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 logo

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Wake Forest University logo

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%
Common app member 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
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

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
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Social Sciences
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Legal Profession
  • Education
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
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)
  • Year 1: $168,979
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $238,213
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $135,965
  • Year 2: $127,836
  • Year 3: $150,089
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $116,248
  • Year 2: $82,440
  • Year 3: $128,102
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,961
  • Year 2: $103,078
  • Year 3: $117,488
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,271
  • Year 2: $86,036
  • Year 3: $96,602
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,162
  • Year 2: $72,083
  • Year 3: $95,204
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,938
  • Year 2: $73,823
  • Year 3: $89,917
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,557
  • Year 2: $57,770
  • Year 3: $87,057
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,899
  • Year 2: $67,660
  • Year 3: $86,155
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,205
  • Year 2: $68,666
  • Year 3: $82,520
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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