Cost, debt & salary

Is Wake Forest University worth it? What it costs, and what graduates earn

You would borrow a median $21,500 — about $244 a month for ten years. Graduates earn a median $78,158 ten years after starting, so the debt clears in roughly 0.6 years of the salary premium.

A

Is it worth the money?

Yes — on the federal figures this is one of the fastest-paying degrees in the country.

You borrow $21,500 median federal debt at graduation
You repay $244/mo standard 10-year federal plan
You earn $78,158 median, 10 years after entry · beats 89%
Debt clears in 0.6 yrs ranked 109 of 810

What that feels like each month Repayment against the salary that has to cover it.

Gross monthly pay
$6,513
Loan repayment
$244
Share of your pay
3.7%
0%15% — the comfort line25%

Under roughly 15% of gross pay, repayment is generally considered manageable alongside rent and living costs.

Cut the debt before you borrow it

We do not list an award tied specifically to Wake Forest University yet — but national, country and subject scholarships still apply to students heading there, and each one cuts the $21,500 above.

Browse scholarships for the USA →

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How Wake Forest University compares Against the 810 US universities we grade on payback.

The typical graded university clears its debt in 1.3 years on median earnings of $57,146 against $22,500 of debt. Wake Forest University clears its debt faster than that, and its graduates earn $38,638 a year more than a US worker with only a high-school diploma.

Nearby universityGradeDebtEarningsPayback
Davidson College North Carolina A $18,688 $81,400 0.5 yrs
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill North Carolina A $14,000 $72,200 0.4 yrs
Duke University North Carolina A $13,000 $97,800 0.2 yrs
High Point University North Carolina C $24,575 $61,389 1.1 yrs
University of North Carolina at Charlotte North Carolina C $21,500 $57,289 1.2 yrs

Wake Forest University — the money questions

How much do graduates of Wake Forest University earn?
Median earnings are $78,158 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled — from tax records, not a survey. That is higher than 89% of the US universities we hold figures for.
How much debt will I have at Wake Forest University?
The median graduate leaves with $21,500 of federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $244 a month — roughly 3.7% of the median graduate's monthly pay before tax.
How long does a degree from Wake Forest University take to pay for itself?
About 0.6 years of the salary premium — the amount graduates earn above the $39,520 a US worker with only a high-school diploma makes. That ranks it 109 of 810 US universities we grade on payback.
Can scholarships reduce this debt?
We do not currently list a scholarship tied specifically to Wake Forest University, but national and subject-based awards still apply — start from our scholarships listing.
Do these numbers apply to my subject?
No. The Department of Education publishes one figure per institution, so nursing, engineering and fine art students at Wake Forest University all sit inside the same median. Treat it as the size of the financial risk, not a salary forecast for your course.
Wake Forest University profile Programmes at Wake Forest University Wake Forest University scholarships Wake Forest University review & grade Compare with Davidson College Payback across North Carolina What Wake Forest University costs Student loan record SAT scores & admission Fastest-paying US degrees Lowest student debt How we calculate this

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard — earnings and debt cover students who received federal financial aid and blend every subject taught at the institution. Figures imported 28 Aug 2026. This page is information, not financial advice.