Wake Forest vs. Penn State

Deciding between Wake Forest University and Penn State Main Campus? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Wake Forest University
Penn State Main Campus

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • Wake Forest Winston-Salem, NC
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Setting
  • Wake Forest Midsize City
  • Penn State Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • Wake Forest 9,322
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Type
  • Wake Forest Private 4 Year
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Wake Forest #49
  • Penn State #185
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Wake Forest -
  • Penn State -
  • Status
  • Wake Forest Non-profit
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Wake Forest
  • Penn State

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Wake Forest $67,642
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Wake Forest $67,642
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Room & Board
  • Wake Forest $18,494
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Average Net Price
  • Wake Forest $24,401
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Wake Forest $63,117
  • Penn State $11,336
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Wake Forest 35%
  • Penn State 37%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Wake Forest 18,727
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Admitted
  • Wake Forest 4,058
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Wake Forest 21.7%
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Enrolled
  • Wake Forest 36.1%
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Wake Forest 1470
  • Penn State 1330
  • Typical ACT score
  • Wake Forest 33
  • Penn State 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • Wake Forest -
  • Penn State -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Wake Forest -
  • Penn State -
  • Admissions Standards
  • Wake Forest Exceptional
  • Penn State Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • Wake Forest Very High
  • Penn State Low
  • ACT Range
  • Wake Forest 32/34
  • Penn State 27/32
  • SAT Range
  • Wake Forest 1410/1520
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Wake Forest Test optional
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Wake Forest Jan 1, 2027
  • Penn State

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Wake Forest 10:1
  • Penn State 16:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Wake Forest
    • Business (21%)
    • Social Sciences (20%)
    • Communication (8%)
    • Biology (7%)
    • Psychology (7%)
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)

  • Outcomes

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

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Wake Forest 43%
  • Penn State 52%
  • % Women
  • Wake Forest 57%
  • Penn State 48%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Wake Forest Medium
  • Penn State Medium
  • HBCU
  • Wake Forest No
  • Penn State No
  • % White
  • Wake Forest 72%
  • Penn State 69%
  • % Asian
  • Wake Forest 5%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Black
  • Wake Forest 6%
  • Penn State 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • Wake Forest 7%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Native American
  • Wake Forest 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Wake Forest 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Wake Forest 3%
  • Penn State 3%
  • % International
  • Wake Forest 7%
  • Penn State 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Wake Forest 0%
  • Penn State 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Wake Forest 12%
  • Penn State 53%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Wake Forest 84%
  • Penn State 40%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC with Penn State Main Campus in University Park, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Penn State Main Campus is larger than Wake Forest based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 9,322 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Wake Forest University is located in Winston-Salem, NC (Midsize City setting); Penn State Main Campus is in University Park, PA (Small City setting).
  • Wake Forest University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Wake Forest University 10:1; Penn State Main Campus 16:1.

Wake Forest vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Wake Forest or Penn State? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Wake Forest University than Penn State ($24,401 vs. $27,889).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 21.7% lower than at Wake Forest University ($14,474 vs. $18,494).
  • Wake Forest University is 227.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State (about $46,998 more per year; $67,642.00 vs. $20,644.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 61.9% higher at Wake Forest than at Penn State Main Campus (about $25,852 more per year; $67,642.00 vs. $41,790.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Penn State Main Campus than at Wake Forest University (37% vs. 35%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wake Forest University students is 456.8% larger than aid received by Penn State Main Campus students ($63,117 vs. $11,336).

Wake Forest vs. Penn State Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Wake Forest or Penn State? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Penn State and Wake Forest.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Wake Forest University (1470) is 140 points higher than at Penn State (1330).
  • Incoming Wake Forest students have a 4 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (33 vs. 29 at Penn State).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Wake Forest University 1410/1520; Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Wake Forest University 32/34; Penn State Main Campus 27/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Wake Forest - Test optional; Penn State - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Wake Forest Jan 1, 2027.
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (60.6%) than Wake Forest (21.7%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 36.1% at Wake Forest vs. 17.1% at Penn State.

Wake Forest vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Wake Forest and Penn State? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Wake Forest University's six-year graduation rate (88%) is higher than Penn State Main Campus's (87%).
  • Graduates from Wake Forest University earn a median of about $21,900 more per year than Penn State graduates about ten years after starting college ($77,200 vs. $55,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Wake Forest University graduates have a $3,818 lower median loan debt than Penn State graduates ($23,000 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers, Wake Forest graduates have an estimated $40 lower median monthly federal student loan payment 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/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.