Lake Forest College is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Lake Forest, Illinois. It enrolls 1,813 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
70/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes85
Value26
Affordability34
Selectivity81
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Lake Forest College admits 56.8% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
56.8%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1190 – 1393
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
28 – 32
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Lake Forest College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↑
4.2 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $28,673 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$56,402
Room & Board (on-campus)
$12,700
Room & Board (off-campus)
$12,700
Books & Supplies
$1,350
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,048
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,048
Total Cost of Attendance
$70,655
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$19,605
$30,001 – $48,000
$20,210
$48,001 – $75,000
$21,481
$75,001 – $110,000
$26,055
Over $110,000
$35,341
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,50010%percentile
$14,50025%percentile
$26,158Medianpercentile
$28,00075%percentile
$40,50090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $21,500
↓ $4,658
No Pell $21,500
↓ $4,658
Dependent students $21,500
↓ $4,658
Independent students $16,500
↓ $9,658
Female students $22,750
↓ $3,408
Male students $19,687
↓ $6,471
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,750, less than completers ($26,158), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
77% of students who start here finish within six years, and 88% come back after first year. Most people who start here leave with the degree they came for. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
77%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
88%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $61,825 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$61,825
Earning > $25K
84%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$51,400
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$61,100
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$56,000
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$54,200
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$56,300
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $9,700, about 16% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
12.7 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 93% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,813 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
1,813
Part-Time
1%
First-Generation
25%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 46.9%850
International 19.8%358
Hispanic 18.1%328
Asian 6.2%113
Other 3.8%68
Black 2.6%47
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Lake Forest College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Lake Forest College offers
a varied set of programs:
34 distinct programs across
18 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 12 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
12:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$203M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$80,421
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
112 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
27
24%
$104,091
Associate Professors
35
31%
$83,770
Assistant Professors
42
38%
$64,835
Instructors
7
6%
$69,532
Lecturers
1
1%
$55,000
Pros & Cons of Lake Forest College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Lake Forest College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lake Forest College
The questions families ask most about Lake Forest College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Lake Forest College hard to get into?
Admissions at Lake Forest College are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 56.8%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Lake Forest College?
56.8% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Lake Forest College?
Aim for 1393 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1190 and 1393 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Lake Forest College?
Aim for 32 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 28 and 32 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Lake Forest College cost?
Budget around $28,673 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Lake Forest College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $61,825 a year against a net price of $28,673, about 2.2 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Lake Forest College known for?
Mostly Experimental Psychology, Business, Finance. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Lake Forest College graduates earn?
About $61,825 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Lake Forest College accredited?
Yes. Lake Forest College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Lake Forest College?
1,813 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Lake Forest College?
77% finish within six years. Most people who start here graduate, which is the signal you want. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Lake Forest College a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Lake Forest College located?
Lake Forest College is located in Lake Forest, Illinois.
What programs does Lake Forest College offer?
34 different programs, most commonly Experimental Psychology, Business, Finance. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Lake Forest College?
12 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Illinois
Other colleges in Illinois share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
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