UNC Chapel Hill vs. Wake Forest

Should I go to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or Wake Forest University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UNC Chapel Hill or Wake Forest is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill vs. Wake Forest University comparison
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Wake Forest University College 3 College 4
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Wake Forest University
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Overview

UNC Chapel Hill Wake Forest
Location Chapel Hill, NC Winston Salem, NC
Setting Small City Midsize City
Enrollment 32,234 9,121
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #60 #44
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website unc.edu wfu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UNC Chapel Hill Wake Forest
Tuition (In State) $7,019 $63,608
Tuition (Out of State) $37,360 $63,608
Room & Board $13,016 $17,848
Avg Net Price $11,140 $27,790
Avg Grant Aid $15,365 $55,090
% Receiving Grant Aid 38% 34%

Admission

UNC Chapel Hill Wake Forest
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 57,902 17,479
Admitted 10,850 3,768
Acceptance Rate 18.7% 21.6%
Enrolled % 43.3% 36.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.83 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High Very High
ACT Range 30/34 32/34
SAT Range 1370/1530 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 15, 2026 Jan 1, 2026

Academics

UNC Chapel Hill Wake Forest
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Communication (11%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

UNC Chapel Hill Wake Forest
Graduation Rate 89% 88%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $66,100 $77,200
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 88%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,479 $23,000
Median Loan Payment $170 $237

Diversity

UNC Chapel Hill Wake Forest
% Men 14% 16%
% Women 22% 24%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 64% 72%
% Black 8% 6%
% Hispanic 8% 7%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 2% 7%
% Unknown Race 3% 0%

Students

UNC Chapel Hill Wake Forest
% In-State 79% 15%
% Out-of-State 15% 76%

Campus

UNC Chapel Hill Wake Forest
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is larger than than Wake Forest based on total student enrollment (32,234 students vs. 9,121 students)

UNC Chapel Hill vs. Wake Forest Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UNC Chapel Hill or Wake Forest?

  • Wake Forest University is 806.2% more expensive to attend than UNC Chapel Hill for in-state tuition ($63,608.00 vs. $7,019.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 70.3% higher at Wake Forest than University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ($63,608.00 vs. $37,360.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill than Wake Forest ($11,140 vs. $27,790)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are 37.1% lower than costs at Wake Forest University ($13,016 vs. $17,848)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill than Wake Forest University (38% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wake Forest University students is 258.5% larger than aid received University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ($55,090 vs. $15,365)

UNC Chapel Hill vs. Wake Forest Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UNC Chapel Hill or Wake Forest? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Wake Forest or UNC Chapel Hill .

  • Wake Forest has a higher acceptance rate (21.6%) than UNC Chapel Hill (18.7%)

UNC Chapel Hill vs. Wake Forest Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UNC Chapel Hill 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 UNC Chapel Hill.

  • The graduation rate at UNC Chapel Hill is higher than Wake Forest University (89% vs. 88%)
  • Graduates from Wake Forest University earn on average $11,100 more per year than UNC Chapel Hill graduates after ten years. ($77,200 vs. $66,100)
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill students graduate with a $6,521 lower median federal student loan debt than Wake Forest graduates. ($16,479 vs. $23,000)
  • UNC Chapel Hill graduates are paying $67 less per month on federal student loans than Wake Forest graduates. ($170 vs. $237)
  • More Wake Forest graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UNC Chapel Hill students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 82%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/