Wake Forest University

www.wfu.edu

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2024 Undergraduate Tuition

$66,470

4.5% growth from 2023

2024 Average Net Price

$24,401

After Financial Aid

2024 Acceptance Rate

21.7%

18,727 Applicants

2024 Enrolled Students

9,322

86.4% Full-Time

2024 Graduation Rate

89.2%

1,266 Graduates

About

Wake Forest University is a higher education institution located in Forsyth County, NC. In 2024, the most popular Masters Degree concentrations at Wake Forest University were General Business Administration & Management (221 degrees awarded), Management Science (140 degrees), and School Counseling & Guidance Services (110 degrees).

In 2024, 3,018 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Wake Forest University. 56.6% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 43.4% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (1,912 degrees), 7.38 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (259 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Wake Forest University is $66,470, which is $34,550 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,920).

Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity Doctoral Universities

Costs

In 2024, the median undergraduate tuition at Wake Forest University is $66,470, which is $34,550 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,920).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $24,401.

In 2024, 41% of undergraduate students attending Wake Forest University received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 14% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$66,470

2024 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2024, the cost of tuition at Wake Forest University was $66,470. The cost of tuition at Wake Forest University is $34,550 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,920).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Wake Forest University (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$24,401

2024 Value

12.2%

1 Year Growth

In 2024 Wake Forest University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $24,401. Between 2023 and 2024, the average net price of Wake Forest University grew by 12.2%.

This chart compares the average net price of Wake Forest University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$17,848

Room and Board

$1,630

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Wake Forest University was of $17,848 in 2024. The cost of room and board increased by 7.18% between 2023 and 2024.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,630. The cost of books and supplies increased by 8.67% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Wake Forest University (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

41%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

14%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

41% of undergraduate students at Wake Forest University received financial aid through grants or loans in 2024. This represents a decline of 2.38% with respect to 2023, when 42% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Wake Forest University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Admissions

Wake Forest University received 18,727 undergraduate applications in 2024, which represents a 7.14% annual growth. Out of those 18,727 applicants, 4,058 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 21.7% acceptance rate.

There were 9,322 students enrolled at Wake Forest University in 2024. 22% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Wake Forest University has an overall enrollment yield of 36.1%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

21.7%

Acceptance Rate in 2024

4,058

Accepted Out of 18,727

In 2024, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Wake Forest University was 21.7% (4,058 admissions from 18,727 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2023, which was 21.6%. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of applicants grew by 7.14%, while admissions grew by 7.7%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Wake Forest University (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

SAT Scores

22%

Submission Percentage (2024)

325

Scores Submitted (2024)

22% of enrolled first-time students at Wake Forest University in 2024 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

The following chart shows the average SAT scores for the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of applicants for each section of the test that they are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Wake Forest University had a total enrollment of 9,322 students in 2024. The full-time enrollment at Wake Forest University is 8,053 students and the part-time enrollment is 1,269. This means that 86.4% of students enrolled at Wake Forest University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Wake Forest University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 61.1% White, 9.35% Hispanic or Latino, 8.83% Black or African American, 5.98% Asian, 3.9% Two or More Races, 0.172% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.107% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Wake Forest University in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (36.2%), followed by White Male (28.4%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (5.94%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (31.8%), followed by White Male (25%) and Black or African American Female (5.63%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

86.4%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Wake Forest University in 2024, both undergraduate and graduate, is 9,322 students. The full-time enrollment at Wake Forest University is 8,053 and the part-time enrollment is 1,269. This means that 86.4% of students enrolled at Wake Forest University are enrolled full-time compared with 77.3% at similar Doctoral Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Wake Forest University (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

93%

2024 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Wake Forest University was 93%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (82%), Wake Forest University had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Wake Forest University (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2024)

White
5,699 enrolled students
Hispanic or Latino
872 enrolled students
Black or African American
823 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at Wake Forest University is 61.1% White, 9.35% Hispanic or Latino, 8.83% Black or African American, 5.98% Asian, 3.9% Two or More Races, 0.172% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.107% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 46.2% White, 16.3% Hispanic or Latino, and 10.4% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 412 students (4.42%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2024, 400 more women than men received degrees from Wake Forest University. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Wake Forest University is white (1,912 degrees awarded). There were 7.38 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (259 degrees).

