NC
Wake Forest University
10.19 incidents / 1,000 students
Winston-Salem, NC · Clery Act 2024 · Private Nonprofit
Wake Forest University
Across 2022–2024, Wake Forest University reported 157 incidents in the Clery Criminal Offenses section, and the yearly count rose over that span (largest filed category: Motor Vehicle Theft). Nearby same-state same-level comparison: North Carolina Central University.
- 10.19
- Incidents / 1k students
- #1,939
- Rank of 2,072
- #106
- NC rank
- 9,322
- Enrolled students
10.19 reported score-category incidents per 1,000 students
Wake Forest University reports 10.19 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 956% above Laney College. Similar-enrollment scored peers: Laney College (0.43/1k); Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (2.47/1k); Evergreen Valley College (0.54/1k); City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College (0.43/1k); Lorain County Community College (0.96/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes North Carolina Central University (5.13/1k); University of North Carolina at Pembroke (9.38/1k); Elon University (3.18/1k); Fayetteville State University (2.67/1k); Western Carolina University (4.54/1k); High Point University (6.79/1k); Campbell University (3.63/1k); Winston-Salem State University (15.47/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Motor Vehicle Theft.
Data source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
- incidents / 1,000 students
- 10.19
- of 2,072 ranked nationally
- #1,939
- report fewer incidents than this campus
- 94%
- Criminal Offenses, 2024
- 67
Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
Data updated August 2026
Clery Act plate
Sheet 199847 · Wake Forest University 10.19/1k score rate · #1,939/2,072
RATE-HOT · RANK-BOTTOM · ST-MID · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-REPORT
- RATE-HOT 10.19/1k
- RANK-BOTTOM #1,939/2,072
- ST-MID #106 in state
- ABOVE-PEER Florida Agricultural and Mechanical · +7.72
- ZERO-NONE Scored
- TREND-UP ↑ 52%
- CAT-LEAD Motor Vehicle Th…
- ENR-MID 9,322
- FIRE-REPORT 1 fire
Nearest enrollment peer: Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (-7.72/1k)
Wake Forest University sheet RATE-HOT · RANK-BOTTOM · ST-MID · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-REPORT · peer Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. Codes from this campus OPE filing: score-category rate, national/state rank, named enrollment peer, zero posture, Criminal Offenses trend, lead category, enrollment band, fire filing. Not a moving recommendation.
Clery plate RATE-HOT · RANK-BOTTOM · ST-MID · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-REPORT. Nearest similar-enrollment peer is Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (-7.72/1k). National rank #1,939 of 2,072 scored campuses. Instrument codes from this campus OPE sheet; compare similarly sized peers before treating any single rate as decisive.
Wake Forest University reports 10.19 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 956% above Laney College. Similar-enrollment scored peers: Laney College (0.43/1k); Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (2.47/1k); Evergreen Valley College (0.54/1k); City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College (0.43/1k); Lorain County Community College (0.96/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes North Carolina Central University (5.13/1k); University of North Carolina at Pembroke (9.38/1k); Elon University (3.18/1k); Fayetteville State University (2.67/1k); Western Carolina University (4.54/1k); High Point University (6.79/1k); Campbell University (3.63/1k); Winston-Salem State University (15.47/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Motor Vehicle Theft.
Peer-rate neighbourhood around Wake Forest University
Lowest/highest enrollment peers plus campuses nearest Wake on score-category rate. Full ladder: /rankings/safest-campuses.
- Laney College · lowest peer 0.43
Laney College — lowest peer
0.43 per 1,000 students
- Evergreen Valley College · near 0.54
Evergreen Valley College — near
0.54 per 1,000 students
- Lorain County Community College · near 0.96
Lorain County Community College — near
0.96 per 1,000 students
- Florida Agricultural and Mechanical · near 2.47
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University — near
2.47 per 1,000 students
- Wake Forest University · this campus · highest
Wake Forest University — this campus · highest
10.19 per 1,000 students
What this shows Neighbourhood of similar-enrollment peers around Wake Forest University's 10.19/1k rate, not a full-corpus distribution reprint.
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2024
Wake Forest University increased from 46 to 67 reported on-campus incidents between the 2023 and 2024 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.
This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.
See national reporting-year changesSignature insight · size does not equal danger
Campus size vs reported safety rate
Among 37 NC 4-year peers in this comparison, Wake Forest University is larger than 92% and safer-reporting than 11% - the larger, higher-reporting quadrant. Axes are within-sample percentiles so outliers share the same frame; a higher safety percentile means a lower Clery incidents-per-1,000 rate.
