Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC · Private nonprofit · www.wfu.edu/ ↗

Wake Forest University is a private nonprofit college in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, located in a large city. It enrolls 5,485 undergraduate degree-seeking students and mostly awards bachelor's degrees. It also offers graduate degrees. By number of bachelor's degrees awarded, its largest programs are Communication and Media Studies; Economics; and Psychology, General.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Compare with similar schools: Private nonprofit colleges in North Carolina

Compare its largest majors across colleges: Communication and Media Studies · Economics · Psychology, General

Wake Forest University at a glance

Undergraduate enrollment
5,485
Similar schools: 1,107
Average net priceiAverage sticker price minus typical grants and scholarships: the amount most students actually pay out-of-pocket plus loans.
$28,165
Similar schools: $22,971
Admit rateiShare of applicants who get accepted. Lower = more selective.
21.7%
Similar schools: 73.7%
Graduation rate (6 yrs)iShare of full-time students who finished a 4-year degree within 6 years (which is 150% of the standard 4-year time).
90.3%
Similar schools: 57.7%
Median earnings (10 yrs)iMedian earnings of students 10 years after they started college, among those working and not enrolled in further schooling.
$104,443
Similar schools: $59,098
Median debt at graduationiMedian federal student-loan balance carried by students who graduated. Doesn't include Parent PLUS or private loans.
$19,500
Similar schools: $23,250
First-year retentioniShare of first-year students who came back for year two. A baseline measure of student satisfaction.
92.6%
Similar schools: 77.1%

What the data shows about Wake Forest University

Comparisons below use the medians for the 1,197 private nonprofit schools that mostly award bachelor's degrees in the College Scorecard. Its average net price is $28,165 a year, higher than the $22,971 median for similar schools. It admits 21.7% of applicants, lower than the 73.7% median. 92.6% of first-time, full-time students return for a second year (similar-school median: 77.1%). 90.3% of full-time students finish a four-year degree within six years, higher than the 57.7% median. Ten years after enrolling, former students who are working earn a median of $104,443, higher than the $59,098 median for similar schools. Graduates leave with a median of $19,500 in federal student loans (similar-school median: $23,250).