Our daughter really liked Wake Forest- the size, location, and overall feel of the school. Her top priority in a college is academics, school spirit and feeling as though she will be happy there (I know that doesn’t really help). Oh and she would like a pretty library where she can study 
She is learning towards studying biology or engineering and needs some time to figure out her career path. We have 3 children and have given each of them 250K to go to college/graduate school. Wake Forest is 95K and she will not get any financial aid. She does not want to take out loans. We have searched and searched for a cheaper Wake Forest. Does one exist?
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When you say spirit do you mean ACC sports ? Syracuse, could get there with merit. Could, not will.
For $65k a lot will work but many will be larger - depending on stats, down to $20k.
Likely lots of better places to study engineering than Wake which just recently got accredited and only in general. Does she have a specific interest ?
Like Wake light and much cheaper to me is Furman but no engineering.
Tell us what spirit means and what type of engineering.
Bio can be done anywhere but with an interest in engineering, best to start there.
Miami gives many $25k to get you closer. SMU too. Vandy and WashU are bigger reaches but have half and full scholarships. Hail Mary types but depending on what spirit means could work. Rochester and Case too but I imagine too cold and blah on spirit. U Denver will hit cost.
There’s more once we learn more.
Stats, SAT/ACT, rigor, ECs if possible, engineering interest and what spirit means ??
Thx
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Might she be a candidate for a merit scholarship anywhere? You said that she likes the location. Is that part of what you’re looking for? And if so, please elaborate. What state are you from?
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Overlaps with Wake for my kids were Richmond, Washington & Lee, Sewanee, Rhodes, and Davidson. All of these offer good merit aid to students, offer a similar academic experience, and would likely be within your budget after merit aid.
If division I sports are important look at TCU, SMU, or Tulane.
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National merit? Look at U Tulsa.
Elon University? Hits budget before merit, and being an easier admit, she is highly likely to get merit.
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Mine decided between Wake, Elon, and William and Mary. Decided on William and Mary OOS-good bit cheaper than Wake for us. Excellent for bio, but doesn’t have engineering.
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What about University of Delaware? It’s in a smaller city, has sports, has school spirit, has engineering and biology, and everyone we know who has attended was very happy.
I think it might hit your price point as well.
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Just my opinion - OP should find a school with engineering. W&L yes but not accredited.
Richmond, Davidson and Sewanee don’t.
Elon does and has a bioengineering concentration - different than Wake in environment (more rural) and is much less academicky.
But budget friendly.
Interested for OP to get more specific.
Delaware could be a great suggestion.
Not the right area, weather or spirit - but like school in some ways (wealthy, mostly full pay) is Tufts. But no need aid.
UAH is 10k kids, suburbanish in a nicer city than Winston surrounded by rocket scientists…, nice campus. Hockey rules there. Nothing like Wake but likely considered a better engineering school and would be $20-40k-ish (full cost) but you couldn’t put in a ‘similar’ to Wake as it’s a regional state school with a national engineering rep vs an overall wealthy attendee but outstanding university.
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The Honors program at Elon will not only give you an extra $20,000 +, but makes it feel much more like Wake academically
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Still without info so we may all be wrong - but wrong region, lots of sunshine and wealthy clientele (like Wake) but with lots of merit - U of Denver - dependent on the type of engineering.
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OP- does your state flagship have an honors program, theme housing or similar? If it’s affordable, that’s one way to experience a smaller version of a large university.
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Clemson?
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Not knowing what about the feel or the location felt great, I went ahead and worked on a list, sorted by their admission rates (some of which are repeats of others’ suggestions).
They are all ABET-accredited for at least general engineering and often times multiple engineering specialties. Some of the schools will fall within budget by their sticker price, but most of them will require merit aid to get there. I suspect that all of the 80-99% schools will meet budget, and most of the 60-79% schools. As the admit rates get lower, the chances for significant merit aid drop as well, but significant merit aid is possible at all of these schools.
And for reference:
Wake Forest: About 5500 undergrads with a 22% admit rate and ABET-accredited for general engineering.
80-99+% Admit Rate
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Christopher Newport (VA): About 4400 undergrads in the Newport area. ABET-accredited for computer and electrical engineering.
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Miami U. (OH): About 16k undergrads at this school that a lot of people say feels like a larger William & Mary. ABET-accredited for biomedical, chemical, computer, electrical, manufacturing, mechanical, and software engineering as well as CS and a couple of engineering technology fields.
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U. of St. Thomas (MN): About 6k undergrads and ABET-accredited for civil, computer, electrical, and mechanical engineering.
60-79% Admit Rate
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Elon (NC): This was the first school that came to mind. About 6400 undergrads. ABET-accredited for general engineering.