Read the chart as text
- Point 1: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 89, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 50
- Point 2: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 86, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 14
- Point 3: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 83, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 75
- Point 4: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 81, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 78
- Point 5: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 94, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 56
- Point 6: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 78, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 33
- Point 7: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 75, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 69
- Point 8: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 72, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 3
- Point 9: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 97, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 31
- Point 10: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 69, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 67
- Point 11: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 67, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 86
- Point 12: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 64, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 89
- Point 13: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 61, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 19
- Point 14: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 58, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 89
- Point 15: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 56, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 8
- Point 16: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 53, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 53
- Point 17: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 50, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 89
- Point 18: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 47, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 28
- Point 19: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 44, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 17
- Point 20: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 42, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 39
- Point 21: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 39, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 72
- Point 22: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 36, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 61
- Point 23: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 33, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 42
- Point 24: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 31, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 36
- Point 25: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 28, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 6
- Point 26: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 25, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 81
- Point 27: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 22, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 64
- Point 28: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 19, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 89
- Point 29: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 100, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 25
- Point 30: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 17, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 44
- Point 31: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 14, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 58
- Point 32: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 11, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 22
- Point 33: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 8, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 0
- Point 34: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 6, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 83
- Point 35: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 3, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 47
- Point 36: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 0, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 89
- Wake Forest University: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 92, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 11
Read the chart as a table
| Campus | Enrollment | Rate / 1k | Size pct | Safety pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabarrus College of Health Sciences | 924 | 0.00 | 0 | 89 |
| Livingstone College | 936 | 5.34 | 3 | 47 |
| Montreat College | 962 | 1.04 | 6 | 83 |
| Shaw University | 964 | 31.12 | 8 | 0 |
| Greensboro College | 967 | 8.27 | 11 | 22 |
| Mars Hill University | 1,110 | 4.50 | 14 | 58 |
| University of North Carolina School of the Arts | 1,111 | 5.40 | 17 | 44 |
| Guilford College | 1,180 | 0.00 | 19 | 89 |
| Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte | 1,184 | 4.22 | 22 | 64 |
| Barton College | 1,235 | 2.43 | 25 | 81 |
| Johnson C Smith University | 1,302 | 13.82 | 28 | 6 |
| Wake Forest University (this campus) | 9,322 | 10.19 | 92 | 11 |
Sample of 12 campuses from the plot (sorted by enrollment). Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey + IPEDS enrollment. Rate = on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 students; lower is safer-reporting, not a personal-risk forecast.
What changed between 2023 and 2024
Reported on-campus incidents at Wake Forest University rose from 46 to 67 (+46%). The increase shows up in Motor Vehicle Theft (28 to 47), Fondling (0 to 3) and Rape (6 to 8). Falling over the same period: Burglary (8 to 5) and Robbery (2 to 0).
This describes reported incidents, not crime. Clery counts move with reporting policy, awareness campaigns and how a campus staffs its security authorities, so a rise can reflect better capture of reports and a fall can reflect worse capture. One year of movement at a single campus is not a trend.
What actually gets reported at Wake Forest University
Across 3 reporting years, on-campus incidents were recorded in 7 Clery Act categories here: Motor Vehicle Theft, Burglary, Rape, Aggravated Assault, Fondling, Robbery and Arson. Motor Vehicle Theft accounts for most of them.
The remaining 4 categories were reported with no on-campus incidents, Incest, Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter, Negligent Manslaughter and Statutory Rape. Under the Clery Act that zero is an affirmative report that nothing in the category occurred, not an absence of data, which is why the table below lists those rows rather than dropping them.
Counts describe incidents reported under the Clery Act for the on-campus geography. Reporting practice varies between institutions, so counts are not a direct measure of relative safety.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyWake Forest University: Criminal Offenses by year
Rising 52% (44 → 67 incidents)
Read the chart as text
| Period | On-campus incidents |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 44 |
| 2023 | 46 |
| 2024 | 67 |
| Crime Type | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 47 | 28 | 21 |
| Burglary | 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Rape | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| Aggravated Assault | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| Fondling | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Robbery | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Arson | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Incest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Table figures show the Criminal Offenses section; other Clery tables are separate
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
63 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 1 | 37 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 1 | 357 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
Wake Forest University vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are $2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer in those categories).
CA
Laney College
0.43 incidents / 1,000 students
FL
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
2.47 incidents / 1,000 students
Cost context
Where Wake Forest University sits on price and outcomes
At $28,719, Wake Forest University's reported average net price is cheaper than 93% among 145 North Carolina colleges with a reported figure. The state median is $14,086.
- $28,719
- average net price
- $14,086
- North Carolina median
- 3.1×
- six-year earnings to median debt
- $51,556
- reported income-bracket spread
Aid here is steeply income-scaled. Families reporting under $30,000 of income record a net price of $6,525, while those above $110,000 record $58,081 - roughly 8.9 times as much. A published average of $28,719 therefore describes very few families well; the bracket nearest your own income is the more useful figure.
