First-class universities. Duke is a first-class university in the United States. Duke University has been ranked in the top ten in the United States for a long time, and even ranked in the top five for a time. Duke University is in the top 50 in several global university rankings. Duke University is a private comprehensive research university. Duke University is a member of the Global Alliance for Advanced Research in Universities and the association of american universities. The official mascot is the Blue Devil.