# Lake Forest College

Private nonprofit college in Lake Forest, IL. IPEDS ID 146481.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/lake-forest-college · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/lake-forest-college.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 57% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $28,673 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 78%; beats 92% of IL colleges and 88% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $61,825; beats 62% of IL colleges and 73% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $21,500

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $19,605 |
| 30-48k | $20,210 |
| 48-75k | $21,481 |
| 75-110k | $26,055 |
| 110k+ | $35,341 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.11 years on average (64% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $61,825 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $19,605 | $80,577 | 3.1 years |
| 30-48k | $20,210 | $83,063 | 3.2 years |
| 48-75k | $21,481 | $88,287 | 3.4 years |
| 75-110k | $26,055 | $107,086 | 4.1 years |
| 110k+ | $35,341 | $145,252 | 5.6 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $70,655
- Tuition and fees: $56,402
- Housing and meals: $12,480; books: $1,350

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 600–713; SAT math: 590–680; ACT: 28–32 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 4,811 applicants, 2,858 admitted, 425 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 57%, ACT 28–32 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 59%, ACT 28–31 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (34 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance | $61,264 | $98,583 | $27,000 |
| Computer Science | $48,587 | $77,554 | $27,000 |
| Business | $44,283 | $74,632 | $27,000 |
| Communications | $42,835 | $64,580 | $27,000 |
| Political Science | $34,317 | $61,770 | $27,000 |
| English | $32,982 | $58,901 | $23,250 |
| Psychology | not reported | $54,270 | $27,000 |
| Social Sciences, Other | $39,054 | $53,438 | $26,500 |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | $35,622 | $52,598 | $27,000 |
| Biology | $33,380 | $48,287 | $27,000 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $26,998 | not reported | not reported |
| Area Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Neuroscience | not reported | not reported | $27,000 |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Statistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Data Analytics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology (Research) | not reported | not reported | $26,839 |
| Economics | $53,529 | not reported | $27,000 |
| International Relations | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sociology and Anthropology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Studio Art | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Business → Management analyst: median wage $105,090 (Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN), $104,270 (IL), $101,860 (U.S.)
- Communications → Public relations specialist: median wage $77,050 (Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN), $76,380 (IL), $74,750 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).