Safety Score
7.67 /1K students
incidents per 1,000 enrolled
Winston-Salem, NC · Clery Act 2023 · Private Nonprofit
Wake Forest University
According to the U.S. Department of Education's Clery Act filings, this profile covers campus safety, crime statistics, fire-safety data, and peer comparison for this 9,121-student campus.
- 7.67
- Incidents / 1k students
- #2,786
- Rank of 3,050
- #101
- NC rank
- 9,121
- Enrolled students
Data updated June 2026
The verdict
Wake Forest University reports 7.67 on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students, ranking #2,786 of 3,050 ranked U.S. campuses - with more reported incidents than 94% of ranked campuses its size.
- 7.67
- incidents / 1,000 students
- #2,786
- of 3,050 ranked nationally
- 94%
- report fewer incidents than this campus
- 46
- on-campus incidents, 2023
Safety score = reported on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is safer).
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2023
Wake Forest University increased from 44 to 46 reported on-campus incidents between the 2022 and 2023 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 changesWake Forest University is a Private Nonprofit institution located in Winston-Salem, NC, enrolling approximately 9,121 students. Clery Act data spanning 2021–2023 records 123 total on-campus incidents across all reported crime categories. Within NC, it ranks #101 by safety score. Verify with the U.S. Department of Education Clery Act database →
With 9,121 enrolled students, this campus sits in the mid-sized institution bracket, which shapes how raw incident counts should be interpreted.
The most frequently reported category at Wake Forest University is "Motor Vehicle Theft" with 58 cumulative incidents across the reporting window. Compared to 5 peer institutions of similar enrollment size in NC averaging 3.59 incidents per 1,000 students, Wake Forest University reports 113% more incidents per student.
Fire safety data covers 1 reporting year for on-campus residential facilities, logging 2 total fires. Arrests and disciplinary actions span 63 category-year records, covering liquor law violations, drug law violations, and weapons possession on-campus. No Department of Education Clery Act enforcement actions are recorded against this institution.
National Rank
#2786
See peer comparison
State Rank (NC)
#101
within state peers
Incidents (2023)
46
across 11 crime categories
Where Wake Forest University sits among ranked U.S. campuses
On-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 students, every ranked campus with 2,000+ students
8 safer than 6% of 1,807 ranked campuses
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more ranked campuses. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act) · 2023
Safety percentile vs. peers
Wake Forest University percentile rank 8.7%
National median
Higher percentile = safer than more peers. Rank #2786 out of 3,050 ranked institutions (enrollment >= 500) in the OPE Campus Safety Survey.
Reporting density vs peer median
Wake Forest University reports 113% more incidents per student than the median of 5 peer institutions.
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.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyWake Forest University: on-campus incidents by year
Rising 39% (33 → 46 incidents)
| Crime Type | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggravated Assault | 2 | 7 | 4 |
| Arson | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Burglary | 8 | 8 | 4 |
| Fondling | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| Incest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 28 | 21 | 9 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rape | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Robbery | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Figures show on-campus incidents
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
63 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 2 | 57 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 324 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 1 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
Wake Forest University vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer).
NC
Wake Forest University
7.67 incidents / 1,000 students
MN
University of St Thomas
3.07 incidents / 1,000 students
GA
Mercer University
4.71 incidents / 1,000 students
Similar Institutions
University of St Thomas
St. Paul, MN · 9,121 enrolled
Safety Score 3.07
Mercer University
Macon, GA · 9,124 enrolled
Safety Score 4.71
CUNY Graduate School and University Center
New York, NY · 9,116 enrolled
Safety Score 0.22
University of San Diego
San Diego, CA · 9,110 enrolled
Safety Score 5.82
University of California-Merced
Merced, CA · 9,147 enrolled
Safety Score 4.15
Closest by National Rank
Institutions ranked nearest Wake Forest University nationally (rank #2786), regardless of size or state.
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
Chickasha, OK
National Rank #2785
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT
National Rank #2787
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA
National Rank #2784
Alabama A & M University
Normal, AL
National Rank #2788
Morgan State University
Baltimore, MD
National Rank #2783
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wake Forest University safe?
Wake Forest University has a safety score of 7.67 (total on-campus incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #2,786 nationally out of 3,050+ ranked institutions. Compare this with peer institutions for context.
What crimes are reported at Wake Forest University?
Aggravated Assault, Arson, Burglary, Fondling, Incest, and other categories, for calendar year 2023.
How does Wake Forest University compare to similar schools?
See the Similar Institutions section below for peers of similar enrollment in NC.
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. 2 fires were reported in the most recent year.
Understanding Wake Forest University's Safety Profile
Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC enrolls 9,121 students and has a safety score of 7.67 incidents per 1,000 enrolled students , ranking #2786 nationally. This higher score indicates more reported incidents relative to enrollment, though context matters, urban campuses and larger institutions may have different reporting dynamics.
Reported incidents cover 2021 to 2023. On-campus incidents increased from 44 in 2022 to 46 in 2023.
Fire safety data covers on-campus residential facilities. 2 fires were reported in the most recent year.
What this means for you
Wake Forest University's 7.67 reported on-campus incidents per 1,000 students is a starting point for comparison, not a verdict on any student's safety.
- Weigh Wake Forest University against similar-size campuses, scale changes what the raw count means. Compare campuses
- A higher count can mean stronger reporting, not more danger. How the data works
- Clery covers campus grounds only. Campus vs. city crime
Figures reflect the 2023 Clery Act reporting year as filed with the U.S. Department of Education.
Data sourced from the U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCampus Editorial
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.