Wake Forest University

www.wfu.edu

Add Comparison

2019 Undergraduate Tuition

$54,430

3.98% growth from 2018

2019 Average Net Price

$24,800

After Financial Aid

2017 Student Loan

1.69%

Default Rate

2019 Acceptance Rate

29.6%

12,559 Applicants

2019 Enrolled Students

8,495

93.4% Full-Time

2018 Graduation Rate

88.6%

1,092 Graduates

About

Wake Forest University is a higher education institution located in Forsyth County, NC. In 2016, the most popular Bachelor's Degree concentrations at Wake Forest University were General Economics (134 degrees awarded), General Communication (130 degrees), and General Psychology (121 degrees).

In 2019, 2,709 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Wake Forest University. 57.5% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 42.5% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (1,771 degrees), 7.98 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (222 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Wake Forest University is $54,430, which is $25,930 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,500).

Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity Doctoral Universities

Costs

The median undergraduate tuition at Wake Forest University is $54,430, which is $25,930 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,500).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $24,800.

In 2019, 48% of undergraduate students received federal grants, while 21% of undergraduate students received federal loans.

Student Expenses

Tuition Costs

$54,430

2019 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2019, the cost of tuition at Wake Forest University was $54,430. The cost of tuition at Wake Forest University is $25,930 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,500).

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

Average Net Price

$24,800

2019 Value

9.34%

1 Year Growth

In 2019 Wake Forest University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $24,800. Between 2018 and 2019, the average net price of Wake Forest University grew by 9.34%.

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

$14,416

Room and Board

$1,500

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Wake Forest University was of $14,416 in 2019. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,500. The cost of room and board increased by 3.52% between 2018 and 2019. The cost of books and supplies increased by 6.84% during the same period.

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

Financial Aid

Financial Aid by Income Level

48%

Of Undergraduates Receive Grants

21%

Of Undergraduates Receive Federal Loans

48% of undergraduate students at Wake Forest University received grants or loans in 2019. This represents a decline of 2.04% with respect to 2018, when 49% 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.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

1.69%

2017 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2017 the default rate for borrower's at Wake Forest University was 1.69%, which represents 21 out of the 1246 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

Wake Forest University received 12,559 undergraduate applications in 2019, which represents a 2.92% annual decline. Out of those 12,559 applicants, 3,717 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 29.6% acceptance rate.

There were 8,495 students enrolled at Wake Forest University in 2019, and N/A% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Wake Forest University has an overall enrollment yield of 36.6%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

29.6%

Acceptance Rate in 2019

3,717

Accepted Out of 12,559

In 2019, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Wake Forest University was 29.6% (3,717 admissions from 12,559 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2018, which was 29.4%. Between 2018 and 2019, the number of applicants declined by −2.92%, while admissions declined by −2.26%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Wake Forest University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

SAT Scores

N/A%

Submission Percentage

N/A

Scores Submitted

N/A% of enrolled first-time students at Wake Forest University in 2019 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Wake Forest University has a total enrollment of 8,495 students. The full-time enrollment at Wake Forest University is 7,936 students and the part-time enrollment is 559. This means that 93.4% of students enrolled at Wake Forest University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Wake Forest University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 66.7% White, 7.8% Black or African American, 6.91% Hispanic or Latino, 4.56% Asian, 2.99% Two or More Races, 0.212% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0471% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Wake Forest University in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (36.9%), followed by White Male (32.4%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (4.18%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (30.8%), followed by White Male (29.7%) and Black or African American Female (5.56%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

93.4%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Wake Forest University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 8,495 students. The full-time enrollment at Wake Forest University is 7,936 and the part-time enrollment is 559. This means that 93.4% of students enrolled at Wake Forest University are enrolled full-time compared with 77.6% 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

94%

2019 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 94%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (83%), 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

White
5,663
Black or African American
663
Hispanic or Latino
587

The enrolled student population at Wake Forest University is 66.7% White, 7.8% Black or African American, 6.91% Hispanic or Latino, 4.56% Asian, 2.99% Two or More Races, 0.212% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0471% 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 50.3% White, 14.3% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.48% 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, 100 students (1.18%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2019, 407 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 (1,771 degrees awarded). There were 7.98 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (222 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Wake Forest University is General Economics (134 degrees awarded), followed by General Communication (130 degrees) and General Psychology (121 degrees).

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 (208 degrees awarded), Philosophy and Religious Studies (44 degrees), and Language & Linguistics (61 degrees).

