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Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC 5,471 Undergrads 89.9% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$82,818
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$28,746
After Aid
Median Earnings
$78,158
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$28,746
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$78,158
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate89.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients9.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS85.7%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
21.6%
SAT Avg
1,469
SAT Reading
25th: 690-75th: 740
SAT Math
25th: 700-75th: 770
ACT Composite
25th: 32-75th: 34
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.
Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$653k
+$257k
+$169k
Median Cost$29k/yr
+$550k
+$153k
+$65k
Full Cost$83k/yr
+$355k
-$41k
-$129k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
29
∞
Median Cost$29k/yr
42
63%
Full Cost$83k/yr
Never
-43%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
- Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
- Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
- NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.
Social Impact ROINew
Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.
Donor Return9%
Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.
Taxpayer Return-62%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Bachelor's Degrees
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,668
Lifetime Value Added
-$235k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$21,079
Earnings (5yr)
$66,200
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
Business/Commerce, General
BachCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$18,899
Earnings (5yr)
$107,296
Lifetime Value Added
+$295k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$22,250
Earnings (5yr)
$74,850
Lifetime Value Added
+$52k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$22,250
Earnings (5yr)
$72,756
Lifetime Value Added
+$36k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$20,549
Earnings (5yr)
$140,759
Lifetime Value Added
+$542k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$109,506
Lifetime Value Added
+$311k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$66,625
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$140,033
Lifetime Value Added
+$537k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,144
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$22,777
Earnings (5yr)
$71,728
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$20,963
Earnings (5yr)
$66,622
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
BachCIP: 5213
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$63,005
Lifetime Value Added
-$8k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$113,570
Lifetime Value Added
+$341k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$89,748
Lifetime Value Added
+$163k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$21,393
Earnings (5yr)
$72,847
Lifetime Value Added
+$37k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$74,367
Lifetime Value Added
+$48k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (5yr)
$62,340
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$43,000
Earnings (5yr)
$111,352
Lifetime Value Added
+$484k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
MastCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$128,561
Earnings (5yr)
$124,321
Lifetime Value Added
+$594k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$61,051
Earnings (5yr)
$124,637
Lifetime Value Added
+$597k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$103,942
Earnings (5yr)
$196,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$1204k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
$76,591
Earnings (5yr)
$64,284
Lifetime Value Added
+$79k
Theological and Ministerial Studies
MastCIP: 3906
Median Debt
$59,016
Earnings (5yr)
$45,177
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Professional Degrees
Law
ProfCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$105,023
Earnings (5yr)
$107,956
Lifetime Value Added
+$251k
Medicine
ProfCIP: 5112
Median Debt
$193,205
Earnings (5yr)
$151,765
Lifetime Value Added
+$567k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.
For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.