Lake Forest College

Lake Forest College is a private, nonprofit school in a suburban setting in Lake Forest, Illinois. Lake Forest College was founded in 1857 and now enrolls around 1,583 students a year, including 1,558 undergrads. Lake Forest College provides on-campus housing for up to 1,286 students. The majority of students live on campus, and first year-students are required to live in campus housing. On the weekends, about 85% of students stay on-campus and participate in campus events and social life.

There are many ways for students to get involved at Lake Forest College! Love music or performing? Sing in a chorus or perform with one of Lake Forest College's theater groups.

Interested in journalism or communications? Lake Forest College students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

Excited for Greek life? Lake Forest College has fraternities and sororities.

Planning to play sports? Lake Forest College has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at Lake Forest College on the Student Life page.

Learn more about life at Lake Forest College on the Student Life page.

Mark your calendar! The final application deadline for Fall 2022 is February 15. Regular decision applicants for Fall 2022 should find out if they got admitted by November 1.

Is Lake Forest College a Good School?

There is no one way to define a "good" college or university. Admissions difficulty and admitted student statistics can give you a sense of how selective a university is, but they don't tell you how happy or successful students are. There are a few statistics that can give you a good idea of how satisfied students are and how well a school supports its students.

Let's take a closer look at all of these areas to get a better idea of what Lake Forest College offers and if it sounds like a good choice for you.

2021 Acceptance Rate for Lake Forest College

It is moderately difficult to get into Lake Forest College. Around 58% of applicants get into Lake Forest College each year. Out of 4,482 applications received in 2021, 2,582 students were offered admission.

Retention and Graduation Rates at Lake Forest College

Retention is the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. This is a way to get a sense of how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

About 84% of students who start at Lake Forest College return the next year. Lake Forest College's six-year graduation rate for undergrads is 75%. Compare this to the average six-year graduation rate for colleges and universities in the U.S., which is around 61% for public schools and 67% for private.

Job Outcomes for Lake Forest College Grads

Job placement rates after graduation and average starting salaries can all give important clues about the value of a degree from a specific school.

The average starting salary for recent Lake Forest College grads is $47,060 a year. Average starting salaries vary by discipline, but the average starting salary for all 2021 graduates was around $60,000 a year.

Lake Forest College's Endowment

An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students. Lake Forest College's endowment was valued at $85.8 million in 2021, compared to a national average of $905 million. For each full-time student, Lake Forest College spends about $12,460 a year.

Tuition and Financial Aid at Lake Forest College

Cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need. Lake Forest College meets 87% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. First-year students that attend Lake Forest College full-time are awarded $47,530 a year in financial aid, on average.

Students in the class of 2021 who had taken out student loans graduated with an average of $33,905 of debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2022-2023 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2021

Some financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA early. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! No one should ever pay to fill out the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid, (FAFSA), so don't give your money (or info!) to any website that claim you do.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at Lake Forest College. Based on this information, how does Lake Forest College sound? Remember, a school that is perfect for one person may not be the right school for another! So ask yourself: Is Lake Forest College a good school for you?

If Lake Forest College seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

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Where is Lake Forest College Located?

Lake Forest College is located in the suburban setting of Lake Forest, Illinois, less than an hour from Chicago.

If you want to see Lake Forest College for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take Interstate 94 to Lake Forest, or book a flight to the nearest airport, O'Hare International.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what Lake Forest College and Lake Forest are like without leaving home.

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