UNC Charlotte vs. Wake Forest

Should I go to University of North Carolina at Charlotte or Wake Forest University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UNC Charlotte 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 Charlotte vs. Wake Forest University comparison
University of North Carolina at Charlotte Wake Forest University College 3 College 4
University of North Carolina at Charlotte Wake Forest University
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Overview

UNC Charlotte Wake Forest
Location Charlotte, NC Winston Salem, NC
Setting Large City Midsize City
Enrollment 30,298 9,121
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #547 #44
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uncc.edu wfu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UNC Charlotte Wake Forest
Tuition (In State) $3,812 $63,608
Tuition (Out of State) $18,474 $63,608
Room & Board $13,864 $17,848
Avg Net Price $13,768 $27,790
Avg Grant Aid $8,150 $55,090
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 34%

Admission

UNC Charlotte Wake Forest
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 22,699 17,479
Admitted 18,208 3,768
Acceptance Rate 80.2% 21.6%
Enrolled % 24.7% 36.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.57 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Challenging Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High
ACT Range 21/27 32/34
SAT Range 1110/1320 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 Jun 1, 2026 Jan 1, 2026

Academics

UNC Charlotte Wake Forest
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

UNC Charlotte Wake Forest
Graduation Rate 53% 88%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,600 $77,200
Making Student Loan Payments 61% 88%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,000 $23,000
Median Loan Payment $237 $237

Diversity

UNC Charlotte Wake Forest
% Men 8% 16%
% Women 13% 24%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 60% 72%
% Black 17% 6%
% Hispanic 9% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 2% 7%
% Unknown Race 3% 0%

Students

UNC Charlotte Wake Forest
% In-State 90% 15%
% Out-of-State 8% 76%

Campus

UNC Charlotte 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 Charlotte is larger than than Wake Forest based on total student enrollment (30,298 students vs. 9,121 students)

UNC Charlotte vs. Wake Forest Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UNC Charlotte or Wake Forest?

  • Wake Forest University is 1,568.6% more expensive to attend than UNC Charlotte for in-state tuition ($63,608.00 vs. $3,812.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 244.3% higher at Wake Forest than University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($63,608.00 vs. $18,474.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of North Carolina at Charlotte than Wake Forest ($13,768 vs. $27,790)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of North Carolina at Charlotte are 28.7% lower than costs at Wake Forest University ($13,864 vs. $17,848)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of North Carolina at Charlotte than Wake Forest University (58% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wake Forest University students is 576% larger than aid received University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($55,090 vs. $8,150)

UNC Charlotte vs. Wake Forest Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • UNC Charlotte has a higher acceptance rate (80.2%) than Wake Forest (21.6%)

UNC Charlotte vs. Wake Forest Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UNC Charlotte 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 Charlotte.

  • The graduation rate at Wake Forest is higher than University of North Carolina at Charlotte (88% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Wake Forest University earn on average $28,600 more per year than UNC Charlotte graduates after ten years. ($77,200 vs. $48,600)
  • Wake Forest University and UNC Charlotte graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($23,000 vs. $23,000)
  • Wake Forest University and UNC Charlotte graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($237 vs. $237)
  • More Wake Forest graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UNC Charlotte students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 61%)

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