Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL · Private Nonprofit

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59.4%
Acceptance Rate
1280
Median SAT
$61,825
Median Earnings
4,811
Applicants

Acceptance Rate Trend

Up 1.5 percentage points since 2018

Applications & Admissions

Yield Rate Trend

Percentage of admitted students who enroll

Most Popular Majors (2023)

Degrees awarded in latest year

Major Popularity Over Time

How top majors have grown or declined

Earnings by Major

This school vs. national range (2yr after graduation)

Economics $46,087
$8,056 $122,725
Finance and Financial Manageme... $44,468
$8,056 $122,725
Communication and Media Studie... $41,007
$8,056 $122,725
Business/Commerce, General $40,647
$8,056 $122,725
Political Science and Governme... $30,409
$8,056 $122,725
Biology, General $29,832
$8,056 $122,725
Romance Languages, Literatures... $29,685
$8,056 $122,725
Fine and Studio Arts $25,967
$8,056 $122,725
This school National avg

Historical Admissions Data

Each row shows the admissions cycle for that academic year. Applicants is the total number of students who applied for freshman admission. Admitted shows how many received acceptance letters. Rate is the acceptance rate (admitted ÷ applicants) — lower percentages indicate more selective schools. Yield measures the percentage of admitted students who actually enrolled — a high yield (above 50%) suggests the school is a top choice for admitted students, while lower yields indicate students often choose other options. SAT shows the 25th-75th percentile range, meaning the middle 50% of enrolled students scored within this range. Data is sourced from IPEDS, the federal database where all US colleges report annually.

Year Applicants Admitted Rate Yield
2023 4,811 2,858 59.4% 14.9%
2022 4,665 2,786 59.7% 16.0%
2021 4,358 2,808 64.4% 14.8%
2020 4,482 2,582 57.6% 15.0%
2019 4,739 2,616 55.2% 14.5%
2018 4,147 2,402 57.9% 16.2%
2017 4,303 2,280 53.0% 15.7%
2016 4,227 2,407 56.9% 15.1%
2015 3,373 1,855 55.0% 19.3%

Graduate Outcomes

Median Earnings (10 years)
$61,825
Median Earnings (6 years)
$51,324
Median Debt
$26,158
6-Year Graduation Rate
70.4%

Tuition & Costs (2023)

Tuition
$48,920
Fees
$902
Room & Board
$10,954
Total Cost of Attendance
$60,776

What You'll Actually Pay

Net price after grants/scholarships by family income

$0-30k income $19,067
$30-48k income $19,086
$48-75k income $23,694
$75-110k income $28,799
$110k+ income $34,614

Popular Majors

  • 1 Business/Commerce, General
  • 2 Research and Experimental Psychology
  • 3 Finance and Financial Management Services
  • 4 Neurobiology and Neurosciences
  • 5 Biology, General

Highest Earning Majors

  • Economics $46,087
  • Finance and Financial Management Services $44,468
  • Communication and Media Studies $41,007
  • Business/Commerce, General $40,647
  • Political Science and Government $30,409

Student Demographics (2023)

Total Enrollment 1,818
International 18%
Women 57%
Race/Ethnicity
White 47%
Hispanic 18%
Asian 6%
Black 3%

Financial Aid (2023)

Grants are free money; loans must be repaid

Receive Grants 100%
Avg: $42,539 free money/year
Pell Grant Recipients 35%
Federal aid for <$60k income families
Have Federal Loans 71%
Avg: $6,965
School's Own Grants 100%
Avg: $34,264 from school funds