College of Charleston (CofC) vs Wake Forest University (WFU)
College of Charleston and Wake Forest University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. College of Charleston, nestled in the heart of historic Charleston, South Carolina, boasts a vibrant campus and a diverse student body. Wake Forest University, located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is renowned for its strong academic programs and beautiful campus. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
  | 
       | 
          
        
          
             
          
          College of Charleston | 
          
        
          
             
          
          Wake Forest University | 
      
|---|---|---|
    Overview | 
||
| Location | Charleston, South Carolina | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | 
| Campus setting | City: Midsize | City: Midsize | 
| College type | 4 year | 4 year | 
| Control/business model | Public | Private (Non Profit) | 
| Calendar system | Semester | Semester | 
| Degrees offered | Undergraduate and Graduate | Undergraduate and Graduate | 
| Students retention rate | 83.0% | 94.0% | 
    
       
      Common app member
    
   | 
      Yes | No | 
| Religious affiliation | ||
| 
       | 
  ||
    Admission | 
||
| Acceptance rate | 76.1% | 25.2% | 
| Application fees | 
                         
            Undergraduate:
            $60
           
          
            Graduate:
            $60
           
                   | 
      
                         
            Undergraduate:
            $85
           
          
            Graduate:
            $80
           
                   | 
  
| SAT range | 1090 - 1280 | N/A | 
| ACT range | 23 - 29 | N/A | 
| Students submitting SAT score | 24.0% | |
| Students submitting ACT score | 16.0% | |
| Total number of applicants | 20,484 | 15,156 | 
| Total number of admissions given out | 15,590 | 3,816 | 
| Admitted students who chose to enroll | 2,473 | 1,412 | 
| Yield rate | 15.9% | 37.0% | 
| Test scores (SAT/ACT) | N/A | N/A | 
| High school GPA | Required | Required | 
| Recommendation letters | Not required | Required | 
| High school transcript | Required | Required | 
| English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) | Required | Required | 
| 
       | 
  ||
    Tuition and Fees | 
||
| Sticker price | 
                         
            In state:
            $30,535
           
          
            Out of state:
            $51,995
           
                   | 
      $79,886 | 
| Average net price | $20,255 | $24,643 | 
| Tuition | 
                         
            In state:
            $12,518
           
          
            Out of state:
            $33,978
           
                   | 
      $58,708 | 
| Room & board | 
                         
            Room/dormitory:
            $8,409
           
          
            Meal plan:
            $4,550
           
                   | 
      
                         
            Room/dormitory:
            $10,144
           
          
            Meal plan:
            $7,870
           
                   | 
  
| Available payment plans | 
                        
  | 
      
                        
  | 
  
| 
       | 
  ||
    Financial Aid | 
||
| 
    Students receiving financial aid
     (Grants & scholarships)  | 
      
              
          98.0%
        
         Average amount $9,850  | 
      
              
          33.0%
        
         Average amount $53,244  | 
  
| Students receiving federal student loan | 
              
          41.0%
        
         Average amount $5,362  | 
      
              
          17.0%
        
         Average amount $4,985  | 
  
| Students taking out private loans | 
              
          9.0%
        
         Average amount $22,293  | 
      
              
          3.0%
        
         Average amount $32,719  | 
  
| 
       | 
  ||
    Students and Campus | 
||
| Undergraduate students | 
              
          9,967
        
        
           Men 33.6% Women 66.4%  | 
      
              
          5,472
        
        
           Men 45.7% Women 54.3%  | 
  
| Graduate students | 
              
          974
        
        
           Men 22.6% Women 77.4%  | 
      
              
          3,475
        
        
           Men 42.4% Women 57.6%  | 
  
| Racial/ethnic diversity | 
              
           Low 
    
       | 
      
              
           Low 
    
       | 
  
| Out-of-state students | 53.1% | N/A | 
| International students | 1.2% | 9.8% | 
| Campus local/setting | City: Midsize | City: Midsize | 
| Dormitory capacity | 3,338 | 4,152 | 
| First year students are required to live on campus? | No | No | 
| Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from | South Carolina New Jersey Pennsylvania Virginia Maryland | N/A | 
| 
       | 
  ||
    Academics | 
||
| Popular study areas | 
              
  | 
      
              
  | 
  
| Students to faculty ratio | 16:1 | 10:1 | 
| Institutional accreditation | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges | 
| 
       | 
  ||
    Outcome | 
||
| Graduation rate | 67.0% | 90.2% | 
| Dropout rate | 6.0% | 9.5% | 
| Transferred out | 26.3% | N/A | 
| Alumni salary by major (Top 10) | 
               
              
                
                  Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
                
              
               
                      
 
              
                
                  Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
                
              
               
                      
 
              
                
                  Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
                
              
               
                      
 
              
                
                  Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
                
              
               
                      
 
              
                
                  International Business (Bachelor's Degrees)
                
              
               
                      
 
              
                
                  Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
                
              
               
                      
 
              
                
                  Hospitality Administration/Management (Bachelor's Degrees)
                
              
               
                      
 
              
                
                  Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
                
              
               
                      
 
              
                
                  Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
                
              
               
                      
 
              
                
                  Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor's Degrees)
                
              
               
                  
  | 
      
               
              
                
                  Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
                
              
               
                      
 
              
                
                  Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
                
              
               
                      
 
              
                
                  Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
                
              
               
                      
 
              
                
                  Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
                
              
               
                      
 
              
                
                  Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
                
              
               
                      
 
              
                
                  Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
                
              
               
                      
 
              
                
                  Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
                
              
               
                      
 
              
                
                  Law (First Professional Degrees)
                
              
               
                      
 
              
                
                  Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
                
              
               
                      
 
              
                
                  Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
                
              
               
                  
  | 
  
    
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      Common app member