Six-year median earnings of $67,722 run about 2.4 times the annual net price. The margin is real but narrow, so how many years of price a student actually pays matters a great deal here.
Average net price reflects grant and scholarship aid for aided students, not a personal offer. Earnings cover former students who received federal aid; neither measure predicts an individual's outcome.
Academic & Financial Profile
Tuition & Costs
- In-State Tuition
- $67,642
- Out-of-State Tuition
- $67,642
- Avg Net Price
- $28,719
- Median Debt
- $21,500
- Pell Grant Recipients
- 10%
Admissions
- Acceptance Rate
- 22%
- SAT Average
- 1475
- SAT Math Range
- 710-770
- ACT Range
- 32-34
Outcomes
- 4-Year Graduation Rate
- 90%
- Retention Rate
- 93%
- Median Earnings (6yr)
- $67,722
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $78,158
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 91%
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.
Similar Institutions
Showing 5 of 820 similar institutions by enrollment size.
Laney College
Oakland, CA · 9,328 enrolled
Safety Score 0.43
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Tallahassee, FL · 9,313 enrolled
Safety Score 2.47
Evergreen Valley College
San Jose, CA · 9,336 enrolled
Safety Score 0.54
City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College
Chicago, IL · 9,303 enrolled
Safety Score 0.43
Lorain County Community College
Elyria, OH · 9,350 enrolled
Safety Score 0.96
Closest by National Rank
Wake Forest University (national rank #1939) sits near Manchester University (#1938) and Susquehanna University (#1940) on the scored national list, nearest by rank, not by size or state.
Nationwide campuses with similar scale or Clery rate
Two Clery-derived peer sets for Wake Forest University, both outside NC so the neighborhoods are not state containment (Similar Institutions and national-rank neighbors above stay enrollment- or rank-based).
Similar enrollment (nationwide)
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Tallahassee, FL · 9,313 enrolled
Safety score 2.47
Lorain County Community College
Elyria, OH · 9,350 enrolled
Safety score 0.96
Solano Community College
Fairfield, CA · 9,282 enrolled
Safety score 0.22
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA · 9,278 enrolled
Safety score 6.14
Southern Connecticut State University
New Haven, CT · 9,377 enrolled
Safety score 0.85
Maryville University of Saint Louis
Saint Louis, MO · 9,261 enrolled
Safety score 0.32
West Los Angeles College
Culver City, CA · 9,255 enrolled
Safety score 0.22
University of Minnesota-Duluth
Duluth, MN · 9,253 enrolled
Safety score 3.13
Similar 2024 Clery rate (nationwide)
Manchester University
North Manchester, IN · 1,276 enrolled
Safety score 10.19
Dillard University
New Orleans, LA · 1,080 enrolled
Safety score 10.19
Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, PA · 2,255 enrolled
Safety score 10.20
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY · 2,462 enrolled
Safety score 10.15
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA · 37,297 enrolled
Safety score 10.13
McPherson College
Mcpherson, KS · 878 enrolled
Safety score 10.25
Trinity College
Hartford, CT · 2,238 enrolled
Safety score 10.28
University of Dayton
Dayton, OH · 10,506 enrolled
Safety score 10.09
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wake Forest University safe?
Wake Forest University has a safety score of 10.19 (2024 on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #1,939 nationally out of 2,072 ranked institutions - nearest similar-enrollment comparison: Laney College (0.43/1k). Same-state same-level set: North Carolina Central University (5.13/1k); University of North Carolina at Pembroke (9.38/1k); Elon University (3.18/1k); Fayetteville State University (2.67/1k); Western Carolina University (4.54/1k); High Point University (6.79/1k); Campbell University (3.63/1k); Winston-Salem State University (15.47/1k).
What crimes are reported at Wake Forest University?
For calendar year 2024, Wake Forest University reported Motor Vehicle Theft (47), Rape (8), Burglary (5), Aggravated Assault (3) and Fondling (3), and 1 further category in the Criminal Offenses section. Every other category in that section was reported at zero; other Clery tables are separate.
How does Wake Forest University compare to similar schools?
Wake Forest University reports 956% more 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 than Laney College. Scored similar-enrollment peers on this page: Laney College (0.43/1k); Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (2.47/1k); Evergreen Valley College (0.54/1k); City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College (0.43/1k); Lorain County Community College (0.96/1k). Same-state same-level set: North Carolina Central University (5.13/1k); University of North Carolina at Pembroke (9.38/1k); Elon University (3.18/1k); Fayetteville State University (2.67/1k); Western Carolina University (4.54/1k); High Point University (6.79/1k); Campbell University (3.63/1k); Winston-Salem State University (15.47/1k).
Does Wake Forest University have fire safety data?
Yes. Wake Forest University reports fire safety data for on-campus residential facilities, including total fires, injuries, deaths, and fire damage categories. 1 fire was reported in the most recent year.
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice.