Wake Forest climbs to No. 17 in LinkedIn’s Top Colleges ranking

Wake Forest ranked No. 17 in LinkedIn’s Top Colleges 2026 ranking, climbing eight spots from its No. 25 debut on last year’s inaugural list. The ranking evaluates colleges and universities that best prepare graduates for long-term career success. Wake Forest also ranked No. 10 for job placement and No. 6 among colleges for business majors. 

• The LinkedIn Top Colleges ranking is based on LinkedIn data that evaluates alumni career outcomes across five areas: job placement, internship opportunities and recruiter demand, career success, network strength and knowledge breadth. 
• Job placement measures the percentage of recent graduates who begin a full-time position or enroll in graduate school within the same year of graduation. 
• The ranking of colleges for business majors includes how quickly graduates find employment, advance into leadership roles and pursue entrepreneurial opportunities.

To be eligible for the rankings, institutions must be U.S.-based, regionally accredited four-year colleges and universities with at least 2,000 alumni represented on LinkedIn, including at least 500 graduates from the classes of 2020 through 2025.

This recognition reflects Wake Forest’s strong career outcomes and continued commitment to preparing students for success after graduation. Over the past five years, an average of 97% of Wake Forest graduates have been employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation.