U.S. median for this major: $65,292.
College Scorecard field of study; 68 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 36% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,836.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $70,655. College Scorecard.
Lake Forest College Business: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses Lake Forest College's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $19,605 | $80,577 | 2.1 years |
| $30–48k | $20,210 | $83,063 | 2.1 years |
| $48–75k | $21,481 | $88,287 | 2.3 years |
| $75–110k | $26,055 | $107,086 | 2.8 years |
| $110k+ | $35,341 | $145,252 | 3.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (64% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Business graduates 4 years after graduating ($74,632) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $38,835 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Business at Illinois colleges
Every Illinois college we cover that reports Business graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Forest College | $74,632 | $27,000 | $28,673 | 78% |
| 2 | Saint Xavier University | $65,447 | $26,845 | $10,970 | 57% |
| 3 | Northeastern Illinois University | $59,853 | $17,788 | $14,109 | 22% |
7 more Illinois colleges offer Business but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Business graduates
Management analyst
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +10.1% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
General and Operations Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Project Management Specialists
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +6.7% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at Lake Forest College, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Lake Forest College
- Acceptance rate: 57% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 78% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $61,825
- Full cost breakdown · all 34 majors · overview
Related majors at Lake Forest College
- Finance$98,583
- Economics—
Lake Forest College Business questions
How much do Lake Forest College Business graduates earn?
Business graduates of Lake Forest College earn a median $74,632 four years after graduating and $44,283 one year after. The U.S. median for Business graduates across 241 colleges is $65,292.
How much debt do Lake Forest College Business graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Business graduates of Lake Forest College is $27,000, about 36% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,836.
Is Lake Forest College a good school for Business in Illinois?
On pay, Business graduates of Lake Forest College earn $74,632 four years out, $9,185 above the median for the same major across 3 Illinois colleges ($65,447) and $9,340 above the U.S. median ($65,292). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Lake Forest College rank for Business in Illinois?
Of 3 Illinois colleges reporting Business graduate earnings, Lake Forest College ranks 1st, the highest.
What jobs do Business graduates get?
A common career is management analyst, with a median wage of $105,090 in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area and $101,860 nationally. Others include general and operations managers and project management specialists.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Lake Forest College Business: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/lake-forest-college/majors/business (College Scorecard and BLS data).