Wake Forest vs. Penn State

Should I go to Wake Forest University or Penn State Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Wake Forest or Penn State 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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Wake Forest University vs. Penn State Main Campus comparison
Wake Forest University Penn State Main Campus College 3 College 4
Wake Forest University Penn State Main Campus
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Overview

 Wake Forest Penn State
Location Winston Salem, NC University Park, PA
Setting Midsize City Small City
Enrollment 9,121 50,399
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #44 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wfu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Wake Forest Penn State
Tuition (In State) $63,608 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $63,608 $39,626
Room & Board $17,848 $13,030
Avg Net Price $27,790 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $55,090 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 34% 36%

Admission

 Wake Forest Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,479 85,956
Admitted 3,768 46,605
Acceptance Rate 21.6% 54.2%
Enrolled % 36.8% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 32/34 27/32
SAT Range 1390/1510 1220/1400
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 1, 2026

Academics

 Wake Forest Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Wake Forest Penn State
Graduation Rate 88% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $77,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 88% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $237 $277

Diversity

 Wake Forest Penn State
% Men 16% 8%
% Women 24% 8%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 72% 69%
% Black 6% 4%
% Hispanic 7% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 7% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

 Wake Forest Penn State
% In-State 15% 51%
% Out-of-State 76% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Wake Forest based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 9,121 students)

Wake Forest vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Wake Forest or Penn State?

  • Wake Forest University is 223.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($63,608.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 60.5% higher at Wake Forest than Penn State Main Campus ($63,608.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Wake Forest ($27,450 vs. $27,790)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 37% lower than costs at Wake Forest University ($13,030 vs. $17,848)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Main Campus than Wake Forest University (36% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wake Forest University students is 375.9% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($55,090 vs. $11,577)

Wake Forest vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (54.2%) than Wake Forest (21.6%)

Wake Forest vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Wake Forest or Penn State? 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 Penn State and Wake Forest.

  • The graduation rate at Wake Forest is higher than Penn State Main Campus (88% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Wake Forest University earn on average $21,900 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($77,200 vs. $55,300)
  • Wake Forest University students graduate with a $3,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($23,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Wake Forest graduates are paying $40 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($237 vs. $277)
  • More Wake Forest graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 69%)

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