National university
#4 Best colleges in North CarolinaWake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $28,719 a year
Median debt at graduation: $21,500 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Upcoming admissions events
- Distinctively WakeOctober 20, 2026 · 4 p.m. ET · VirtualJoin the Admissions team as we dig deeper into what it means to be a Demon Deacon.More about Distinctively WakeAdd to calendar
- WFU General Info SessionsNovember 3, 2026 · 7 p.m. ET · VirtualEach session will last approximately 45 minutes.More about WFU General Info SessionsAdd to calendar
- Distinctively WakeNovember 12, 2026 · 4 p.m. ET · VirtualJoin the Admissions team as we dig deeper into what it means to be a Demon Deacon.More about Distinctively WakeAdd to calendar
View all upcoming events · From the college's admissions website.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for business in America#36 of 1,563
- Best colleges for education in America#36 of 1,318
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#35 of 1,238
- Best colleges in America#69 of 1,829
- Best colleges for psychology in America#58 of 1,418
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#60 of 1,358
Show 2 more
In North Carolina
- Best colleges for business in North Carolina#2 of 49
- Best colleges in North Carolina#4 of 55
- Best colleges for psychology in North Carolina#4 of 51
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in North Carolina#4 of 50
- Best colleges for education in North Carolina#4 of 47
- Best colleges for computer science in North Carolina#4 of 24
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.89%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.93%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,475 · ACT 33
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.10 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$35,708
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $87,499 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 5,471 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 45% · Women 55% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 12% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 84% |
| Total students | 9,121 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $28,719 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $87,499 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $21,500 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 89% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 84% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 85% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 88% |
| First-year retention | 93% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $78,158 |
| Admission rate | 22% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $85 |
| Regular decision deadline College website, 2026-27 | January 1 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,082 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 10% |
| Average SAT | 1475 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 700–750 |
| SAT math | 710–770 |
| ACT composite | 32–34 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good · Top 42% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Management science | |
| Finance | |
| Business (general) | |
| Computer science | |
| Economics | |
| Political science | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Communication studies | |
| English | |
| Psychology | |
| Biology | |
| Romance languages | |
| Sociology |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Accounting, Anthropology, Area studies, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Classics, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Education (general), Engineering (general), Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Ethnic and gender studies, Fine arts, German, History, Liberal arts, Mathematics, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Philosophy, Physics, Religious studies, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Statistics, Teacher education, Theatre.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Social sciences | |
| Biology | |
| Communication | |
| Psychology |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 1% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 0% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $18,494 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Atlantic Coast Conference |
| ROTC | Army |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 10 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 14%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 76%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $225,252IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 75% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO)About 19 miles away · about 40 minutes by car |
| Nearest major airport | Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)About 74 miles away |
| Town population | 252,037Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | Winston-SalemIn or next to this city |
| Typical weather | 40°F in January · 79°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Winston Salem Rynlds Airport, NC, about 3 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.12 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.05 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.08 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.72 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Wake Forest University’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A). It ranks in the top 4% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Wake Forest University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $28,719 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Wake Forest University?
- Wake Forest University admitted 22% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Wake Forest University’s graduates do?
- 89% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $78,158; the median federal debt at graduation is $21,500.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 199847
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (high research)
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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