Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC · Private nonprofit · Graduate degree-granting
A private nonprofit institution in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges, Wake Forest University serves students across multiple degree programs. With 5,485 students, it is a mid-size institution. Graduates earn a median of $78,158 ten years after enrollment, which is 92% above the national median of $40,747. The graduation rate is 90.0%. On the financial side, median graduate debt is $21,500, yielding an earnings-to-debt ratio of 3.64x. The average net price after financial aid is $28,719 per year. The most popular programs include Business Administration & Management, Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Finance, Medicine, and Communications.
Key Outcomes
Median Earnings (10yr)
$78,158
Graduation Rate
90.0%
Median Debt
$21,500
Average Net Price
$28,719
Earnings-to-Cost Ratio
0.68x
Earnings-to-Debt Ratio
3.64x
Admissions & Enrollment
Total Enrollment
5,485
Admission Rate
21.7%
Average SAT
1475
Retention Rate
92.6%
Cost
In-State Tuition
$67,642
Out-of-State Tuition
$67,642
Pell Grant Rate
10.1%
Federal Loan Rate
14.0%
Net Cost by Family Income
Income $0–$30K
$6,525
Income $30K–$48K
$6,331
Income $48K–$75K
$7,647
Income $110K+
$58,081
Student Demographics
Women
50.8%
White
65.1%
Black
6.4%
Hispanic
9.7%
Asian
5.3%
Two or More Races
4.6%
Student Loan Performance
Repayment Rate (3yr)
88.2%
Accreditations
- American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar — Law (LAW) - Professional schools (Accredited)
- American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation — Post Doctoral - Advanced dental education programs (advanced education in general dentistry and general practice residency) (Accredited)
- American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation — Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs (Preaccredited)
- Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools — Theology (THEOL) - Freestanding schools, as well as programs affiliated with larger institutions, offering graduate professional education for ministry and graduate study of theology (Accredited)
- Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs — Nurse Anesthesia (ANEST) - Institutions and programs at the master's degree, post master's certificate or doctoral degree levels (Accredited)
- Liaison Committee on Medical Education — Medicine (MED) - Programs leading to the M.D. degree (Accredited)
- National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education — Teacher Education (TED) - Baccalaureate and graduate programs for the preparation of teachers and other professional personnel for elementary and secondary schools (Accredited)
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges — Institutional Accreditation (Accredited)
Programs (90)
Bachelor (36)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Finance | $145,996 | 156 |
| Communications | $77,984 | 124 |
| Business | $118,167 | 120 |
| Psychology | $64,814 | 119 |
| Political Science | $85,668 | 119 |
| Economics | $98,209 | 110 |
| Sports & Fitness | $79,599 | 102 |
| Biology | $63,292 | 89 |
| Computer Science | $115,493 | 67 |
| Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Not reported | 47 |
| English Language & Literature | $77,847 | 37 |
| Statistics | Not reported | 37 |
| Engineering | Not reported | 36 |
| Philosophy | Not reported | 36 |
| Accounting | Not reported | 34 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 32 |
| Sociology | $60,635 | 31 |
| History | Not reported | 31 |
| Fine Arts | Not reported | 30 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $146,608 | 27 |
| Romance Languages | $60,875 | 25 |
| Chemistry | Not reported | 22 |
| Anthropology | Not reported | 14 |
| Physics | Not reported | 9 |
| Natural Resources Conservation | Not reported | 8 |
| Ethnic & Gender Studies | Not reported | 8 |
| Natural Resources Management | Not reported | 7 |
| Teacher Education | Not reported | 7 |
| Area Studies | Not reported | 5 |
| Germanic Languages | Not reported | 4 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 4 |
| Liberal Arts & Sciences | Not reported | 4 |
| Religion | Not reported | 4 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | Not reported | 4 |
| East Asian Languages | Not reported | 3 |
| Music | Not reported | 3 |
Master (29)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration & Management | $135,677 | 382 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $127,072 | 276 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | $57,982 | 112 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic & Treatment | $127,297 | 84 |
| Legal Studies | Not reported | 63 |
| Biology | $73,476 | 38 |
| Health Services Administration | Not reported | 31 |
| Health Services Administration & Management | Not reported | 30 |
| Registered Nursing | $221,028 | 24 |
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | $62,158 | 23 |
| Sustainability Studies | Not reported | 21 |
| Liberal Arts & Sciences | Not reported | 18 |
| Teacher Education | Not reported | 11 |
| Linguistics | Not reported | 11 |
| Communications | Not reported | 10 |
| Mental Health Services | Not reported | 10 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 9 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | Not reported | 9 |
| English Language & Literature | Not reported | 8 |
| Public Health | Not reported | 7 |
| Computer Science | Not reported | 6 |
| Neuroscience | Not reported | 6 |
| Statistics | Not reported | 6 |
| Biomedical Engineering | Not reported | 5 |
| Sports & Fitness | Not reported | 5 |
| Psychology | Not reported | 5 |
| Bioethics & Medical Ethics | Not reported | 5 |
| Accounting | $116,679 | 0 |
| Law | $102,929 | Not reported |
Doctoral (8)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Biomedical Engineering | Not reported | 12 |
| Legal Studies | Not reported | 11 |
| Neuroscience | Not reported | 10 |
| Chemistry | Not reported | 10 |
| Physiology | Not reported | 8 |
| Molecular Medicine | Not reported | 5 |
| Biology | Not reported | 4 |
| Physics | Not reported | 4 |
First Professional (3)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine | $119,030 | 141 |
| Law | $112,646 | 88 |
| Registered Nursing | Not reported | 8 |
Graduate Certificate (2)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Bioethics & Medical Ethics | Not reported | 3 |
| Business Administration & Management | Not reported | 3 |
Show 12 additional programs with limited data
| Program | Level | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Education | Bachelor | 2 |
| Sustainability Studies | Graduate Certificate | 2 |
| Linguistics | Graduate Certificate | 1 |
| Legal Studies | Graduate Certificate | 1 |
| Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Doctoral | 1 |
| Microbiology | Doctoral | 1 |
| Mathematics | Graduate Certificate | 1 |
| Religion | Master | 1 |
| Chemistry | Master | 1 |
| Physics | Master | 1 |
| Marketing | Master | 1 |
| Marketing | Graduate Certificate | 1 |
Rankings Featuring This Institution
- Highest Earning Master's Nursing & Health Programs
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Business Programs
- Highest Earning Bachelor's English Programs
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Communications Programs
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Parks & Recreation Programs
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Computer Science Programs in North Carolina
- Highest Earning Master's Nursing & Health Programs in North Carolina
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Business Programs in North Carolina
- Highest Earning Master's Business Programs in North Carolina
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Psychology Programs in North Carolina
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