Wake Forest University

Wake Forest admits approximately 21.6% of applicants, meaning roughly 1 in 5 applicants receives an offer of admission. This places Wake Forest in the highly selective category, requiring strong academic credentials for admission consideration.

The peer median admission rate of 70.6% highlights Wake Forest's competitive positioning relative to typical four-year institutions, with admission rates nearly 49 percentage points below the peer average. This level of selectivity means that even well-qualified students face meaningful uncertainty in the admission process.

Most admitted students demonstrate exceptional academic preparation, with SAT scores ranging from 1390-1510 and strong high school performance. Students should approach Wake Forest as a reach or match school depending on their academic profile, building comprehensive college lists that include institutions with higher acceptance rates but comparable outcomes.

The university's selective nature reflects both academic standards and enrollment management rather than pure academic elitism, as demonstrated by the institution's strong graduation rates of 90.9% overall.

Wake Forest University's published cost of attendance reaches $82,818 annually, breaking down to $64,758 in tuition, $17,848 for room and board, and $1,630 for books and supplies. However, financial aid significantly reduces actual costs for most families, with the average student paying $28,746 after aid—representing $54,072 in financial aid savings.

This places Wake Forest's net price $1,603 below the peer median of $27,143 despite much higher sticker prices. The substantial gap between published and actual costs reflects the university's commitment to need-based financial aid, though families should understand that aid concentrates heavily toward lower-income students.

Net prices vary dramatically by family income, ranging from $11,554 for families earning under $30,000 to $54,447 for families earning over $110,000. This $42,893 spread demonstrates how financial aid targets lower-income families while higher-income families pay closer to full costs.

Students should use Wake Forest's net price calculator and compare actual costs rather than published prices when making enrollment decisions, recognizing that merit aid may provide additional savings beyond need-based assistance.

Wake Forest graduates demonstrate steady earnings growth from early to mid-career, with median earnings rising from $67,722 six years after enrollment to $80,513 at eight years and $78,158 at ten years. The slight decline from eight to ten years reflects sample variation rather than systematic patterns, with overall growth of 15.4% from the six-year to ten-year mark.

These outcomes are based on a ten-year cohort of 759 graduates, providing solid confidence in the reported figures across the university's academic programs. Graduates earn $15,092 more than the peer median of $63,066, demonstrating competitive positioning within similar institutional contexts.

However, earnings fall $10,305 below expectations relative to similar student demographics, placing Wake Forest at the 14.6th percentile nationally on this value-added measure. Low-income graduates earn $69,500, reflecting positive outcomes despite the institution's 9.5% Pell enrollment.

Earnings span from $53,216 at the 25th percentile to $126,384 at the 75th percentile, indicating a 2.4:1 ratio that reflects meaningful variation in post-graduation career paths. Approximately 21.3% of graduates continue to graduate or professional study, indicating balanced pathways between workforce entry and advanced education.

Wake Forest offers 17 bachelor's degree programs with sufficient federal earnings data for analysis. Computer Science ranks #53 nationally and #3 in North Carolina, producing 45 graduates with median earnings of $114,622 and a value score of 71.6.

Banking and Financial Support Services ranks #8 nationally and #1 in North Carolina, graduating 108 students with median earnings of $113,398 and an exceptional value score of 96.6. Business/Commerce General ranks #3 nationally and #1 in North Carolina, with 112 graduates earning $91,708 and a value score of 96.9.

American Government and Politics ranks #24 nationally and #2 in North Carolina, graduating 146 students with median earnings of $70,723. Psychology General achieves #2 nationally and #1 in North Carolina, with 104 graduates earning $59,767 but an outstanding value score of 99.7.

Exercise Science and Kinesiology ranks #2 nationally and #1 in North Carolina, graduating 70 students with median earnings of $68,083 and a value score of 99.5. These rankings demonstrate Wake Forest's particular strength in business, finance, and select liberal arts programs where the institution achieves top-tier national positioning.