U.S. median for this major: $48,948.
College Scorecard field of study; 32 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 39% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,552.
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 English: 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 | 3.5 years |
| $30–48k | $20,210 | $83,063 | 3.6 years |
| $48–75k | $21,481 | $88,287 | 3.8 years |
| $75–110k | $26,055 | $107,086 | 4.6 years |
| $110k+ | $35,341 | $145,252 | 6.3 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 English graduates 4 years after graduating ($58,901) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $23,104 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.
English at Illinois colleges
Every Illinois college we cover that reports English 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 | University of Chicago | $78,169 | — | $14,860 | 96% |
| 2 | Northwestern University | $62,147 | $15,564 | $29,167 | 95% |
| 3 | Lake Forest College | $58,901 | $23,250 | $28,673 | 78% |
| 4 | Loyola University Chicago | $56,289 | $26,000 | $36,079 | 73% |
| 5 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $54,570 | $20,961 | $14,355 | 85% |
| 6 | Wheaton College | $52,647 | $21,500 | $26,975 | 85% |
| 7 | DePaul University | $52,608 | $23,499 | $30,902 | 68% |
| 8 | Illinois Wesleyan University | $51,107 | — | $28,199 | 75% |
| 9 | Governors State University | $50,426 | $22,520 | $12,329 | 22% |
| 10 | Northeastern Illinois University | $49,141 | $19,000 | $14,109 | 22% |
| 11 | University of Illinois Chicago | $48,442 | $18,750 | $10,974 | 62% |
| 12 | University of Illinois Springfield | $48,196 | $32,574 | $9,833 | 53% |
| 13 | Northern Illinois University | $47,981 | $25,375 | $13,391 | 49% |
| 14 | Illinois State University | $47,445 | $23,125 | $19,398 | 65% |
| 15 | Eastern Illinois University | $47,222 | $25,053 | $12,786 | 47% |
| 16 | Dominican University | $46,780 | — | $11,745 | 55% |
| 17 | Elmhurst University | $46,021 | $19,500 | $24,185 | 70% |
| 18 | Augustana College | $43,492 | $26,759 | $22,736 | 73% |
| 19 | Western Illinois University | $41,984 | $23,750 | $12,937 | 45% |
| 20 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | $41,310 | $25,250 | $14,889 | 57% |
| 21 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | $37,786 | $26,500 | $13,297 | 62% |
27 more Illinois colleges offer English but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for English graduates
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Proofreaders and Copy Markers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.9% 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
- History—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$52,598
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Philosophy—
- Area Studies—
Lake Forest College English questions
How much do Lake Forest College English graduates earn?
English graduates of Lake Forest College earn a median $58,901 four years after graduating and $32,982 one year after. The U.S. median for English graduates across 571 colleges is $48,948.
How much debt do Lake Forest College English graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for English graduates of Lake Forest College is $23,250, about 39% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,552.
Is Lake Forest College a good school for English in Illinois?
On pay, English graduates of Lake Forest College earn $58,901 four years out, $10,459 above the median for the same major across 21 Illinois colleges ($48,442) and $9,953 above the U.S. median ($48,948). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Lake Forest College rank for English in Illinois?
Of 21 Illinois colleges reporting English graduate earnings, Lake Forest College ranks 3rd. The highest is University of Chicago at $78,169.
What jobs do English graduates get?
A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $98,970 in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area and $72,040 nationally. Others include proofreaders and copy markers.
Is Lake Forest College the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing Lake Forest College with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
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 English: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/lake-forest-college/majors/english (College Scorecard and BLS data).