Mary Baldwin University vs Wake Forest University (WFU)

Mary Baldwin University and Wake Forest University, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to their students. Mary Baldwin, a private liberal arts university in Staunton, Virginia, prides itself on its small class sizes and personalized attention, with an acceptance rate of 75%. Wake Forest, a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, boasts a more selective admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 33%. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with popular majors at Mary Baldwin including Business Administration, Psychology, and Education, while Wake Forest is known for its strengths in Business, Biology, and Psychology. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further distinctions between these two esteemed institutions, considering factors such as student body demographics, graduation rates, and available resources, to determine the best fit for your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Mary Baldwin University logo

Mary Baldwin University

Wake Forest University logo

Wake Forest University

Overview

Location Staunton, Virginia 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 and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 64.0% 94.0%
Common app member No No
Religious affiliation Presbyterian

Admission

Acceptance rate 87.1% 25.2%
Application fees $45
Undergraduate: $85

Graduate: $80
SAT range 940 - 1120 N/A
ACT range 18 - 24 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 63.0%
Students submitting ACT score 18.0%
Total number of applicants 7,188 15,156
Total number of admissions given out 6,261 3,816
Admitted students who chose to enroll 358 1,412
Yield rate 5.7% 37.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A
High school GPA N/A Required
Recommendation letters N/A Required
High school transcript N/A Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) N/A Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $46,150 $79,886
Average net price $17,525 $24,643
Tuition $30,690 $58,708
Room & board $9,730
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)

100.0%
Average amount $25,086
33.0%
Average amount $53,244
Students receiving federal student loan 79.0%
Average amount $5,597
17.0%
Average amount $4,985
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $10,189
3.0%
Average amount $32,719

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,489
Men 20.9% Women 79.1%
5,472
Men 45.7% Women 54.3%
Graduate students 653
Men 19.0% Women 81.0%
3,475
Men 42.4% Women 57.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 0.5% 9.8%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 790 4,152
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Education
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Liberal Arts
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Legal Profession
  • Education
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 11:1 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 47.9% 90.2%
Dropout rate 21.3% 9.5%
Transferred out 30.3% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,305
  • Year 2: $43,739
  • Year 3: $45,663
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,211
  • Year 2: $35,274
  • Year 3: $39,684
Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,555
  • Year 2: $26,715
  • Year 3: $36,688
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $32,925
  • Year 3: $33,293
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,446
  • Year 2: $28,055
  • Year 3: $32,752
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $28,055
  • Year 3: N/A
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,891
  • Year 2: $30,409
  • Year 3: N/A
Criminology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $26,353
  • Year 3: N/A
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: N/A
Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $34,420
  • 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

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