The most common Masters Degree concentration at Wake Forest University is General Business Administration & Management (221 degrees awarded), followed by Management Science (140 degrees) and School Counseling & Guidance Services (110 degrees).

In 2024, the most specialized majors across all degree types at Wake Forest University, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Legal (210 degrees awarded), Language & Linguistics (54 degrees), and Social Sciences (343 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Wake Forest University are Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (478,384 people), Other managers (415,536 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (245,317 people), Chief executives & legislators (185,005 people), and Postsecondary teachers (170,108 people).

The most specialized majors at Wake Forest University in 2024 are Legal (210 degrees awarded), Language & Linguistics (54 degrees), Social Sciences (343 degrees), History (51 degrees), and Communications (162 degrees) (as of 2024).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Wake Forest University are Surgeons, Diagnostic medical sonographers, Magnetic resonance imaging technologists, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, and Physicians

The most specialized majors at Wake Forest University are Legal (210 degrees awarded), Language & Linguistics (54 degrees), Social Sciences (343 degrees), History (51 degrees), and Communications (162 degrees) (as of 2024).

Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Wake Forest University are Elementary & secondary schools (640,407 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (453,660 people), Legal services (397,585 people), Computer Systems Design (329,920 people), and Justice, public order, & safety activities (245,728 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Wake Forest University.

Most Common (2024)

General Psychology
147 degrees awarded
General Communication
146 degrees awarded
General Political Science & Government
142 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Wake Forest University was General Psychology with 147 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Wake Forest University according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

1,309

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2024

1,709

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2024

In 2024, 1,309 degrees were awarded to men at Wake Forest University, which is 0.766 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (1,709).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at Wake Forest University by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2024, 129 degrees were awarded to men at Wake Forest University in General Business Administration & Management, which is 1.4 times more than the 92 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2024, 122 degrees were awarded to men at Wake Forest University in General Psychology, which is 3.49 times more than the 35 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

85%

100% Completion Time

90%

150% Completion Time

In 2024, 85% of students graduating from Wake Forest University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 90% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 90% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2024)

White
1,912 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
259 degrees awarded
Black or African American
233 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Wake Forest University is white (1,912 degrees awarded). There were 7.38 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (259 degrees).

0.696% of degree recipients (21 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2024)

White Female
1,070 degrees awarded
White Female
1,066 degrees awarded
White Female
1,009 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Wake Forest University is white female (1,070 degrees awarded). There were 1 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white female (1,066 degrees).

Operations

Wake Forest University has an endowment valued at nearly $2B, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 225M (11.3%) compared to the 9.4% average return (23.7M on 252M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2024, Wake Forest University had a total salary expenditure of 2.26B. Wake Forest University employs 235 Assistant professors, 219 Professors and 200 Associate professors. Most academics at Wake Forest University are Male Professor (136), Female Assistant professor (135), and Female Associate professor (100).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Wake Forest University are: Business and Financial Operations, with 453 employees, Office and Administrative Support, with 275 employees, and Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 256 employees.

Endowment

$2B

2024 Endowment

5.1%

growth from 2023

Wake Forest University has an endowment valued at about $2B, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The endowment of Wake Forest University grew 5.1% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $1.75B higher than than the median endowment of Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Wake Forest University (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

Salary Expenditure

$1.23B

2024 Salaries

9.52%

growth from 2023

In 2024, Wake Forest University paid a median of $1.23B in salaries, which represents 54.5% of their overall expenditure ($2.26B) and a 9.52% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 10.7% growth between 2022 and 2023, and a 4.93% growth between 2021 and 2022.

Instructional Salaries

$78.3M

Instructional Salaries

685

Number of Employees

In 2024, Wake Forest University paid a total of $78.3M to 685 employees working as instructors, which represents 6.36% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $4.1M (2.29%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Occupations by Share

In 2024, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Wake Forest University were Business and Financial Operations with 453 employees, Office and Administrative Support with 275 employees, and Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 256 employees.

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