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Northwestern 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

  • Northwestern places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 73.1% of the Class of 2025, against 31.0% at Wake Forest.
  • Wake Forest costs about $60K less over three years after the average scholarship: $181K against $242K.
  • Northwestern is harder to get into: a 173 median LSAT and a 12.3% acceptance rate, against 166 and 24.6% at Wake Forest.
  • Northwestern has the higher first time bar pass rate: 91.8% against 89.6%.
Northwestern
vs
Wake Forest

Where graduates go

Northwestern leads 4 of 5

✓73.1%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
31.0%
✓67.4%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
26.6%
✓5.7%
Federal clerkships
4.4%
97.3%
Graduates employed
✓98.7%
✓91.8%
First time bar passage
89.6%

What it costs

Wake Forest leads 2 of 4

$242K
Three year net cost
✓$181K
✓76%
Students receiving a scholarship
76%
$40,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
$40,000/yr
$28,190/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
✓$29,331/yr

Who gets in

Acceptance rate: Northwestern 12.3% · Wake Forest 24.6%

LSAT

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

Northwestern
167173175
Wake Forest
163166168
160162164166168170172174176178

GPA

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

Northwestern
3.763.964.00
Wake Forest
3.603.793.90
3.553.653.753.853.954.05

Frequently asked questions

Is Northwestern or Wake Forest better for BigLaw?
Northwestern placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 73.1% against 31.0%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Northwestern placed 67.4% and Wake Forest placed 26.6%. Federal clerkships were 5.7% at Northwestern and 4.4% at Wake Forest.
Which is harder to get into, Northwestern or Wake Forest?
Northwestern's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 173 and a median GPA of 3.96, with a 12.3% 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, Northwestern or Wake Forest?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $242K at Northwestern 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, Northwestern or Wake Forest?
76% of Northwestern students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $40,000 a year among recipients. 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?
91.8% of Northwestern'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 Northwestern 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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