Wake Forest University vs Vanderbilt University

Winston-Salem, NC · Nashville, TN · largest Scorecard gap: acceptance rate

Scorecard match plate

Pair NC:TN

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

  • PRIVATE-NP-PAIR Private nonprofit pair
  • CROSS-STATE NC × TN
  • ACCEPT-GAP Admission gap
  • NET-SPLIT Net-price split
  • EARN-SPLIT Earnings split
  • DEBT-SPLIT Debt split
  • 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 · single · 2013–2023 decade-path stamp below, not a ranking or recommendation.

Decade path · College Scorecard

Both enrollments grew, different paces

ENROLL-RACE · single · 2013–2023

Undergraduate headcount rose at both Wake Forest University and Vanderbilt University 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.
  • Vanderbilt University: enrollment grew +5.1% over 2013–2023; fitted +38 students/yr fitted, r² 0.82.
  • Wake Forest University: acceptance rate tightened -38.7% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.71).
  • Vanderbilt University: acceptance rate tightened -50.7% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.81).

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. Teal = better side.

Largest gaps: Wake Forest University vs Vanderbilt University

  1. ACCEPTANCE-RATE Vanderbilt University leads on acceptance rate (5.9% vs 21.7% at Wake Forest University)
  2. AVG-NET-PRICE Vanderbilt University leads on avg net price ($15,846 vs $28,719 at Wake Forest University)
  3. MEDIAN-DEBT-AT-GRA Vanderbilt University leads on median debt at graduation ($14,000 vs $21,500 at Wake Forest University)

Wake Forest University profile · Vanderbilt University profile · Compare other colleges

Acceptance Rate and other Scorecard questions

On acceptance rate, who leads between Wake Forest University and Vanderbilt University?
Vanderbilt University leads on acceptance rate at 5.9% 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 Vanderbilt University?
Vanderbilt University leads on avg net price at $15,846 versus $28,719 at Wake Forest University. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On median debt at graduation, who leads between Wake Forest University and Vanderbilt University?
Vanderbilt University leads on median debt at graduation at $14,000 versus $21,500 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