Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina · Private nonprofit · 4-year · City
Official websiteAt a glance
- Average net price
- $28,719What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
- Acceptance rate
- 22%
- Graduation rate
- 90%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
- Undergraduates
- 5,485
- In-state tuition
- $67,642Published price before aid.
- Out-of-state tuition
- $67,642
- SAT midpoint
- Not reported
- Median earnings, 10 yrs
- $78,158Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.
How it compares to similar colleges
Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.
Affordability
$28,7192/5
Better than 24% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).
Completion
90%5/5
Better than 95% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).
Earnings
$78,1585/5
Better than 89% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).
Debt at graduation
$21,5004/5
Better than 74% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).
What these ratings are based on
- Affordability
- Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
- Completion
- Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
- Earnings
- Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
- Debt at graduation
- Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
- Why there is no rating for selectivity
- A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.
What it actually costs
Published cost
$87,499
The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.
Average net price
$28,719
What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.
Outcomes
| Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time | 90% |
|---|---|
| Retention rateFirst-year students who return | 93% |
| Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed | $21,500 |
| Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled | $78,158 |
What graduates of each major earn
Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Degrees awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $85,944 | 156 |
| Business/Commerce, General | $76,722 | 120 |
| Computer Science | $75,625 | 67 |
| Economics | $56,416 | 110 |
| Political Science and Government | $47,161 | 119 |
| Sociology | $46,257 | 31 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $42,055 | 124 |
| Psychology, General | $34,823 | 119 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $31,449 | 37 |
| Biology, General | $30,666 | 89 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $21,192 | 102 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | Not reported | 47 |
| Statistics | Not reported | 37 |
| Philosophy | Not reported | 36 |
| Engineering, General | Not reported | 36 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Not reported | 34 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 32 |
| History | Not reported | 31 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Not reported | 30 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Not reported | 27 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 25 |
| Chemistry | Not reported | 22 |
| Anthropology | Not reported | 14 |
| Physics | Not reported | 9 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Not reported | 8 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Not reported | 8 |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | Not reported | 7 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Not reported | 7 |
| Area Studies | Not reported | 5 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Not reported | 4 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Not reported | 4 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | Not reported | 4 |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 4 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 4 |
| Music | Not reported | 3 |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 3 |
| Education, General | Not reported | 2 |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | Not reported |
All 38 bachelor’s programs this college reported.
Similar colleges
High Point University
High Point, NC
Also a private nonprofit four-year college in NC, with a similar undergraduate enrollment.
Compare these twoDuke University
Durham, NC
Also a private nonprofit four-year college in NC, with a similar undergraduate enrollment.
Compare these twoElon University
Elon, NC
Also a private nonprofit four-year college in NC, with a similar undergraduate enrollment.
Compare these twoCampbell University
Buies Creek, NC
Also a private nonprofit four-year college in NC, with a similar undergraduate enrollment.
Compare these two