Wake Forest University
Former names | Wake Forest Manual Labor Institute (1834–1839) Wake Forest College (1839–1967) |
|---|---|
| Motto | Pro Humanitate (Latin) |
Motto in English | "For Humanity" |
| Type | Private research university |
| Established | February 3, 1834 |
| Founder | Baptist State Convention of North Carolina |
| Accreditation | SACS |
Religious affiliation | Nonsectarian; (historically Baptist until 1986) |
Academic affiliations | |
| Endowment | $1.99 billion (2024) |
| President | Susan Wente |
| Provost | Michele Gillespie |
Academic staff | 6,667 (includes full- time faculty and staff) |
| Students | 9,121 (fall 2023) |
| Undergraduates | 5,471 (fall 2023) |
| Postgraduates | 3,650 (fall 2023) |
| Location | , , United States 36°08′02″N 80°16′34″W / 36.134°N 80.276°W |
| Campus | Midsize City,, 340 acres (140 ha) |
| Newspaper | Old Gold & Black |
| Other campuses | |
| Colors | Old gold and black |
| Nickname | Demon Deacons |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division I FBS – ACC |
| Mascot | The Demon Deacon |
| Website | wfu |
Wake Forest University (WFU) is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, has been located north of downtown Winston-Salem since the university moved there in 1956. Wake Forest also maintains other academic campuses or facilities in Charlotte, North Carolina; Washington, D.C.; Venice; Vienna; and London.
Wake Forest's undergraduate and graduate schools include the School of Business, School of Arts and Sciences, School of Professional Studies, School of Divinity, School of Law, and School of Medicine. There are over 250 student clubs and organizations at the university, including fraternities and sororities, intramural sports, a student newspaper and a radio station. The university is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High Research Spending and Doctorate Production" and its undergraduate admissions is considered selective.
According to the National Science Foundation, Wake Forest spent $191 million on research and development in 2018, ranking it 117th in the nation.
As of 2024, eighteen Rhodes Scholars, including thirteen since 1986, five Marshall Scholars, fifteen Truman Scholars and sixty-two Fulbright recipients since 1993 have been affiliated with Wake Forest. Alumni of Wake Forest include nine college founders and presidents, six U.S. governors, sixteen members of the United States Congress, five U.S. federal officials, five U.S. diplomats, a Pulitzer Prize winner, Olympic athletes and many U.S. district judges.
Wake Forest athletic teams are known as the Demon Deacons and compete in eighteen NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports. Those teams have won ten NCAA team championships and the university is a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).