Wake Forest vs. Rice

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

Wake Forest Rice
Location Winston Salem, NC Houston, TX
Setting Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 9,121 8,556
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #44 #9
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wfu.edu rice.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Wake Forest Rice
Tuition (In State) $63,608 $57,210
Tuition (Out of State) $63,608 $57,210
Room & Board $17,848 $15,900
Avg Net Price $27,790 $20,587
Avg Grant Aid $55,090 $53,526
% Receiving Grant Aid 34% 57%

Admission

Wake Forest Rice
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,479 31,059
Admitted 3,768 2,447
Acceptance Rate 21.6% 7.9%
Enrolled % 36.8% 46%
Avg High School GPA - 3.96
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 32/34 34/36
SAT Range 1390/1510 1500/1570
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, 2025 Jan 1, 2025

Academics

Wake Forest Rice
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Engineering (18%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)

Outcomes

Wake Forest Rice
Graduation Rate 88% 92%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $77,200 $86,400
Making Student Loan Payments 88% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,000 $10,227
Median Loan Payment $237 $105

Diversity

Wake Forest Rice
% Men 16% 29%
% Women 24% 18%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 72% 37%
% Black 6% 7%
% Hispanic 7% 14%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 7% 12%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

Wake Forest Rice
% In-State 15% 35%
% Out-of-State 76% 48%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Wake Forest University is larger than than Rice based on total student enrollment (9,121 students vs. 8,556 students)

Wake Forest vs. Rice Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Wake Forest or Rice?

  • Wake Forest University is 11.2% more expensive to attend than Rice for in-state tuition ($63,608.00 vs. $57,210.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 11.2% higher at Wake Forest than Rice University ($63,608.00 vs. $57,210.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Rice University than Wake Forest ($20,587 vs. $27,790)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rice University are 12.3% lower than costs at Wake Forest University ($15,900 vs. $17,848)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rice University than Wake Forest University (57% vs. 34%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wake Forest University students is 2.9% larger than aid received Rice University ($55,090 vs. $53,526)

Wake Forest vs. Rice Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Wake Forest has a higher acceptance rate (21.6%) than Rice (7.9%)

Wake Forest vs. Rice Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Wake Forest or Rice? 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 Rice and Wake Forest.

  • The graduation rate at Rice is higher than Wake Forest University (92% vs. 88%)
  • Graduates from Rice University earn on average $9,200 more per year than Wake Forest graduates after ten years. ($86,400 vs. $77,200)
  • Rice University students graduate with a $12,773 lower median federal student loan debt than Wake Forest graduates. ($10,227 vs. $23,000)
  • Rice graduates are paying $132 less per month on federal student loans than Wake Forest graduates. ($105 vs. $237)
  • More Wake Forest graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Rice students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 87%)

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