Founded in 1834, Wake Forest University is a private institution located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The school is named after Wake Forest, an area in the north of Raleigh, where it was originally established. In 1956, the university moved its main campus, the Reynolda Campus, to downtown Winston-Salem. The University also has labs at Biotech Plaza, at the downtown Piedmont Research Park, and at the Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials. The University's Babcock Graduate School of Management maintains a presence on the main campus in Winston-Salem and in Charlotte, North Carolina. Wake Forest University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 4,850 and utilizes a semester-based academic calendar.

Wake Forest is comprised of two undergraduate schools and five graduate or professional schools. Wake Forest's undergraduate education consists of a liberal arts curriculum in Wake Forest College and classes in the School of Business. The university offers 40 majors and 57 interdisciplinary minors across various fields of study. Its graduate programs include the highly ranked School of Law, Babcock Graduate School of Management and School of Medicine. About 60 percent of students take advantage of Wake's study abroad programs offered in more than 70 countries around the world. Notable alumni include the shortest NBA player of all-time, Muggsy Bogues; legendary golfer Arnold Palmer; and journalist and talk show host Al Hunt.

The school's sports teams are called Demon Deacons and compete in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference. Students must live on campus for six semesters in one of the residence halls. Greek organizations play a big role at Wake Forest and almost half of the student body are its members.