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Harvard University vs Wake Forest University

Where graduates end up, what each school really costs, and who gets in, side by side from each school's official ABA data. Add your LSAT and GPA to see your chances and scholarship estimates at both.

VS
Add your numbersSee your admission chances and scholarship estimates at both schools.

The short version

  • Harvard places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 70.3% of the Class of 2025, against 31.0% at Wake Forest.
  • Wake Forest costs about $138K less over three years after the average scholarship: $181K against $319K, and more of its students get a scholarship (76% vs 38%).
  • Harvard is harder to get into: a 174 median LSAT and a 9.2% acceptance rate, against 166 and 24.6% at Wake Forest.
  • Harvard has the higher first time bar pass rate: 97.9% against 89.6%.
Harvard
vs
Wake Forest

Where graduates go

Harvard leads 5 of 5

✓70.3%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
31.0%
✓53.7%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
26.6%
✓16.6%
Federal clerkships
4.4%
✓98.8%
Graduates employed
98.7%
✓97.9%
First time bar passage
89.6%

What it costs

Wake Forest leads 4 of 4

$319K
Three year net cost
✓$181K
38%
Students receiving a scholarship
✓76%
$27,510/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
✓$40,000/yr
$10,932/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
✓$29,331/yr

Who gets in

Acceptance rate: Harvard 9.2% · Wake Forest 24.6%

LSAT

Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.

Harvard
171174176
Wake Forest
163166168
160162164166168170172174176178

GPA

Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.

Harvard
3.893.964.00
Wake Forest
3.603.793.90
3.553.653.753.853.954.05

Frequently asked questions

Is Harvard or Wake Forest better for BigLaw?
Harvard placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 70.3% against 31.0%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Harvard placed 53.7% and Wake Forest placed 26.6%. Federal clerkships were 16.6% at Harvard and 4.4% at Wake Forest.
Which is harder to get into, Harvard or Wake Forest?
Harvard's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 174 and a median GPA of 3.96, with a 9.2% acceptance rate. Wake Forest's had 166 and 3.79, with 24.6%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Harvard or Wake Forest?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $319K at Harvard and $181K at Wake Forest, including living costs. Public schools are shown at out of state tuition. Your own scholarship can move these numbers a lot, so add your numbers above for an estimate.
Which gives more scholarship money, Harvard or Wake Forest?
Harvard awards aid on financial need only. 76% of Wake Forest students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $40,000 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
97.9% of Harvard's first time takers passed in 2025, against 89.6% at Wake Forest. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Harvard or Wake Forest?
It depends on your goals, your odds and your offers. Compare where each school's graduates end up, then add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances and scholarships at both. Your scholarship offer usually changes the cost more than anything else.

What a higher LSAT changes

Move the LSAT slider in the admissions calculator to watch your odds and scholarship estimates change at every school.

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Figures come from each school’s official ABA disclosures. Admission chances and scholarship estimates are modeled from that data and are not predictions of any individual decision. Our data and methodology

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