Vanderbilt vs Wake Forest University (WFU)

Vanderbilt University and Wake Forest University, both esteemed private research institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Vanderbilt, located in Nashville, Tennessee, boasts a lower acceptance rate (10.3%) compared to Wake Forest's (33.1%) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. While Vanderbilt's student body is more diverse, Wake Forest has a slightly higher graduation rate (89% vs. 87%). Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details, including popular majors, student demographics, and financial aid opportunities, to determine which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Vanderbilt University logo

Vanderbilt University

Wake Forest University logo

Wake Forest University

Overview

Location Nashville, Tennessee Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Campus setting City: Large City: Midsize
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 97.0% 94.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 7.1% 25.2%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $95
Undergraduate: $85

Graduate: $80
SAT range 1480 - 1570 N/A
ACT range 34 - 35 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 25.0%
Students submitting ACT score 32.0%
Total number of applicants 47,152 15,156
Total number of admissions given out 3,368 3,816
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,626 1,412
Yield rate 48.3% 37.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $79,538 $79,886
Average net price $27,553 $24,643
Tuition $54,840 $58,708
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $12,000

Meal plan: $6,376
Room/dormitory: $10,144

Meal plan: $7,870
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

64.0%
Average amount $49,730
33.0%
Average amount $53,244
Students receiving federal student loan 10.0%
Average amount $4,979
17.0%
Average amount $4,985
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $27,798
3.0%
Average amount $32,719

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 7,111
Men 48.9% Women 51.1%
5,472
Men 45.7% Women 54.3%
Graduate students 6,685
Men 39.5% Women 60.5%
3,475
Men 42.4% Women 57.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 89.5% N/A
International students 11.7% 9.8%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 5,598 4,152
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Tennessee California New York Florida Texas N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Legal Profession
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Legal Profession
  • Education
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 8:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 93.4% 90.2%
Dropout rate 6.4% 9.5%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,041
  • Year 2: $122,038
  • Year 3: $169,145
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $129,825
  • Year 2: $130,517
  • Year 3: $144,008
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $131,102
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $133,025
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $128,494
  • Year 2: $127,087
  • Year 3: $132,454
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $132,293
  • Year 2: $114,324
  • Year 3: $130,516
Marketing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,764
  • Year 2: $111,620
  • Year 3: $121,754
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $126,876
  • Year 2: $119,805
  • Year 3: $112,193
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,224
  • Year 2: $104,192
  • Year 3: $108,525
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $99,979
  • Year 2: $93,249
  • Year 3: $101,010
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,609
  • Year 2: $80,309
  • Year 3: $95,754
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $169,430
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $155,438
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $96,143
  • Year 2: $96,587
  • Year 3: $105,398
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,169
  • Year 2: $80,510
  • Year 3: $96,761
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $86,086
  • Year 2: $76,836
  • Year 3: $93,939
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,098
  • Year 2: $71,015
  • Year 3: $89,902
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,076
  • Year 2: $65,145
  • Year 3: $79,400
Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,533
  • Year 2: $66,653
  • Year 3: $76,702
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,731
  • Year 2: $60,811
  • Year 3: $72,065
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,100
  • Year 2: $55,693
  • Year 3: $70,717
Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,086
  • Year 2: $57,411
  • Year 3: $65,270

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