Workforce

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 (347,364 people), Other managers (234,343 people), Postsecondary teachers (140,690 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (127,734 people), and Chief executives & legislators (113,141 people).

The most specialized majors at Wake Forest University are Legal (208 degrees awarded), Philosophy and Religious Studies (44 degrees), Language & Linguistics (61 degrees), Social Sciences (331 degrees), and Cultural & Gender Studies (23 degrees).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents

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 Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, Dentists, Surgeons, Cardiovascular technologists and technicians, and Chief executives & legislators

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 (343,423 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (286,643 people), Legal services (279,090 people), Justice, public order, & safety activities (180,563 people), and Computer Systems Design (176,261 people).

Degrees

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

General Economics
134 degree-majorss awarded
General Communication
130 degree-majorss awarded
General Psychology
121 degree-majorss awarded

In 2019, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Wake Forest University was General Economics with 134 degrees awarded.

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

Gender Breakdown for Common Majors

1,151

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2019

1,558

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2019

In 2019, 1,151 degrees were awarded to men at Wake Forest University, which is 0.739 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (1,558).

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

Most Common Male Majors

In 2019, 126 degrees were awarded to men at Wake Forest University in General Business Administration & Management, which is 0.947 times less than the 133 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2019, 133 degrees were awarded to women at Wake Forest University in General Business Administration & Management, which is 1.06 times more than the 126 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

84%

100% Completion Time

88%

150% Completion Time

In 2019, 84% of students graduating from Wake Forest University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 88% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 88% 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.

Diversity

Graduation Rate by Race and Gender

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

American Indian or Alaska Native Male

Highest Graduation Rate (100%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at Wake Forest University is Male and American Indian or Alaska Native (100% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (69.1%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 0% of graduates (0 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
1,771 degrees awarded
Black or African American
222 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
142 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Wake Forest University is white (1,771 degrees awarded). There were 7.98 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (222 degrees).

1.4% of degree recipients (38 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Gender

Most Common Gender Demographic

White Female
987 degrees awarded
White Male
784 degrees awarded
Black or African American Female
141 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and gender grouping at Wake Forest University is white female (987 degrees awarded). There were 1.26 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (784 degrees).

Operations

Wake Forest University has an endowment valued at nearly $1.38B, as of the end of the 2019 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $74.7M (5.43%), compared to the 4.24% average return ($13.2M on $311M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2019, Wake Forest University had a total salary expenditure of $1.58B. Wake Forest University employs 210 Instructors, 187 Professors, and 148 Associate professors. Most academics at Wake Forest University are Male Professors (124), Male Instructors(109), and Female Instructors (101).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Wake Forest University are: Business and Financial Operations, with 445 employees, Office and Administrative Support, with 302 employees, and Service with 231 employees.

Finances

Endowment

$1.38B

2019 Endowment

2.72%

growth from 2018

Wake Forest University has an endowment valued at about $1.38B, as of the end of the 2019 fiscal year. The endowment of Wake Forest University grew 2.72% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $1.06B 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.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$176M - Federal
$21.7M - State
$0 - Local

As of 2019, Wake Forest University received $176M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $21.7M from state grants and contracts, and $0 from local grants and contracts.

Expenses

Salary Expenditure

$827M

2019 Salaries

13.2%

growth from 2018

In 2019, Wake Forest University paid a median of $827M in salaries, which represents 52.4% of their overall expenditure ($1.58B) and a 13.2% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 0.428% growth from 2017 and a 3.89% growth from 2016.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 234M (42.4% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$69.3M

Instructional Salaries

642

Number of Employees

In 2019, Wake Forest University paid a total of $69.3M to 642 employees working as instructors, which represents 8.38% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $71.1M (30.3%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Faculty and Staff

Occupations by Share

Instructor

Most Common Instructor

210 Employees

Business and Financial Operations

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

445 Employees

In 2019, the most common positions for instructional staff at Wake Forest University were Instructor with 210 employees; Professor with 187 employees; and Professor with 148 employees.

In 2019, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Wake Forest University were Business and Financial Operations with 445 employees; Office and Administrative Support with 302 employees; and Service with 231 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Gender

Most Common Demographic

Male Professor
Male Instructor
Female Instructor

In 2019, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Wake Forest University was Male Professor with 124 employees, Male Instructor with 109 employees, and Female Instructor with 101 employees.

This chart shows the gender split between each academic rank present at Wake Forest University.

Keep Exploring

CUNY Graduate School and University Center

University

Temple University

University

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

University

Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Metro

University

Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus

University