How do Arizona State and Wake Forest compare for undergraduate research opportunities?

For a student whose top priority is getting into faculty-mentored research early, Wake Forest has the edge because its smaller undergraduate environment makes direct relationships with professors more central to the experience. Arizona State offers a much larger and more varied research ecosystem, with particular depth in areas such as engineering, sustainability, health, space-related fields, and social science.

At Wake Forest, undergraduates commonly work closely with faculty through departmental labs, independent studies, honors theses, and summer projects. The school’s Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities programs provide research funding, presentation opportunities, and guidance for students pursuing projects across disciplines. Because classes and departments are smaller, students may find it more straightforward to approach professors and become known well enough to join a project.

ASU’s scale creates a different advantage: students can choose among many labs, institutes, and research centers, including opportunities tied to major research initiatives. Programs such as the Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative give engineering students structured ways to work with faculty, while other colleges offer discipline-specific research pathways. Students at ASU need to be more proactive in identifying a lab, contacting faculty, and navigating a large university, but a focused student can find substantial opportunities.