Wake Forest: Early Decision Acceptance Rate
Wake Forest University is a private university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It was founded in 1834 by the Baptist Home Mission Society as a manual labor school for orphaned boys.
Today, it has a student body of over 8,000 undergraduate students and is known for its strong liberal arts curriculum and emphasis on undergraduate research. Wake Forest has been ranked by The Princeton Review as one of America’s Best Value Colleges since 2009 and was named one of the “Best Southeastern Colleges” by Forbes magazine in 2018.
The acceptance rate at Wake Forest University is typically higher than at other schools in the region—in fact, it was 20% in 2021 and 21% in 2026.
Wake Forest Acceptance Rate – Class of 2024
Wake Forest University has released its acceptance rate for the Class of 2024. There were 11,945 applicants for place in the Demon Deacon Class of 2024—only 3,836 were accepted. This calculates to an acceptance rate of 32%. The previous cycle saw a greater number of applicants for the Class of 2023—12,559 to be precise—as well as a lower acceptance rate of 29.5%.
The University’s dean of admission and financial aid, Dr. Jeffery Gibson, said that he was “pleased” with this year’s numbers and attributed them to an increase in applications over last year’s cycle (which saw 9,588 applicants) as well as a new outreach program which targeted high-achieving students from underrepresented communities across the country.
Wake Forest Admissions – SAT, ACT and Class Rank
Wake Forest University has been a test-optional institution since 2008, but the majority of students do submit SAT or ACT scores when applying. According to the most recent official statistics available (Class of 2023), the mid-50% SAT range for admitted freshman was 1340-1470; the ACT the range was 30-33. It is important to note that Wake Forest has been a test-optional institution since way back in 2008, but 44% of students do submit SAT scores to go along with 45% who submit ACT results. On the class rank front, 75% of freshmen had earned a place in the top 10% of their high school class and 92% were in the top quartile.
Admissions Trends & Notes – (Class of 2023)
- The middle-50% SAT scores went up slightly for the Class of 2024 from the previous year; ACT scores remained the same.
- North Carolina residents made up 16% of the Class of 2024.
- 56% of freshmen in 2020-21 were female.
- 10% of this year’s incoming class qualified for Pell Grants.
- Almost one-quarter identified as African American, Asian American, Latinx, Native American, or multiple racial backgrounds.
Who Get Into Wake Forest?
Let’s now turn our attention to the demographics of the Wake Forest undergraduate student body.
Geography- National
Geographically, the ten states from which the most undergraduates hail from are (out of 5,287 students):
- North Carolina: 1,027
- New York: 380
- Florida: 363
- New Jersey: 312
- Georgia: 265
- Massachusetts: 248
- Virginia: 235
- Pennsylvania: 228
- Maryland: 203
- Connecticut: 200
As at any highly-selective school, Wake Forest is seeking geographic diversity. If you hail from a less-populated state like Wyoming (3 students), Idaho (3 students), or South Dakota (1 student), your location is more likely to provide a boost to your admissions chances than if you live in a state with a flood of applicants every year (like the ten listed above).
Geography- International
Foreign students make up 9.7% of the undergraduate population at Wake Forest. Forty-nine countries are represented. The international student population has risen in the last few years—5 years ago, international students only made up 7.5% of the campus population.
Ethnicity
Looking at ethnic identity, the breakdown of the Wake Forest freshman class of 2019-20 is as follows:
- White: 68.8%
- Asian: 12.1%
- Hispanic: 9%
- African American: 5.4%
- American Indian: 1%
- Two or more races: 4.6%
Religious Preference
When it comes to their religious/spiritual identity, students most often identify in the following ways:
- Catholic: 24%
- Presbyterian: 7%
- Christian: 6%
- Baptist: 6%
- Methodist: 6%
- Jewish: 5%
- No Preference: 17%
- Other/Unknown: 6%
Wake Forest’s Yield Rate
Wake Forest University’s yield rate—the percentage of accepted students who elect to enroll, divided by the total number of students who are admitted is 32%. This ranks behind other elite private schools in the same region like Duke (54%) Vanderbilt (49%), and Tulane (39%). This means that the majority of accepted students ultimately elect to attend a different institution.
How Wake Forest Evaluates Applicants
Wake Forest ranks the following five categories as being “very important” to the admissions process: rigor of secondary school record, class rank, GPA, application essays, and character/personal qualities. Recommendations, an interview, extracurricular activities, and talent/ability are rated as “important.”
As the Dean of Admissions once explained, “…a holistic and careful process allows us to consider each candidate individually. We seek students who have excelled academically, exhibited intellectual curiosity and creativity, and who have demonstrated character and concern for those around them. We thoughtfully review the skills, talents and experiences that each student would bring to the Wake Forest community.”
Being an athletic recruit can also be a massive boost to your admissions prospects. Wake Forest’s 16 varsity sports teams suit up 470+ undergraduates every year. For advice about how to stand out on the extracurricular front, check out our previous blog entitled How Many Extracurricular Activities Do I Need for College?
