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Is Wake Forest University worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Wake Forest, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Affordable
Wake Forest lands in the affordable band for a typical family. Graduates earn a median of $78,158 ten years after enrolling, and that makes the median debt of $21,500 more manageable than it looks at first glance. For context, Wake Forest's net price runs about 22% above the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school. On the numbers alone, this school clears the bar comfortably.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$27,790
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrThis weighs on your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $4,953 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $20,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
Graduation and earnings data create a stronger long-run payoff picture.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$28,719
Median earnings 10 years out
$78,158
Median debt at graduation
$21,500
Graduation rate
90%
At Wake Forest, a typical graduate carries about $21,500 in student debt and earns roughly $78,158 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $244 per month, or 4% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
What this means for your family
Wake Forest is a private nonprofit four year school in Winston-Salem, NC. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
Lees-McRae
Banner Elk, NC
Worth-It Score: 29/100
Median net price: $28,340
Private nonprofit 4-year
Bennett
Greensboro, NC
Worth-It Score: 16/100
Median net price: $28,299
Private nonprofit 4-year
Duke
Durham, NC
Worth-It Score: 91/100
Median net price: $29,612
Private nonprofit 4-year
Montreat
Montreat, NC
Worth-It Score: 33/100
Median net price: $27,061
Private nonprofit 4-year
Queens University of Charlotte
Charlotte, NC
Worth-It Score: 50/100
Median net price: $30,857
Common questions about Wake Forest
The median net price at Wake Forest is $28,719 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in North Carolina? See the most affordable private colleges in North Carolina →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →