Wake Forest University (WFU) vs University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)
Wake Forest University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, both esteemed institutions in North Carolina, offer distinct educational experiences. Wake Forest, a private liberal arts university, boasts a lower acceptance rate (30%) compared to UNC's 24%, indicating a more selective admissions process. UNC, a public research university, enrolls a larger student body, with over 30,000 undergraduates, while Wake Forest fosters a smaller community of around 5,000 undergraduates. While both universities offer a diverse range of majors, UNC excels in fields like biology, psychology, and business, while Wake Forest is known for its strengths in business, communications, and international studies. Explore the detailed comparison table to uncover further distinctions in graduation rates, student demographics, and other key aspects, helping you make an informed decision about your academic journey.
|
![]() University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
![]() Wake Forest University |
---|---|---|
Overview |
||
Location | Chapel Hill, North Carolina | Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
Campus setting | City: Small | City: Midsize |
College type | 4 year | 4 year |
Control/business model | Public | Private (Non Profit) |
Calendar system | Semester | Semester |
Degrees offered | Undergraduate and Graduate | Undergraduate and Graduate |
Students retention rate | 97.0% | 94.0% |
![]() |
Yes | No |
Religious affiliation | ||
|
||
Admission |
||
Acceptance rate | 20.4% | 25.2% |
Application fees |
Undergraduate:
$85
Graduate:
$95
|
Undergraduate:
$85
Graduate:
$80
|
SAT range | 1140 - 1380 | N/A |
ACT range | 22 - 27 | N/A |
Students submitting SAT score | 2.0% | |
Students submitting ACT score | 12.0% | |
Total number of applicants | 50,729 | 15,156 |
Total number of admissions given out | 10,348 | 3,816 |
Admitted students who chose to enroll | 4,690 | 1,412 |
Yield rate | 45.3% | 37.0% |
Test scores (SAT/ACT) | N/A | N/A |
High school GPA | Required | Required |
Recommendation letters | Required | Required |
High school transcript | Not required | Required |
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) | Required | Required |
|
||
Tuition and Fees |
||
Sticker price |
In state:
$24,770
Out of state:
$52,633
|
$79,886 |
Average net price | $11,508 | $24,643 |
Tuition |
In state:
$7,019
Out of state:
$34,882
|
$58,708 |
Room & board |
Room/dormitory:
$6,878
Meal plan:
$5,004
|
Room/dormitory:
$10,144
Meal plan:
$7,870
|
Available payment plans |
|
|
|
||
Financial Aid |
||
Students receiving financial aid
(Grants & scholarships) |
42.0%
Average amount $16,076 |
33.0%
Average amount $53,244 |
Students receiving federal student loan |
17.0%
Average amount $4,244 |
17.0%
Average amount $4,985 |
Students taking out private loans |
3.0%
Average amount $14,032 |
3.0%
Average amount $32,719 |
|
||
Students and Campus |
||
Undergraduate students |
19,845
Men 39.6% Women 60.4% |
5,472
Men 45.7% Women 54.3% |
Graduate students |
11,796
Men 41.4% Women 58.6% |
3,475
Men 42.4% Women 57.6% |
Racial/ethnic diversity |
Low
|
Low
|
Out-of-state students | 16.2% | N/A |
International students | 6.8% | 9.8% |
Campus local/setting | City: Small | City: Midsize |
Dormitory capacity | 9,984 | 4,152 |
First year students are required to live on campus? | No | No |
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from | North Carolina Georgia Maryland New York Pennsylvania | N/A |
|
||
Academics |
||
Popular study areas |
|
|
Students to faculty ratio | 15:1 | 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 | 90.5% | 90.2% |
Dropout rate | 3.7% | 9.5% |
Transferred out | 5.4% | N/A |
Alumni salary by major (Top 10) |
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Master's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
Law (First Professional Degrees)
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
|
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Law (First Professional Degrees)
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
|
Compare Similar Colleges
The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing
statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you
don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page.
There, you can search for the
specific colleges and initiate your comparison.






























































































































































