Private · Winston-Salem, NC
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University merit aid, cost of attendance, freshman GPA and SAT/ACT scores, net price by income, and graduate earnings.
Costs, merit aid & admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 22%
- Undergraduates
- 5,485
- Avg merit aid / yr
- $22,826
- Cost of attendance
- $91,202
- SAT 75th percentile
- 1520
- ACT 75th percentile
- 34
Costs are annual prices before aid. Average merit aid is the average non-need-based award to freshmen who got one — not an offer to every applicant.
Wake Forest University incoming freshman academic profile
- Average high school GPA
- Not reported
- SAT composite middle score
- Not reported
- ACT composite middle score
- Not reported
Average GPA of enrolled freshmen (scale may be weighted or unweighted). SAT/ACT are median scores of students who submitted them — not scholarship cutoffs.
Wake Forest University net price by family income
Historical average cost after all grants and scholarships — not need-based aid eligibility. 2024–25 academic year.
| Family income | $0–30K | $30–48K | $48–75K | $75–110K | $110K+ | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual net price | $6,242 | $6,576 | $14,876 | $13,571 | $65,247 | $28,165 |
Families earning $150,000+ should not assume they'll get need-based grants; the "Over $110K" group mixes very different incomes.
At what family income does financial aid stop at Wake Forest University?
There's no universal cutoff. Need-based aid depends on income, assets, family size and college rules; merit scholarships are based on grades and scores, so high income doesn't rule them out. Use Wake Forest University's net price calculator for a personal estimate, and the federal aid estimator for federal aid.
Graduation, earnings & student debt
- 6-year graduation
- 90.3%Fall 2019 / 2019–20 entering cohort
- First-year retention
- 92.6%Fall 2023 entering cohort; return in fall 2024
- Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
- $104,4432011–12 and 2012–13 entering cohorts; earnings in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars
- Median federal debt
- $19,500Federal fiscal years 2024 and 2025, pooled
Historical group figures, not individual predictions. Debt excludes private and Parent PLUS loans. Source: College Scorecard (ID 199847).
Colleges with acceptance rates similar to Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University accepts about 22% of applicants. These colleges have the closest reported acceptance rates.
- Dallas Christian College · Dallas, TX22% acceptance
- United States Coast Guard Academy · New London, CT22% acceptance
- Williamson College of the Trades · Media, PA22% acceptance
- University of Richmond · University of Richmond, VA22% acceptance
- Cabarrus College of Health Sciences · Concord, NC23% acceptance
- Crown College · Saint Bonifacius, MN23% acceptance
- Hillsdale College · Hillsdale, MI21% acceptance
- Smith College · Northampton, MA21% acceptance
- The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art · New York, NY21% acceptance
- University of Florida · Gainesville, FL20% acceptance
Colleges with merit aid similar to Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University reports average merit aid of $22,826 per year. These colleges report the closest average non-need-based awards.
- Dominican University of California · San Rafael, CA$22,592 avg merit aid / yr
- Aquinas College · Grand Rapids, MI$22,560.792 avg merit aid / yr
- Gonzaga University · Spokane, WA$22,532 avg merit aid / yr
- University of San Diego · San Diego, CA$23,136 avg merit aid / yr
- Tufts University · Medford, MA$23,157 avg merit aid / yr
- Brown University · Providence, RI$22,364 avg merit aid / yr
- Point Park University · Pittsburgh, PA$22,315 avg merit aid / yr
- Catawba College · Salisbury, NC$23,346 avg merit aid / yr
- Fairfield University · Fairfield, CT$23,408 avg merit aid / yr
- Lawrence Technological University · Southfield, MI$22,221.13 avg merit aid / yr
Data sources & limitations
Admissions, costs and merit aid: collegedata.fyi (Common Data Set + federal data), imported Oct 2026. Net prices and outcomes: College Scorecard, Oct 15, 2026 release, matched by federal ID. SAT 75th percentile adds section scores; 90th-percentile and GPA match thresholds are estimates. ROI compares four years of average net price with median earnings 10 years after entry, ranked in thirds across colleges. Blank means not reported — never estimated. Confirm costs and scholarships with the college.