Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Wake Forest University Featured Rankings
- #2 Best Private Colleges in North Carolina 2026
- #3 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #4 Best Grad Schools in North Carolina 2026
- #4 North Carolina's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #4 Most Influential Colleges in Golf Today
- #4 Best Research Universities in North Carolina
- #4 Best Colleges in North Carolina
- #6 Online Master’s in Counseling
- #6 Online Master’s in Human Resources
- #6 20 Fastest Online Master's of Counseling Degree Programs
- #9 Best Online MBAs North Carolina
- #11 The Most Influential Colleges in Soccer Today
- #15 Most Influential Colleges in Basketball Today
- #44 Best Online Master's Programs
About Wake Forest University
According to Wikipedia, Wake Forest University is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, has been located north of downtown Winston-Salem since the university moved there in 1956. The Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist medical campus has two locations, the older one located near the Ardmore neighborhood in central Winston-Salem, and the newer campus at Wake Forest Innovation Quarter downtown. The university also occupies laboratory space at Biotech Plaza at Innovation Quarter, and at the Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials. The university's Graduate School of Management maintains a presence on the main campus in Winston-Salem and in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Wake Forest University's Online Degrees
MSBA in Master'S Of Science In Business Analytics
- Required Credits: 36
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Project Management
- Required Credits: 36
- Format: Fully online
MSA in Master'S Of Business Administration
- Required Credits: 45
- Format: Fully online
MSL in Master'S Of Studies In Law
Degree Concentrations
- Business Law & Compliance
- Health Law & Policy
- Human Resources
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Nonprofit Essentials
- Required Credits: 27
- Format: Fully online
CRM in Master'S In Clinical Research Management
- Required Credits: 35
- Format: Fully online
HCL in Master'S In Healthcare Leadership
- Required Credits: 35
- Format: Fully online
MC in Master'S In Counseling
Degree Concentrations
- Clinical Mental Health
- School Counseling
- Required Credits: 60
- Format: Fully online
Wake Forest University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17,479 | 22% | 93% | 90% | 1465 | 33 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Wake Forest University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $70,332 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $6,242 |
| 30K - 48K | $6,576 |
| 48K - 75K | $14,876 |
| 75K - 110K | $13,571 |
| 110K+ | $65,247 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Wake Forest University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Wake Forest University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $104,443 a year, and 95% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Wake Forest University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 9,843 | 5,610 | 4,233 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Wake Forest University?
Wake Forest University is located at 1834 Wake Forest Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27106.
How Safe is Wake Forest University?
Relative to its enrollment, Wake Forest University has a violent crime rate of 0.12% and a property crime rate of 0.57%. Winston-Salem has a violent crime rate of 0.81% and a property crime rate of 2.96%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Wake Forest University Known For?
Wake Forest University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Literature
- Political Science
- Business
- Medical
- History
- Law
- Philosophy
- Mathematics
- Religious Studies
- Biology
- Education
- Chemistry
- Communications
- Economics
- Sociology
- Computer Science
- Engineering
- Anthropology
- Psychology
- Physics
- Social Work
- Nursing
Wake Forest University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Wake Forest University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Wake Forest University ranks #76 in the U.S. and #200 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesWake Forest University ranks #124 in the U.S. and #467 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesWake Forest University ranks #128 in the U.S. and #364 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesWake Forest University ranks #128 in the U.S. and #380 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesWake Forest University ranks #131 in the U.S. and #360 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesWake Forest University ranks #148 in the U.S. and #431 worldwide for influence in Law.
Wake Forest University ranks #157 in the U.S. and #525 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesWake Forest University ranks #159 in the U.S. and #595 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesWake Forest University ranks #159 in the U.S. and #705 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesWake Forest University ranks #179 in the U.S. and #619 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesWake Forest University ranks #183 in the U.S. and #717 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesWake Forest University ranks #187 in the U.S. and #843 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesWake Forest University ranks #203 in the U.S. and #716 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesWake Forest University ranks #212 in the U.S. and #1017 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesWake Forest University ranks #231 in the U.S. and #845 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWake Forest University ranks #238 in the U.S. and #943 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesWake Forest University ranks #246 in the U.S. and #1368 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesWake Forest University ranks #248 in the U.S. and #763 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesWake Forest University ranks #253 in the U.S. and #598 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesWake Forest University ranks #330 in the U.S. and #1478 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesWake Forest University ranks #334 in the U.S. and #823 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesWake Forest University ranks #433 in the U.S. and #1177 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesWho Are Wake Forest University's Most Influential Alumni?
Wake Forest University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Literature, Business, and History. Here are some of Wake Forest University's most famous alumni:
- Arnold Palmer
- An American golfer.
- Tim Duncan
- An American basketball player.
- Thomas Marshburn
- An American physician and NASA astronaut.
- Graham Martin
- An American diplomat.
- Chris Paul
- An American professional basketball player.
- Jesse Helms
- An American politician .
- Melissa Harris-Perry
- An American journalist.
- David L. Heymann
- An Infectious disease epidemiologist.
- Eric N. Olson
- An American molecular biologist.
- Joseph Ladapo
- A Florida Surgeon General, researcher.
- John Graham
- An American policy analyst, born 1956.
- Muggsy Bogues
- An American basketball player-coach.
Who Are Wake Forest University's Most Influential Faculty?
Wake Forest University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Literature, Business, and History. Here are some of Wake Forest University's most famous faculty:
- Roxana Mehran
- An Iranian cardiologist.
- Mary Lewis
- A British archaeologist.
- Andrew Singleton
- A British neuroscientist.
- Bobby Chesney
- An American legal scholar.
- Seth C. Hawkins
- An American physician.
- Annegret Hannawa
- A Researcher.
- Batja Mesquita
- A Researcher.
- Christian B. Miller
- An American philosopher.
- Carla Cotwright Williams
- An African-American mathematician.
- Ana S. Iltis
- An Anerican philosopher.
- Amy Catanzano
- An American writer.
