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.
A directional estimate — not a prediction
Admitted students at Wake Forest typically demonstrate exceptional academic preparation across standardized testing and high school achievement. The middle 50% of enrolled students score between 1390-1510 on the SAT, with a median of 1469. SAT Math scores range from 700-770, while SAT Verbal scores span 690-740, indicating balanced strength across both testing domains. These ranges place Wake Forest among the highest we track nationally for standardized test performance, significantly above the peer median SAT score of 1256 by 213 points. Students scoring below 1390 should expect to be at a competitive disadvantage, though they are not automatically excluded from consideration. Those scoring within the 1390-1510 range demonstrate academic competitiveness for admission, while scores above 1510 place students in the strongest position academically. The 25th percentile represents enrolled students, not minimum requirements, meaning some admitted students score below these ranges while demonstrating strength in other areas. Students should consider whether their academic profile aligns with these ranges when building their college list, recognizing that Wake Forest's academic expectations reflect its selective positioning and strong post-graduation outcomes in business and professional fields.
Understanding institutional priorities and student support
Wake Forest enrolls a student body that reflects both academic selectivity and socioeconomic composition typical of highly selective private institutions. The university enrolls 9.5% Pell-eligible students, indicating that approximately 1 in 10 students comes from lower-income families qualifying for federal financial aid. First-generation students comprise 12.0% of enrollment, showing that roughly 1 in 8 students represents the first in their family to attend college. Transfer students account for just 2.8% of enrollment, reflecting limited transfer admission opportunities and the university's focus on traditional four-year pathways. These demographic patterns suggest that Wake Forest primarily serves students from middle- to upper-income families with previous college experience, consistent with the Selective Achievers profile. The low transfer percentage indicates that students seeking transfer admission should consider Wake Forest a particularly competitive option. For prospective students, these statistics provide context about the campus community they would join, with implications for social fit and support systems available for students from diverse backgrounds.
Given Wake Forest's 21.6% acceptance rate, most applicants face competitive odds regardless of qualifications. The schools below offer similar career outcomes with different admission profiles, costs, or geographic options.
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Students who enroll at Wake Forest demonstrate strong persistence and completion outcomes across demographic groups. The university achieves a 94.7% retention rate, meaning nearly 19 in 20 first-year students return for sophomore year, compared to the peer median of 83.1%. This 11.6 percentage point advantage indicates exceptional first-year support and student satisfaction. Overall graduation rates reach 90.9%, significantly above the peer median of 70%, demonstrating the institution's effectiveness in supporting students through degree completion. Pell-eligible students graduate at 83.9%, creating a 7 percentage point gap compared to the overall completion rate. While this gap suggests some challenges for lower-income students, the 83.9% Pell completion rate still exceeds national averages for similar institutions. Students who gain admission can expect strong institutional support for degree completion, with success rates well above national averages. The modest Pell gap indicates that lower-income students should anticipate additional challenges but can still expect positive completion outcomes given adequate preparation and support utilization.
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