Duke University and Duke University Health System have been recognized among "America's Best-in-State Employers" for 2026, according to rankings released by Forbes.
The list of North Carolina-based employers ranked Duke University 11th and Duke University Health System 13th. It is the eighth year in a row that both have been recognized.
"We're extremely ecstatic that Forbes continues to monitor what we're doing here at Duke, highlighting us as a top employer for people in both the university and health system," Duke University Vice President for Human Resources Antwan Lofton said. "I'm thankful that we continue to be named among the best."
The 2026 list of "America's Best-in-State Employers" was published by Forbes in partnership with Statista , a market research firm. The results were drawn from survey responses from roughly 245,000 workers at organizations in several industries with at least 500 employees.
Survey participants were asked to rate how likely they would be to recommend their current or previous employers, industry peers and employers of friends and family. Participants were asked to evaluate employers based on atmosphere and development opportunities, company culture, image, salary/wage and working conditions.
"At Duke Health, our people are the heart of everything we do, and being recognized by Forbes as one of North Carolina's Best-in-State Employers reflects the extraordinary culture our team members have helped create," said Duke University Health System Chief People Officer, Rhonda Brandon. "We're committed to fostering an environment where every team member feels supported, respected, and inspired to grow while making a meaningful impact in the lives of our patients and communities. This recognition belongs to every member of our team."
Duke is the second-largest private employer in the state and during the most-recent fiscal year paid around $5 billion in direct pay and another $1.2 billion in employee benefits for its workforce. In 2026, Duke launched the institution-wide Duke HomeGrown initiative, committing $203 million over three years to expand economic opportunity for the residents of Durham and the Triangle. The commitment emphasizes four areas: employment pathways, construction opportunities, local business partnerships, and affordable housing and home ownership pathways.
Among the measurable goals is to increase local hiring from 69% to 80% for key entry-level roles with advancement potential.
"Earlier this year, we made our commitment to HomeGrown, focusing on ensuring our Durham-area residents have great opportunities working here at Duke University and the Health System," Lofton said. "We're happy that we're being recognized all over the state."
Also this year, Forbes named Duke University and Duke University Health System to its list of "America's Best Employers for New Grads," " America's Best Large Employers " and " America's Dream Employers. " Duke University also landed on Forbes' list of " America's Best Employers for Company Culture " for the second consecutive year.
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