by our College Data Analytics TeamThis overview lays out the cost of attending Wake Forest University, from the published cost of attendance and projected degree cost through to net price, median student debt at graduation, default outcomes, and how aid varies by family income.
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The total published cost of attendance at Wake Forest University stands at about $82,818.00 per year.
Here the cost is broken out three ways: no aid, average aid, and the aid a low-income student typically receives.
| Tuition and fees | $67,642.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $15,176.00 |
| Total cost | $82,818.00 |
| That is 152% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $82,818.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$58,780.00 |
| Net price | $24,038.00 |
| That is 27% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $82,818.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$80,974.00 |
| Net price | $1,844.00 |
| That is 94% below the national average net price. | |
| Explore each piece on the tuition & fees page plus living costs. |
The reported cost series has been increasing by roughly 4.2% a year, so a full degree will cost more than a single year — the tables below carry that forward. The tables below project the cost forward across a full degree, side by side for a low-income student with aid, a typical student with average aid, and a student paying full sticker price with no aid. Loan math assumes ten-year repayment at 6.8% interest.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| Freshman year | $1,922.00 | $25,050.00 | $86,305.00 |
| Senior year | $2,175.00 | $28,350.00 | $97,673.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $8,186.00 | $106,709.00 | $367,643.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $3,119.00 | $40,652.00 | $140,059.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $94.00 | $1,228.00 | $4,231.00 |
| Total amount paid | $11,304.00 | $147,361.00 | $507,702.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| Freshman year | $1,922.00 | $25,050.00 | $86,305.00 |
| Senior year | $2,003.00 | $26,105.00 | $89,939.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $3,924.00 | $51,155.00 | $176,244.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $1,495.00 | $19,488.00 | $67,143.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $45.00 | $589.00 | $2,028.00 |
| Total amount paid | $5,419.00 | $70,643.00 | $243,387.00 |
See the full net-price breakdown in the Net Price section.
Net price strips out grant and scholarship aid to show what families really pay. For most families it is a more realistic figure than the published cost.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $28,719.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $28,746.00 |
Net price is not the same for every family — it falls as financial need rises and grant aid increases. Below, average net price is broken out by family income:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $11,554.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $6,043.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $12,769.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $19,759.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $54,447.00 |
Run your own numbers with the Wake Forest University Net Price Calculator, or visit the financial aid office.
Want to know how that aid is awarded? See the financial aid page.
Median graduate debt at Wake Forest University amounts to $19,500.00, landing it in the Low ($10-20k) burden category.
The percentile spread of debt at graduation is shown below:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $5,500.00 |
| 25th | $12,500.00 |
| Median (50th) | $19,500.00 |
| 75th | $29,500.00 |
| 90th | $36,500.00 |
The 10th-to-90th-percentile spread is one signal of how variable debt outcomes are across the student body.
Explore borrowing, repayment, and default in detail on the student loan debt detail.
Family income tracks closely with debt at graduation. Below, debt is broken out by low, middle, and high family income:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $18,371.00 |
| Middle income | $19,500.00 |
| High income | $20,500.00 |
Whether your parents attended college is associated with differences in median debt at graduation.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $19,000.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $19,593.00 |
The federal default-rate classification for Wake Forest University is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 0.8% |
For scale, federal Stafford loan disbursements at Wake Forest University total $613,359,310.00 spread across 15,193 recipients.
Veterans and active-duty service members may qualify for substantial federal education benefits including the GI Bill and Department of Defense tuition support.
| GI Bill recipients | 98 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $21,789.00 |
For the full rundown of veteran and military benefits, see the veterans benefits detail.
The figures above are a starting point — as you weigh Wake Forest University, a few questions are worth asking:
Explore the related pages below for a deeper look at the cost picture:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.