10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
+$116,694at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Wake Forest University
⌖ Winston-Salem, NC · 26 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Positive payoff
+$116,694 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
This is a positive modeled result. Price, time to finish and future earnings can still change the outcome.
7.2 yrsModeled economic break-even
+40%Modeled 10-year ROI
$86,157Observed earnings · year 5
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
Cost, completion and earnings context
$28,719Average net price / year
$87,499Cost of attendance
$86,157Median earnings · year 5 after completion
89.1%Completion rate
21.7%Admission rate
5,485Student size
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$52,635Year 1
$92,943Year 4
$86,157Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Master's Degree$221,0282Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods · Bachelor's Degree$146,6083Finance and Financial Management Services · Bachelor's Degree$145,9964Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$135,6775Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Master's Degree$127,2976Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods · Master's Degree$127,0727Medicine · First Professional Degree$119,0308Business/Commerce, General · Bachelor's Degree$118,167Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Comparable colleges in NC
Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.
Durham, NC
Duke University
- Annual net price
- $29,612
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $104,271
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +99%
Queens University of Charlotte
- Annual net price
- $30,857
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $60,181
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -50%
Elon University
- Annual net price
- $41,555
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $70,407
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -27%
Davidson College
- Annual net price
- $17,379
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $64,801
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -21%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's Degree | $221,028 | Not available |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $146,608 | Not available |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $145,996 | $19,500 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $135,677 | Not available |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Master's Degree | $127,297 | Not available |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Master's Degree | $127,072 | Not available |
| Medicine | First Professional Degree | $119,030 | Not available |
| Business/Commerce, General | Bachelor's Degree | $118,167 | $18,899 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's Degree | $116,679 | Not available |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $115,493 | $20,674 |
| Law | First Professional Degree | $112,646 | Not available |
| Law | Master's Degree | $102,929 | Not available |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $98,209 | $20,927 |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $85,668 | $23,133 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's Degree | $79,599 | $23,250 |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $77,984 | $22,250 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $77,847 | $19,500 |
| Biology, General | Master's Degree | $73,476 | Not available |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $64,814 | $21,500 |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $63,292 | $22,612 |
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | Master's Degree | $62,158 | Not available |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor's Degree | $60,875 | Not available |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $60,635 | $23,000 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Master's Degree | $57,982 | Not available |
| Chemistry | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $22,250 |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $23,000 |
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.