Wake Forest acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
Wake Forest University · Private nonprofit · Winston-Salem, NC · 5,471 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
Wake Forest admitted 21.6% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 35.2% in 2013. Tuition and fees are $70,332 for every student in 2025-26.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
Show as table
| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 35.2% | 11,121 | 3,915 |
| 2014 | 34.4% | 11,119 | 3,826 |
| 2015 | 29.4% | 13,281 | 3,903 |
| 2016 | 30.3% | 14,006 | 4,249 |
| 2017 | 27.6% | 13,071 | 3,604 |
| 2018 | 29.4% | 12,937 | 3,803 |
| 2019 | 29.6% | 12,559 | 3,717 |
| 2020 | 32.0% | 11,959 | 3,825 |
| 2021 | 25.2% | 15,156 | 3,816 |
| 2022 | 21.4% | 16,857 | 3,602 |
| 2023 | 21.6% | 17,479 | 3,768 |
Applications went from 11,121 in fall 2013 to 17,479 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
Show as table
| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $6,242 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $6,576 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $14,876 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $13,571 |
| Over $110,000 | $65,247 |
| Tuition and fees, all students (2025-26) | $70,332 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $91,202 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $28,165 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Middle 50% (25th to 75th percentile) of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores: 26% submitted the SAT, 22% the ACT. Source: IPEDS fall 2023.1
Similar private colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| Duke NC | 6.8% | $72,795 same for all |
| Elon NC | 67.3% | $48,723 same for all |
| High Point University NC | 76.8% | $49,146 same for all |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
Wake Forest received 17,479 applications for fall 2023 and admitted 3,768, which works out to a rate of 21.6%.1 In fall 2013 the same calculation gave 35.2%, so the rate has dropped 13.6 percentage points.1 Year to year, it declined in 5 of 10 comparisons.1 The applicant pool grew 57%, from 11,121 to 17,479, while admitted students moved the other way, falling 4% from 3,915 to 3,768.1
Standardized tests are optional. For 2023 entrants, the middle 50% of SAT reading and writing scores spanned 690 to 740 and math spanned 700 to 770.1 ACT composites ran from 32 to 34, and 26% of the class submitted SAT results compared with 22% for the ACT.1
Tuition and fees are $70,332 for 2025-26, charged at the same rate whatever the student's home state.2 The median across the 39 private colleges in North Carolina is $35,180.2 Grants reduce the bill most for lower incomes. The average net price in 2024-25 was $6,242 for families earning $0 to $30,000 and $14,876 for $48,001 to $75,000, then $65,247 for families earning over $110,000.2
Of the students who entered in 2019, 90% graduated within 6 years, and the state median across 56 bachelor's colleges is 47%.2 Median earnings were $104,443 10 years after entry, against $52,558 for the state median of 55 colleges.2 Borrowers who graduated left with a median federal debt of $19,500.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 17,479 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 3,768 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 1,385 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 5,471 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-optional | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | 690 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR25, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | 740 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR75, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | 700 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT25, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | 770 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT75, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | 32 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM25, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | 34 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM75, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | 26% | IPEDS ADM2023, SATPCT, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | 22% | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTPCT, fall 20231 |
| Tuition and fees, all students | $70,332 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $91,202 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $28,165 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $6,242 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $6,576 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $14,876 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $13,571 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $65,247 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 90% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 93% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 12% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $104,443 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $19,500 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median tuition and fees, private nonprofit colleges, North Carolina (N = 39) | $35,180 | College Scorecard, median TUITIONFEE_IN, private nonprofit bachelor's institutions, 2025-262 |
| Median graduation rate within 6 years, North Carolina (N = 56) | 47% | College Scorecard, median C150_4, bachelor's institutions, 2019 entrants2 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry, North Carolina (N = 55) | $52,558 | College Scorecard, median MD_EARN_WNE_P10, bachelor's institutions, 2022-232 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with Wake Forest, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page