Wake Forest University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Cincinnati, North Carolina · Public · Open access · CDS 2025-2026
Wake Forest University is a public institution located in Cincinnati, North Carolina. For the most recent reporting cycle, Wake Forest University admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 88%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1281 and an ACT composite around 27. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $23,156 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Wake Forest University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Wake Forest University?
Wake Forest University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does Wake Forest University weight in admissions?
Wake Forest University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Academic GPA
- • Talent/ability
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Class rank
- • Standardized test scores
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Character/personal qualities
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Level of applicant's interest
- • Interview
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
SAT and ACT scores Wake Forest University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 570–690, with an EBRW midpoint near 620. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 24–29. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
| 25th percentile | 1160 |
| 50th percentile | 1250 |
| 75th percentile | 1340 |
| % submitting SAT | 8.97% |
| 25th percentile | 24 |
| 50th percentile | 27 |
| 75th percentile | 30 |
| % submitting ACT | 24.53% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 22.1% |
| Top 25% of class | 47.28% |
| Top 50% of class | 81.32% |
| % submitting class rank | 43.59% |
How much does Wake Forest University actually cost?
Published tuition is $13,570 for in-state students and $30,582 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $13,048 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $23,156 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 18% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | — |
| Room and board | — |
| Average net price (after aid) | $23,156 |
| Application fee | $50 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Wake Forest University
| Regular deadline | March 1 |
| Notification date | December 19 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 or within 2 weeks if notified thereafter |
Will my child graduate from Wake Forest University?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Other colleges in North Carolina parents ask about
- Duke University19% acceptance
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill40% acceptance
- North Carolina State University at Raleigh29% acceptance
- Appalachian State University7% acceptance
- East Carolina University94% acceptance
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte74% acceptance
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro80% acceptance
- Davidson College64% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Wake Forest University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Wake Forest University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Wake Forest University
What GPA do I need for Wake Forest University?
Wake Forest University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does Wake Forest University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 570–690, with an EBRW midpoint near 620. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 24–29.
How much does Wake Forest University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Wake Forest University after grants and scholarships is $23,156 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Wake Forest University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Wake Forest University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
Data sourced from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set submitted by Wake Forest University, and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.