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Duke WUSTL Emory Rice Notre Dame Georgetown Northwestern Stanford Johns Hopkins UChicago Carnegie Mellon Belmont| Wake Forest University | Vanderbilt University | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Wake Forest | Vanderbilt | ||
| Location | Winston Salem, NC | Nashville, TN | ||
| Setting | Midsize City | Large City | ||
| Enrollment | 9,121 | 13,456 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #44 | #14 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | wfu.edu | vanderbilt.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Wake Forest | Vanderbilt | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $63,608 | $61,618 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $63,608 | $61,618 | ||
| Room & Board | $17,848 | $21,054 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $27,790 | $26,689 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $55,090 | $57,723 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 34% | 66% |
Admission |
Wake Forest | Vanderbilt | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 17,479 | 45,313 | ||
| Admitted | 3,768 | 2,844 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 21.6% | 6.3% | ||
| Enrolled % | 36.8% | 57% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | - | 3.89 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | - | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Exceptional | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Very High | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 32/34 | 34/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1390/1510 | 1510/1560 | ||
| 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 | Jan 1, 2026 |
Academics |
Wake Forest | Vanderbilt | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 9:1 | 7:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Wake Forest | Vanderbilt | ||
| Graduation Rate | 88% | 92% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $77,200 | $83,100 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 88% | 83% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $23,000 | $14,000 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $237 | $144 |
Diversity |
Wake Forest | Vanderbilt | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 16% | 19% | ||
| % Women | 24% | 28% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Low | High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 72% | 55% | ||
| % Black | 6% | 8% | ||
| % Hispanic | 7% | 8% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 3% | 5% | ||
| % International | 7% | 7% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 0% | 5% |
Students |
Wake Forest | Vanderbilt | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 15% | 13% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 76% | 75% | ||
Campus |
Wake Forest | Vanderbilt | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | Yes | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | Yes | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Vanderbilt University is larger than than Wake Forest based on total student enrollment (13,456 students vs. 9,121 students)
Wake Forest vs. Vanderbilt Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Wake Forest or Vanderbilt?
- Wake Forest University is 3.2% more expensive to attend than Vanderbilt for in-state tuition ($63,608.00 vs. $61,618.00)
- Out of state tuition is 3.2% higher at Wake Forest than Vanderbilt University ($63,608.00 vs. $61,618.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Vanderbilt University than Wake Forest ($26,689 vs. $27,790)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Wake Forest University are 18% lower than costs at Vanderbilt University ($17,848 vs. $21,054)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Vanderbilt University than Wake Forest University (66% vs. 34%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Vanderbilt University students is 4.8% larger than aid received Wake Forest University ($57,723 vs. $55,090)
Wake Forest vs. Vanderbilt Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Wake Forest or Vanderbilt? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Vanderbilt or Wake Forest .
- Wake Forest has a higher acceptance rate (21.6%) than Vanderbilt (6.3%)
Wake Forest vs. Vanderbilt Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Wake Forest or Vanderbilt? 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 Vanderbilt and Wake Forest.
- The graduation rate at Vanderbilt is higher than Wake Forest University (92% vs. 88%)
- Graduates from Vanderbilt University earn on average $5,900 more per year than Wake Forest graduates after ten years. ($83,100 vs. $77,200)
- Vanderbilt University students graduate with a $9,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Wake Forest graduates. ($14,000 vs. $23,000)
- Vanderbilt graduates are paying $93 less per month on federal student loans than Wake Forest graduates. ($144 vs. $237)
- More Wake Forest graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Vanderbilt students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 83%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/