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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.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $36,358 more than the typical high school graduate ($41,800) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties undergraduate student-loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
90% of former students here out-earned that benchmark ten years after entry, per College Scorecard.
Context, not a federal determination: the official test will use earnings measured four years after completion and thresholds the Department of Education has not yet published, which may vary by state. Our figure is College Scorecard median earnings ten years after entry. How this works
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 →
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →