10-yr median earnings
$78,158
Federal aid recipients only
Private Nonprofit · Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private nonprofit institution in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.
- $78,158
- 10-yr median earnings
- 21.7%
- Acceptance rate
- $28,719
- Avg net price / yr
- 90.0%
- 150%-time completion
The verdict
Wake Forest University pairs top-5% former-student earnings with a very selective admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 4%
- former-student earnings, US
- 21.7%
- acceptance rate
- 90.0%
- 150%-time completion
- +15%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Large
Carnegie: R2
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Wake Forest University profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
B-
College Value Score
69/100
Wake Forest University
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings A+
$78,158
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$28,719
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate A+
90.0%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$21,500
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A+
91.1%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention A
92.6%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$28,719
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
90.0%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 90.0%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Wake Forest University vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Wake Forest University ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Wake Forest University: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$78,158 Top 4% higher than 96% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Wake Forest University | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $78,158 | #222 of 5103 | 96th |
| Average net price | $28,719 | #4357 of 5020 | 13th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 90.0% | #224 of 4858 | 95th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,485 | #682 of 5462 | 88th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
5,485
Undergraduate enrollment
21.7%
Acceptance rate
1,475
SAT average
90.0%
150%-time completion
$78,158
10-yr median earnings
92.6%
First-year retention
How Wake Forest University ranks in North Carolina
State rank among 147 reporting North Carolina colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Wake Forest University | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $78,158 | #4 of 147 | 97th |
| Average net price | $28,719 | #137 of 146 | 6th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 90.0% | #5 of 142 | 96th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,485 | #20 of 153 | 87th |
Highest former-student earnings in North Carolina
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke University | $97,800 | $29,612 |
| 2 | Chamberlain University-North Carolina | $92,405 | $38,436 |
| 3 | Davidson College | $81,400 | $17,379 |
| 4 | Wake Forest UniversityThis school | $78,158 | $28,719 |
| 5 | Elon University | $74,545 | $41,555 |
| 6 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | $72,200 | $11,655 |
| 7 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | $68,758 | $17,303 |
| 8 | Carolinas College of Health Sciences | $64,624 | - |
| 9 | Galen Health Institutes-Asheville | $61,480 | $28,602 |
| 10 | High Point University | $61,389 | $38,707 |
| 11 | Cabarrus College of Health Sciences | $58,708 | $17,618 |
| 12 | Queens University of Charlotte | $57,673 | $30,857 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 21.7% |
| SAT Average | 1,475 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 710 – 770 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 700 – 750 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 32 – 34 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Wake Forest University
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k $6,525
$0 – $30k
$6,525 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k $6,331
$30k – $48k
$6,331 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k $7,647
$48k – $75k
$7,647 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$58,081 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Wake Forest University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $67,642 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $67,642 |
| Average Net Price | $28,719 |
10.1%
Pell Grant Rate
14.0%
Federal Loan Rate
$21,500
Median Debt
$228/mo
Monthly Payment
Net price at Wake Forest University swings rather than trends
Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $28,082 to $34,720 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as -1.3%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.
Lowest year
$28,082
Highest year
$34,720
Most recent (2023)
$28,746
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $29,1152023 · $28,746
Over the same years, enrollment went +13.7% (4,812 → 5,471 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
50.8%
Female
12.0%
First Generation
Outcomes
92.6%
Retention Rate
$67,722
Median Earnings (6yr)
83.1%
Earning Over $25K
91.1%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 90.0% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 92.6% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $67,722 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $78,158 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 83.1% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 91.1% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $21,500 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $228/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 19 | 1,331 | $91,937 | $146,608 | $21,166 |
| Master's | 10 | 800 | $113,811 | $221,028 | $70,015 |
| First Professional | 2 | 341 | $115,838 | $119,030 | $149,114 |
Top programs at Wake Forest University by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$221,028 median earnings
- Management Sciences and Qu…
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
$146,608 median earnings
- Finance and Financial Mana…
Finance and Financial Management Services
$145,996 median earnings
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$135,677 median earnings
- Allied Health Diagnostic, …
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
$127,297 median earnings
- Management Sciences and Qu…
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
$127,072 median earnings
- Medicine
Medicine
$119,030 median earnings
- Business/Commerce, General
Business/Commerce, General
$118,167 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
| Program | Credential | Completers | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's | 23 | $221,028 | $103,942 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Bachelor's | 18 | $146,608 | - |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's | 147 | $145,996 | $19,500 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's | 224 | $135,677 | $61,051 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Master's | 90 | $127,297 | $128,561 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Master's | 309 | $127,072 | $50,885 |
| Medicine | First Professional | 137 | $119,030 | $193,205 |
| Business/Commerce, General | Bachelor's | 154 | $118,167 | $18,899 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's | - | $116,679 | $43,000 |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's | 49 | $115,493 | $20,549 |
| Law | First Professional | 204 | $112,646 | $105,023 |
| Law | Master's | - | $102,929 | $49,426 |
| Economics | Bachelor's | 120 | $98,209 | $20,500 |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's | 133 | $85,668 | $22,500 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's | 75 | $79,599 | $22,777 |
Nearby Schools
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Private Nonprofit institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Private Nonprofit institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Wake Forest University? ▼
Wake Forest University is a private nonprofit institution in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The acceptance rate is 21.7%. The average SAT score is 1,475. Undergraduate enrollment is 5,485 students.
How much do Wake Forest University former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Wake Forest University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $78,158 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $67,722.
How much does Wake Forest University cost? ▼
The average net price at Wake Forest University is $28,719. In-state tuition is $67,642 and out-of-state tuition is $67,642. Median student debt at graduation is $21,500.
What is the graduation rate at Wake Forest University? ▼
Wake Forest University has a 90.0% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 92.6%.
Is Wake Forest University worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Wake Forest University is $21,500, while former students earn a median of $78,158 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 28% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 91.1% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $228.
Sources & methodology
Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.
Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Wake Forest University
- Compare Wake Forest University against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in North Carolina side by side.Browse North Carolina
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.