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Lake Forest College
Lake Forest College admits a bit under 60% of applicants; strong grades put you in the conversation at Lake Forest College, and the data below says what "strong" means.
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Lake Forest College occupies suburban Lake Forest, IL — a private campus quieter than a downtown one, closer to one than a rural seat. International students are a visible presence here — 19.8% of undergraduates come from outside the U.S.
Its highest-earning path is Finance and Financial Management Services, where graduates median $98,583 four years out. 32.2% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. With 1,813 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 89.9% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1170 and 1365 — above the IL middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on Lake Forest College's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Lake Forest College received 4,811 applications and admitted 2,858 (59.4%), with 425 enrolling.
Lake Forest College is test-optional: scores are considered when submitted but not required. The 1170–1365 range below describes admitted students who chose to submit — typically Lake Forest College's stronger testers — so treat it as the higher end of what gets in.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 590 | 640 | 685 |
| SAT Math | 580 | 640 | 680 |
| ACT Composite | 28 | 29 | 31 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
How Lake Forest College compares
| Lake Forest College | Illinois median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 56.8% | 77% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $56,402 | $31,360 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $61,825 | $58,572 | $53,781 |
Earnings data favors Lake Forest College: $61,825 median at year ten, versus $58,572 across Illinois institutions.
Cost, size & completion
Tuition runs $56,402 regardless of where you're from. At Lake Forest College, that sticker is a starting point for aid talks — not what the median family pays.
Enrollment sits at 1,813 — Lake Forest College is one of the smaller campuses on this site.
77.8% of Lake Forest College students finish a bachelor's within six years — 22.9 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $56,402 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at Lake Forest College
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $98,583 |
| Computer Science | $77,554 |
| Business/Commerce, General | $74,632 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $64,580 |
| Political Science and Government | $61,770 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $58,901 |
| Psychology, General | $54,270 |
| Social Sciences, Other | $53,438 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $52,598 |
| Biology, General | $48,287 |
Median earnings for these 10 Lake Forest College programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $61,825 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 24 additional Lake Forest College programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Lake Forest College?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1170–1365 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 56.8% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is Lake Forest College's acceptance rate?
59.4% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 2,858 admitted from 4,811 applicants.
How much does Lake Forest College cost?
At Lake Forest College, published tuition is $56,402 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Lake Forest College's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Lake Forest College graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $61,825 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Illinois
- Judson University — 47.6% admitted
- Methodist College — 38.9% admitted
- Illinois Institute of Technology — 54.9% admitted
- Illinois Wesleyan University — 39.3% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.