Tips for Applying to Wake Forest
If you plan on joining the 12,000+ Wake Forest hopefuls for the next admissions cycle, you should know the following:
1) Wake Forest does strongly recommend signing up for an interview with the admissions staff, but it is not required. Each interview lasts roughly 25 minutes and they are evaluative in nature. During the pandemic, these interviews have been conducted virtually. The school does not offer alumni interviews. For advice on what types of questions you should be prepared to answer/ask visit our blog—College Interview Tips.
2) WFU does factor legacy status into the admissions process. Therefore, those with a parent who is a Wake Forest alum will receive a boost to their admissions prospects.
3) Wake Forest does consider “demonstrated interest” so, you should connect with the school via social media, make contact with an admissions officer, and, if possible—visit campus, take an official tour, or connect with admission staff at a college fair near you.
4) Be sure to dedicate sufficient time and effort to the supplemental essays and short answers required by Wake Forest. In the 2020-21 cycle, they were as follows:
- 1a. List five books you’ve read that intrigued you.
- 1b. Explain how a book you’ve read has helped you to understand the world’s complexity. (150 words)
- 2. Tell us more about the topic that most engages your intellectual curiosity. (150 words)
- 3. Describe a community that is important to you. How has that community prepared you to engage with, change, or even build the Wake Forest community? (150 words)
- 4. Give us your Top Ten list.
- 5. How did you become interested in Wake Forest University? Feel free to tell us about any contact that you had with Wake Forest that was important to you. (150 words)
These 5/6 essays are EXTREMELY important in the admissions process. Wake Forest genuinely wants to know a great deal about each student offered a place in their freshman class. One thing is for sure—Wake’s supplemental prompts are unique, so it’s unlikely you’ll be able to modify content already written for other schools to which you are applying.
In the words of the admissions staff: “Our short-response prompts represent questions that are uniquely Wake Forest and thus afford you the opportunity to show us what is “uniquely you.” So, when preparing your essay and your answers to these prompts, take advantage of the opportunity to give us a glimpse into what drives you intellectually. Tell us what you’ve read, what you’ve done, what you think. About what? About anything and everything that is important to you.”
Wake Forest Tuition
College of Arts & Sciences
| Full-Time Undergraduate Tuition | $58,708 |
| Part-Time Undergraduate (per semester hour) | $2,434 |
| Study Abroad/Away Enrollment Fee for Wake Forest-Affiliate Programs (per semester) | $3,522 |
| Audit (per hour) | $75 |
| Music Fees (1/2hr & 1 hr) | $325/650 |
| Silicon Valley Practicum Fee | $11,244 |
| Student Activity Fee | $200 |
| Student Health Fee | $490 |
| Wellness Fee | $372 |
| *A student may not register for fewer than 12 hours without specific permission from the appropriate Dean to register as a part-time student. Approval must be obtained before the last day of the “add” period for that term. See the Wake Forest Bulletin for more information. |
Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
| Full Time Graduate Tuition | $38,650 |
| Online Counseling & Human Services (per hour) | $1,560 |
| Part-Time Graduate (per hour) | $1,560 |
| Student Continuation Fee (per semester) | $150 |
| Audit (per hour) | $150 |
| Graduation Fee (Masters) | $175 |
| Graduation Fee (PhD) | $175 |
| Technology Fee (per semester, excludes on-line programs) | $50 |
| Student Health Fee | $490 |
| Summer 2021-Graduate (per hour) | $1,560 |
| Summer 2021-Graduate Audit (per hour) | $150 |
| Summer 2021- On-Line Counseling & Human Services (per hour) | $1,510 |
Summer Sessions – Undergraduate 2021
| Summer 2021-Undergraduate (per hour) | $900 |
| Summer 2021- Undergraduate Audit (per hour) | $75 |
| 2021-School of Business-Summer Management (per hour) | $1,490 |
| Summer SportsBiz Program (per hour) | $1,490 |
School of Law
| Full time JD Tuition | $49,276 |
| LLM & SJD Tuition | $49,276 |
| SJD (Part-time/Returning Students) | $24,638 |
| Online Masters in Study of Law (per hour) | $1,039 |
| Audit Rate (not to exceed per hour) | $2,060 |
| Summer School 2021 (per hour) | $1,643 |
| Summer Study Abroad (per hour) | $886 |
| Technology Fee | $400 |
| Student Health Fee | $490 |
School of Business
| Business Undergraduate Tuition (including MSA 4th year) | $58,708 |
| Graduate Programs | |
| MSA, Fifth Year Tuition | $51,916 |
| Winston Evening MBA Program, Second Year | $40,698 |
| Charlotte Evening MBA Program, Second Year | $40,698 |
| Charlotte Saturday MBA Program, Second Year | $40,698 |
| MS in Management Tuition | $48,474 |
| MS in Business Analytics Tuition (on ground) | $52,106 |
| Online MSBA (per hour) | $1,475 |
| Online MBA (per Hour) | $1,507 |
| Graduate Part Time (per hour) | $1,340 |
| Working Professionals Program (per hour) | $1,507 |
| Student Activity Fee (excludes, Evening/Weekend & On-Line programs) | $300 |
| Working Professionals Program Fee (per semester) | $2,000 |
| Student Health Fee | $490 |
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