strong interest and timing. Duke is broadly viewed as one of the most competitive private universities in the country. Tulane gets a very large applicant pool and can be tough to enter too, but it is not usually placed in the same overall selectivity category as Duke.

So for a simple comparison, Duke is more selective for general undergraduate admission. That is the clearer answer if you are comparing how hard it is to get in overall rather than by major.

Part of the confusion is that Tulane can look unusually difficult because of how many students apply and because its admissions process pays close attention to demonstrated interest and Early Decision. That can make Tulane feel unpredictable. Duke, though, is still the harder school to access on academics, national demand, and overall admissions competition.

For building a college list, it makes sense to treat Duke as a bigger reach. Tulane is still selective enough that it should not be treated casually, but it is usually a more realistic target or reach depending on the strength of your profile.