Lake Forest College
A good fit for students who want small classes and close faculty access. no major red flags in the data. solid earnings of $55,600 within 10 years; financial aid brings net price below sticker.
About This School
Lake Forest College is a private nonprofit institution located in Lake Forest, Illinois with approximately 1,782 undergraduate students enrolled. Lake Forest College has an open or accessible admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 59%. The average net price after financial aid is $27,499 per year. The graduation rate is 70%, and the typical graduate earns $55,600 within 10 years of enrollment.
Lake Forest College is a private liberal arts college in Lake Forest, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1857 as Lind University by a group of Presbyterian ministers, the college has been coeducational since 1876 and an undergraduate-focused liberal arts institution since 1903. Lake Forest enrolls approximately 1,800 students representing 43 states and 114 countries. Lake Forest offers 34 undergraduate majors and 49 minor programs in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, and features programs of study in pre-law, pre-medicine, communication, business, finance, and computer science. Most students live on the college's wooded 107-acre (43 ha) campus located 0.5 miles (0.80 km) from the Lake Michigan shore; however, the population of commuting students has increased in the past few years.
This small liberal arts college north of Chicago is worth considering if you want a tight-knit campus experience with genuine international diversity — over 100 countries represented among roughly 1,800 students. The financial picture is reasonable, with median debt at graduation around $21,500 and a net price of $27,499/year, but the 70% graduation rate is a real flag worth asking admissions about directly. Graduates earn a median of $55,600 a decade out, which is solid but not exceptional, so this school makes the most sense for students drawn to specific liberal arts strengths rather than chasing a salary-focused major.
Popular Programs
Percentage of degrees awarded. Source: College Scorecard.
Notable Alumni
Source: Wikidata. Used for context only.
Admissions
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Cost & Financial Aid
Financial Aid
Full Cost
After Graduation
Will This School Pay Off?
Solid return. Earnings outpace debt, though major choice matters.
Earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. These are means across all graduates, not specific to any major.
Student Body
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (1,782 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Official Links
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Sources & Methodology
Primary data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Accessed via automated sync. Latest values may come from different reporting years depending on the metric.
School overview from Wikipedia. Used for context only, not as a primary data source for admissions, cost, or outcomes claims.
- Earnings figures are institution-level averages, not major-specific.
- Some metrics are based on Title IV financial aid recipients only.
- Some values may be privacy-suppressed or rolled up by the Department of Education.
- Contact the school directly for current admissions requirements and costs.
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