10-yr median earnings
$61,825
Federal aid recipients only
Private Nonprofit · Lake Forest, Illinois
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest College is a private nonprofit institution in Lake Forest, Illinois. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.
- $61,825
- 10-yr median earnings
- 56.8%
- Acceptance rate
- $28,673
- Avg net price / yr
- 74.3%
- 150%-time completion
The verdict
Lake Forest College pairs top-quartile former-student earnings with a moderately open admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 14%
- former-student earnings, US
- 56.8%
- acceptance rate
- 74.3%
- 150%-time completion
- +20%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
Suburb: Large
Carnegie: Bacc: A&S
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Lake Forest College profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
C
College Value Score
59/100
Lake Forest College
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings A
$61,825
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$28,673
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate B+
74.3%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$26,158
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A+
84.7%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention A-
89.9%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$28,673
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
74.3%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 74.3%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Lake Forest College vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Lake Forest College ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Lake Forest College: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$61,825 Top 14% higher than 86% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Lake Forest College | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $61,825 | #695 of 5103 | 86th |
| Average net price | $28,673 | #4349 of 5020 | 13th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 74.3% | #1085 of 4858 | 78th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,813 | #1571 of 5462 | 71st |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
1,813
Undergraduate enrollment
56.8%
Acceptance rate
1,343
SAT average
74.3%
150%-time completion
$61,825
10-yr median earnings
89.9%
First-year retention
How Lake Forest College ranks in Illinois
State rank among 189 reporting Illinois colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Lake Forest College | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $61,825 | #27 of 189 | 86th |
| Average net price | $28,673 | #170 of 179 | 5th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 74.3% | #31 of 171 | 82nd |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,813 | #67 of 201 | 67th |
Highest former-student earnings in Illinois
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chamberlain University-Illinois | $92,405 | $31,837 |
| 2 | University of Chicago | $91,885 | $14,860 |
| 3 | Northwestern University | $89,363 | $29,167 |
| 4 | St. John's College | $86,331 | - |
| 5 | Lakeview College of Nursing | $84,522 | - |
| 6 | Illinois Institute of Technology | $82,592 | $18,425 |
| 7 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $81,054 | $14,355 |
| 8 | Saint Anthony College of Nursing | $77,709 | - |
| 9 | Rush University | $75,194 | - |
| 10 | Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing | $72,850 | - |
| 11 | Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences | $72,430 | - |
| 12 | Loyola University Chicago | $71,530 | $36,079 |
| 27 | Lake Forest CollegeThis school | $61,825 | $28,673 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 56.8% |
| SAT Average | 1,343 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 590 – 680 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 600 – 713 |
| ACT Average | 29 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 28 – 32 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Lake Forest College
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$19,605 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$20,210 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$21,481 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$35,341 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Lake Forest College - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $56,402 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $56,402 |
| Average Net Price | $28,673 |
32.2%
Pell Grant Rate
66.5%
Federal Loan Rate
$26,158
Median Debt
$277/mo
Monthly Payment
2013–2023: what Lake Forest College costs has stayed close to flat
Average net price moved +15.0% over 10 years, from $23,921 to $27,499 in nominal dollars. The median college measured over the same span moved +14.6%.
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $23,9212023 · $27,499
Over the same years, enrollment went +13.0% (1,577 → 1,782 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
60.3%
Female
24.6%
First Generation
Outcomes
89.9%
Retention Rate
$51,324
Median Earnings (6yr)
74.6%
Earning Over $25K
84.7%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 74.3% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 89.9% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $51,324 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $61,825 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 74.6% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 84.7% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $26,158 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $277/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Top programs at Lake Forest College by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Finance and Financial Mana…
Finance and Financial Management Services
$98,583 median earnings
- Computer Science
Computer Science
$77,554 median earnings
- Business/Commerce, General
Business/Commerce, General
$74,632 median earnings
- Communication and Media St…
Communication and Media Studies
$64,580 median earnings
- Political Science and Gove…
Political Science and Government
$61,770 median earnings
- English Language and Liter…
English Language and Literature, General
$58,901 median earnings
- Psychology, General
Psychology, General
$54,270 median earnings
- Social Sciences, Other
Social Sciences, Other
$53,438 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
| Program | Credential | Completers | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's | 30 | $98,583 | $27,000 |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's | 8 | $77,554 | $27,000 |
| Business/Commerce, General | Bachelor's | 53 | $74,632 | $27,000 |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's | 30 | $64,580 | $27,000 |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's | 16 | $61,770 | $27,000 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's | 24 | $58,901 | $25,707 |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's | 0 | $54,270 | $27,000 |
| Social Sciences, Other | Bachelor's | 0 | $53,438 | $26,500 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor's | 16 | $52,598 | $27,000 |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's | 40 | $48,287 | $27,000 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Bachelor's | 13 | - | - |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | Bachelor's | 29 | - | $27,000 |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's | 6 | - | - |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | Bachelor's | 41 | - | $26,250 |
| Economics | Bachelor's | 36 | - | $27,000 |
Nearby Schools
Lake Forest Graduate School of Management
Lake Forest, IL
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
North Chicago, IL
Trinity International University-Illinois
Deerfield, IL
55 students
Empire Beauty School-Vernon Hills
Vernon Hills, IL
50 students
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Libertyville
Libertyville, IL
162 students
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Private Nonprofit institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Private Nonprofit institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Similar 2013–2023 Net-Price Trend
Same-sector institutions with the same direction and nearest fitted annual change; only series with R² of at least 0.40 qualify.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Lake Forest College? ▼
Lake Forest College is a private nonprofit institution in Lake Forest, Illinois. The acceptance rate is 56.8%. The average SAT score is 1,343. Undergraduate enrollment is 1,813 students.
How much do Lake Forest College former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Lake Forest College who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $61,825 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $51,324.
How much does Lake Forest College cost? ▼
The average net price at Lake Forest College is $28,673. In-state tuition is $56,402 and out-of-state tuition is $56,402. Median student debt at graduation is $26,158.
What is the graduation rate at Lake Forest College? ▼
Lake Forest College has a 74.3% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 89.9%.
Is Lake Forest College worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Lake Forest College is $26,158, while former students earn a median of $61,825 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 42% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 84.7% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $277.
Sources & methodology
Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.
Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Lake Forest College
- Compare Lake Forest College against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Illinois side by side.Browse Illinois
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.