@Publisher there are a lot of athletes who go on to get graduate degrees when they redshirt. I’m sure the school takes care of them as needed through grant aid.
Wake Forest doesn’t have the endowment per student of many of their peers, so they rely on full pay students to a greater extent than others. That is also reflected in the NYT Upshot article.
It’s financial trajectory is similar to and several years behind Vanderbilt, which like Wake has moved from a regional university to national prominence. My Vanderbilt grad friends who have kids at Wake tell me that reminds them of VU when they were in school.
Wake has differentiated itself as a “Collegiate University”, which is an apt description in my view. The blend of intensive academics, small class size and Power Five sports gives it a flavor and feel all its own. It’s not perfect, but for the right student is pretty special.