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Loyola Maryland: About 4k undergrads that’s ABET-accredited for engineering and CS. Students are also allowed to cross-register at other Baltimore-area schools like Johns Hopkins and Goucher.
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Merrimack (MA): About 4k undergrads at this school that’s ABET-accredited in civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering.
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Southern Methodist (TX): About 7100 undergrads and ABET-accredited for civil, computer, electrical, environmental, and mechanical engineering as well as CS.
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U. of Dayton (OH): About 8200 undergrads and ABET-accredited for chemical, civil, computer, electrical, and mechanical engineering as well as electronic, industrial, and mechanical engineering technology, and CS.
40-59% Admit Rate
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Fairfield (CT): About 5k undergrads at this school that’s ABET-accredited for biomedical, electrical, and mechanical engineering as well as CS.
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Syracuse (NY): About 16k undergrads at this school that’s ABET-accredited for aerospace, bioengineering, chemical, civil, computer, leectrical, environmental, and mechanical engineering, as well as CS.
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Texas Christian: About 11k undergrads and ABET-accredited in general engineering.
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Union (NY): About 2100 undergrads at this school that is ABET-accredited for biomedical, computer, electrical, and mechanical engineering.
20-39% Admit Rate
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Bucknell (PA ): About 3800 undergrads and ABET-accredited for biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, environmental, and mechanical engineering, plus CS.
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Case Western (OH): About 6200 undergrads in a fun part of Cleveland. ABET-accredited for aerospace, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, materials, mechanical, poymer, and systems engineering plus data science and engineering physics.
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Lafayette (PA ): About 2800 undergrads and ABET-accredited in chemical, civil, electrical & computer, and mechanical engineering, plus CS.
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Lehigh (PA ): About 5500 undergrads and ABET-accredited in bioengineering, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, environmental, industrial, materials, and mechanical engineering along with CS.
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Villanova (PA ): About 7100 undergrads and ABET-accredited for chemical, civil, computer, electrical, and mechanical engineering.
Less than 20% Admit Rate
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Duke (NC): About 6500 undergrads and ABET-accredited in civil, electrical & computer, environmental, and mechanical engineering.
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Rice (TX): About 4600 undergrads and ABET-accredited for bioengineering, chemical, civil, electrical & computer, materials & nanoengineering, and mechanical engineering.
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Tulane (LA): About 8100 undergrads at this school that is ABET-accredited for biomedical and chemical engineering as well as engineering physics and IT.
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U. of Miami (FL): About 13k undergrads and ABET-accredited in biomedical, civil, computer, electrical, environmental, industrial, and mechanical engineering.
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Vanderbilt (TN): About 7200 undergrads and ABET-accredited for biomedical, chemical, civil, electrical & computer, and mechanical engineering as well as CS.
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What are her stats? Can she expect merit aid? Not sure of the prices, however:
University of the South (Sewanee)
Miami of Ohio
An honors college at someplace like Ole Miss
(Don’t discount it just because it’s Mississippi —an honors program can be very different)
Belmont
William and Mary
Tulane
Rollins?
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Unfortunately, of those only Miami (much more rural than Wake…if that’s an issue…but beautiful) has engineering.
Tulane does do but likely not at budget.
Because the student has initial interest in engineering, I would personally stick to those that have it.
Since you’re writing and I don’t know the student’s particular engineering interests or religious practices - Baylor anyone?? They could hit and it could be a reasonable sub.
Mercer University in Macon could be another.
Given the interest in biology, I don’t know if the discipline would be biomedical (one of the harder to find a high paying job) but schools to consider could be and I’m going budget here - ABET accredited schools for bio engineering:
Florida Gulf Coast - near the beach, less academicky but engineering anywhere is going to have strong students.
Florida Tech
Miami possible but not probable to hit budget (already mentioned).
Hofstra - but suitcase reputation
RIT
Syracuse mentioned upthread
Bucknell - unlikely to hit budget
Lehigh - unlikely to hit budget
URI and UVM as smaller publics but likely cold and Marshall a regional public
It’s so fun to play this game - but we’ve got no info
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Yep—has OP been back? Does their student have a test score? Because that can make a huge difference when it comes to merit. What are the ECs? Any hooks? Are they 100% sure they won’t get any financial help, even at the private schools? How important is warm weather generally or the southeast specifically? School sports? Greek life? Religious or not? Conservative or liberal?
My daughter really liked Lafayette and they have engineering - cute town and a fun rivalry with nearby Lehigh. The campus is beautiful and a really pretty library. Also has Greek life.
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I thought of it but merit, while possible, is unlikely, given tye budget. Good one to consider.
Virginia Tech? Would come in close to budget without any help. But like others have said, would be great to see the OP back to provide additional information.
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