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Vanderbilt UNC Chapel Hill Harvard Georgetown Penn Princeton Stanford Northwestern Cornell Johns Hopkins Rice Yale| Duke University | Wake Forest University | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Duke | Wake Forest | ||
| Location | Durham, NC | Winston Salem, NC | ||
| Setting | Midsize City | Midsize City | ||
| Enrollment | 17,112 | 9,121 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #3 | #44 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | United Methodist | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | duke.edu | wfu.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Duke | Wake Forest | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $63,450 | $63,608 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $63,450 | $63,608 | ||
| Room & Board | $17,458 | $17,848 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $23,422 | $27,790 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $59,327 | $55,090 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 41% | 34% |
Admission |
Duke | Wake Forest | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 46,365 | 17,479 | ||
| Admitted | 3,145 | 3,768 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 6.8% | 21.6% | ||
| Enrolled % | 55.4% | 36.8% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.94 | - | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | - | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Exceptional | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | Very High | ||
| ACT Range | 34/35 | 32/34 | ||
| SAT Range | 1510/1570 | 1390/1510 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | ||
| Application Deadline | Jan 3, 2026 | Jan 1, 2026 |
Academics |
Duke | Wake Forest | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 6:1 | 9:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Duke | Wake Forest | ||
| Graduation Rate | 94% | 88% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $108,900 | $77,200 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 89% | 88% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $7,500 | $23,000 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $77 | $237 |
Diversity |
Duke | Wake Forest | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 27% | 16% | ||
| % Women | 35% | 24% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Low | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 46% | 72% | ||
| % Black | 10% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 7% | 7% | ||
| % Native American | 1% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 2% | 3% | ||
| % International | 10% | 7% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 2% | 0% |
Students |
Duke | Wake Forest | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 12% | 15% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 74% | 76% | ||
Campus |
Duke | Wake Forest | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | Yes | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Duke University is larger than than Wake Forest based on total student enrollment (17,112 students vs. 9,121 students)
Duke vs. Wake Forest Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Duke or Wake Forest?
- Wake Forest University is 0.2% more expensive to attend than Duke for in-state tuition ($63,608.00 vs. $63,450.00)
- Out of state tuition is 0.2% higher at Wake Forest than Duke University ($63,608.00 vs. $63,450.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Duke University than Wake Forest ($23,422 vs. $27,790)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Duke University are 2.2% lower than costs at Wake Forest University ($17,458 vs. $17,848)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Duke University than Wake Forest University (41% vs. 34%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Duke University students is 7.7% larger than aid received Wake Forest University ($59,327 vs. $55,090)
Duke vs. Wake Forest Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Duke or Wake Forest? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Wake Forest or Duke .
- Wake Forest has a higher acceptance rate (21.6%) than Duke (6.8%)
Duke vs. Wake Forest Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Duke or Wake Forest? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Wake Forest and Duke.
- The graduation rate at Duke is higher than Wake Forest University (94% vs. 88%)
- Graduates from Duke University earn on average $31,700 more per year than Wake Forest graduates after ten years. ($108,900 vs. $77,200)
- Duke University students graduate with a $15,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Wake Forest graduates. ($7,500 vs. $23,000)
- Duke graduates are paying $160 less per month on federal student loans than Wake Forest graduates. ($77 vs. $237)
- More Duke graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Wake Forest students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 88%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/