Bates College vs Wake Forest University (WFU)

Bates College and Wake Forest University, both esteemed private institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Bates, nestled in Lewiston, Maine, boasts a tight-knit community with a focus on liberal arts education, while Wake Forest, located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, combines a liberal arts foundation with renowned programs in business and the sciences. With Bates' acceptance rate hovering around 15% and Wake Forest's at 30%, both institutions are highly selective. While Bates' student body is predominantly White, Wake Forest's is more diverse, reflecting the broader national demographics. Both colleges boast impressive graduation rates, with Bates at 93% and Wake Forest at 89%. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' academic offerings, campus life, and financial aid opportunities, and make an informed decision that aligns with your aspirations and goals.
Bates College logo

Bates College

Wake Forest University logo

Wake Forest University

Overview

Location Lewiston, Maine Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Campus setting City: Small City: Midsize
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system 4-1-4 Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 92.0% 94.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 17.3% 25.2%
Application fees $60
Undergraduate: $85

Graduate: $80
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 7,319 15,156
Total number of admissions given out 1,267 3,816
Admitted students who chose to enroll 553 1,412
Yield rate 43.6% 37.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $77,870 $79,886
Average net price $26,231 $24,643
Tuition $59,062 $58,708
Room & board $16,658
Room/dormitory: $10,144

Meal plan: $7,870
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

36.0%
Average amount $50,509
33.0%
Average amount $53,244
Students receiving federal student loan 12.0%
Average amount $4,182
17.0%
Average amount $4,985
Students taking out private loans 3.0%
Average amount $23,825
3.0%
Average amount $32,719

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,821
Men 48.6% Women 51.4%
5,472
Men 45.7% Women 54.3%
Graduate students N/A 3,475
Men 42.4% Women 57.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 8.7% 9.8%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 1,816 4,152
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Physical Science
  • Social Sciences
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Psychology
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Legal Profession
  • Education
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 10:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 91.7% 90.2%
Dropout rate 2.3% 9.5%
Transferred out 5.8% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,768
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $73,497
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $51,273
  • Year 3: $55,661
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,568
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: $53,638
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $22,883
  • Year 2: $26,353
  • Year 3: $35,020
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $22,192
  • Year 3: N/A
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $30,771
  • Year 3: N/A
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $33,170
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $36,112
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,731
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,657
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: N/A
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $169,430
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $155,438
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $96,143
  • Year 2: $96,587
  • Year 3: $105,398
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,169
  • Year 2: $80,510
  • Year 3: $96,761
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $86,086
  • Year 2: $76,836
  • Year 3: $93,939
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,098
  • Year 2: $71,015
  • Year 3: $89,902
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,076
  • Year 2: $65,145
  • Year 3: $79,400
Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,533
  • Year 2: $66,653
  • Year 3: $76,702
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,731
  • Year 2: $60,811
  • Year 3: $72,065
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,100
  • Year 2: $55,693
  • Year 3: $70,717
Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,086
  • Year 2: $57,411
  • Year 3: $65,270

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
Bates College Bates College vs Pitzer College Pitzer College
Bates College Bates College vs Colorado College Colorado College
Bates College Bates College vs Connecticut College Connecticut College
Bates College Bates College vs Trinity College Trinity College
Bates College Bates College vs Spelman College Spelman College
Bates College Bates College vs Knox College Knox College
Bates College Bates College vs St. Mary's College of Maryland St. Mary's College of Maryland
Bates College Bates College vs Gordon College Gordon College
Bates College Bates College vs College of the Holy Cross College of the Holy Cross
Bates College Bates College vs Merrimack College Merrimack College
Bates College Bates College vs Stonehill College Stonehill College
Bates College Bates College vs Hillsdale College Hillsdale College
Bates College Bates College vs University of New Hampshire-Main Campus University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Bates College Bates College vs Saint Anselm College Saint Anselm College
Bates College Bates College vs Bard College Bard College
Bates College Bates College vs St Lawrence University St Lawrence University
Bates College Bates College vs Elon University Elon University
Bates College Bates College vs Wake Forest University Wake Forest University
Bates College Bates College vs Lewis & Clark College Lewis & Clark College
Bates College Bates College vs Bucknell University Bucknell University
Bates College Bates College vs Gettysburg College Gettysburg College
Bates College Bates College vs Muhlenberg College Muhlenberg College
Bates College Bates College vs Ursinus College Ursinus College
Bates College Bates College vs Furman University Furman University
Bates College Bates College vs Southwestern University Southwestern University
Bates College Bates College vs Trinity University Trinity University
Bates College Bates College vs Lawrence University Lawrence University
Wake Forest University WFU vs Alabama A & M University Alabama A & M University
Wake Forest University WFU vs Samford University Samford University
Wake Forest University WFU vs University of California-Berkeley University of California-Berkeley
Wake Forest University WFU vs Pepperdine University Pepperdine University
Wake Forest University WFU vs George Washington University George Washington University
Wake Forest University WFU vs University of Miami University of Miami
Wake Forest University WFU vs Northwestern University Northwestern University
Wake Forest University WFU vs Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University
Wake Forest University WFU vs Babson College Babson College
Wake Forest University WFU vs Boston College Boston College
Wake Forest University WFU vs Endicott College Endicott College
Wake Forest University WFU vs Harvard University Harvard University
Wake Forest University WFU vs Massachusetts Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Wake Forest University WFU vs Northeastern University Northeastern University
Wake Forest University WFU vs Tufts University Tufts University
Wake Forest University WFU vs Colgate University Colgate University
Wake Forest University WFU vs United States Military Academy United States Military Academy
Wake Forest University WFU vs Davidson College Davidson College
Wake Forest University WFU vs Duke University Duke University
Wake Forest University WFU vs Elon University Elon University
Wake Forest University WFU vs University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Wake Forest University WFU vs University of Tulsa University of Tulsa
Wake Forest University WFU vs Belmont University Belmont University
Wake Forest University WFU vs Southern Methodist University Southern Methodist University
Wake Forest University WFU vs Marquette University Marquette University
Wake Forest University WFU vs Stanford University Stanford University