Wake Forest University vs Columbia University in the City of New York

Winston-Salem, NC · New York, NY · largest Scorecard gap: acceptance rate

Scorecard match plate

Pair NC:NY

PRIVATE-NP-PAIR · CROSS-STATE · ACCEPT-GAP · NET-SPLIT · EARN-SPLIT · DEBT-PAR · COMPLETE-HIGH · GAP-ACCEPT

  • PRIVATE-NP-PAIR Private nonprofit pair
  • CROSS-STATE NC × NY
  • ACCEPT-GAP Admission gap
  • NET-SPLIT Net-price split
  • EARN-SPLIT Earnings split
  • DEBT-PAR Debt near-par
  • COMPLETE-HIGH High completion
  • GAP-ACCEPT Largest gap · Acceptance Rate

Instrument codes from this pair's College Scorecard ownership, geography, acceptance, net price, earnings, debt, and completion, plus the ENROLL-RACE · narrow · 2013–2023 decade-path stamp below, not a ranking or recommendation.

Decade path · College Scorecard

Nearly parallel enrollment growth

ENROLL-RACE · narrow · 2013–2023

Undergraduate headcount rose at both Wake Forest University and Columbia University in the City of New York across 2013–2023 on similar paces, while acceptance rates tightened on both sides, a growth-under-squeeze pattern rather than a pure size race.

  • Wake Forest University: enrollment grew +13.7% over 2013–2023; fitted +78 students/yr fitted, r² 0.94.
  • Columbia University in the City of New York: enrollment grew +11.7% over 2013–2023; fitted +92 students/yr fitted, r² 0.74.
  • Wake Forest University: acceptance rate tightened -38.7% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.71).
  • Columbia University in the City of New York: acceptance rate tightened -43.0% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.79).

College Scorecard institution series; dollars are nominal. Direction claims require r² ≥ 0.40 on the fitted annual slope, otherwise the page reports the observed range. Descriptive history, not a recommendation.

Scorecard metrics

Cards ordered by relative gap on this pair · 1 tied metrics omitted. Teal = better side.

Largest gaps: Wake Forest University vs Columbia University in the City of New York

  1. ACCEPTANCE-RATE Columbia University in the City of New York leads on acceptance rate (4.0% vs 21.7% at Wake Forest University)
  2. AVG-NET-PRICE Columbia University in the City of New York leads on avg net price ($21,590 vs $28,719 at Wake Forest University)
  3. MEDIAN-EARNINGS-(1 Columbia University in the City of New York leads on median earnings (10 yr) ($102,491 vs $78,158 at Wake Forest University)

Wake Forest University profile · Columbia University in the City of New York profile · Compare other colleges

Acceptance Rate and other Scorecard questions

On acceptance rate, who leads between Wake Forest University and Columbia University in the City of New York?
Columbia University in the City of New York leads on acceptance rate at 4.0% versus 21.7% at Wake Forest University. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On avg net price, who leads between Wake Forest University and Columbia University in the City of New York?
Columbia University in the City of New York leads on avg net price at $21,590 versus $28,719 at Wake Forest University. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On median earnings (10 yr), who leads between Wake Forest University and Columbia University in the City of New York?
Columbia University in the City of New York leads on median earnings (10 yr) at $102,491 versus $78,158 at Wake Forest University. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard College Scorecard institution outcomes (earnings, completion, debt); acceptance rate focus for this pair · 2025