Wake Forest University SAT Scores, ACT Scores, Acceptance Rate, and Admissions Requirements
Wake Forest is test-optional, but its score range shows that students who submit scores are usually aiming high: 1420-1500 SAT or 32-34 ACT. Your clearest target is to reach at least the middle of that band, with 1500 or 34 giving you a stronger position.
⬡ LangSmith7c6fff13-abbf-401b-9f62-73f001e34c14Data on this page is sourced from our college data partners and was last updated on July 9, 2026.
Wake Forest University facts and stats
Wake Forest University enrolls about 5,490 undergraduates in a suburban campus setting. Wake Forest has a 93% freshman retention rate, well above the national average of roughly 70%, and an 89% 6-year graduation rate. The student-to-faculty ratio is 9.6:1.
⬡ LangSmith40ae78ea-652d-4055-b74b-d43df76e020cWinston-Salem, NC
How do your scores compare at Wake Forest?
Key Wake Forest University application dates
Key dates
Regular Decision
January 1
Early Action
November 15
Early Decision
November 15
Priority Deadline
—
Financial Aid Priority
January 1
Test dates
August 22, 2026
Registration deadline: August 7, 2026
September 12, 2026
Registration deadline: August 28, 2026
October 3, 2026
Registration deadline: September 18, 2026
September 19, 2026
Registration deadline: August 14, 2026
October 17, 2026
Registration deadline: September 11, 2026
December 12, 2026
Registration deadline: November 6, 2026
If you plan to submit scores to test-optional Wake Forest, take your first SAT or ACT by the spring of junior year so you can use the summer before senior year and the fall for retakes. For the November 15 Early Decision and Early Action deadlines, an October retake is typically the last SAT or ACT whose scores will arrive in time, and retakes can give you a stronger superscore to send.
⬡ LangSmith09e7a80c-8e84-405e-b984-ebb815e95039Want to improve your scores and unlock scholarships at Wake Forest University?
Higher test scores can mean bigger merit awards. Acely helps you get there faster.
What you'll actually pay
Wake Forest is a private not-for-profit, so the same tuition and fees rate of $67,642 applies to all students. Merit awards average $22,826, with 18% of students receiving aid. Submit the FAFSA by the January 1 priority deadline.
⬡ LangSmith42a97ff7-80cc-4ecf-8cd5-33a0d46c3c08
Wake Forest’s listed tuition, fees, room, and board total about $88,954. About 18% of students receive aid, with an average aid package of $72,851, which can substantially reduce the net price for qualifying families. Merit awards average $22,826, with named scholarships such as the Presidential Scholarship and Farr Scholarship offering $16,000 and $5,000. Graduates leave with an average debt of $33,453.
⬡ LangSmitha024cfce-f024-46e8-b552-c8ebe6eba77fStudent life at Wake Forest University
75% of undergrads live on campus
Freshman housing: Guaranteed
Fraternities and sororities are active on campus. 28% of men join fraternities, and 65% of women join sororities.
Similar schools
Duke University
Durham, NCAcceptance rate: 5.7%
SAT: 1520–1570
ACT: 34–35
Davidson College
Davidson, NCAcceptance rate: 13.4%
SAT: 1350–1500
ACT: 31–34
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FLAcceptance rate: 18.9%
SAT: 1340–1450
ACT: 30–33
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences
Concord, NCAcceptance rate: 23.4%
SAT: 945–1075
ACT: 21–23
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