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Lake Forest , IL
Lake Forest College is a private liberal arts college located in Lake Forest, Illinois, just north of Chicago. Established in 1857, the college offers undergraduate programs to over 1,500 students. Lake Forest College has gained a reputation for its strong emphasis on a personalized education, small class sizes, and close-knit community. The college offers more than 80 areas of study, including the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and business, providing students with a well-rounded education.
One of the main highlights of Lake Forest College is its commitment to providing a personalized educational experience for its students. With an average class size of 17, students have the opportunity to engage in lively discussions and receive individual attention from their professors. Additionally, Lake Forest College offers abundant research and internship opportunities, allowing students to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real-world settings. The college also maintains strong partnerships with local businesses and organizations, further enhancing students' practical learning experiences.
Lake Forest College also prides itself on its vibrant and inclusive community. The college encourages students to get involved in extracurricular activities and offers numerous clubs, organizations, and sports teams for students to join. The campus is known for its picturesque location and historical architecture, providing a serene and inspiring environment for its students. Lake Forest College also values diversity and ensures that students from all backgrounds feel welcome and supported.
Overall, Lake Forest College offers a well-rounded education paired with personalized attention, making it an ideal choice for students seeking a close-knit community and a strong academic foundation. With its beautiful campus, extensive academic offerings, and focus on experiential learning, Lake Forest College provides students with the tools and opportunities they need to succeed both personally and professionally.
Located in Lake Forest, IL and set in a suburban environment, Lake Forest College is a private upper-level higher education institution with graduate programs. This school follows a semester-based calendar. It has an acceptance rate of 56%. The freshman retention rate at Lake Forest College is 89.9% and the six-year graduation rate is 78%.
The freshmen application deadline for this school is February 15. Explore this school's profile to find out all the important things about Lake Forest College.
Quick Facts
1,814
Total Number of Undergraduate Students
$58,000
Tuition
13:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
78%
Graduation Rate
Admissions
If you find out as much as possible about the institution's criteria for admission, your chances of getting accepted will greatly increase. What are the admission requirements for Lake Forest College?
According to the newest information reported, this school uses standardized test scores for admission and it admitted 3,044 in 2025. Lake Forest College has an official test-optional admission policy but considers standardized test scores for the applicants who choose to submit them.
Test Scores
16% of first-time, first-year degree-seeking students submitted their SAT scores for admission, and 10% submitted ACT scores, out of the overall number of those who submitted test scores. 28.36% of the first-year students submitted SAT composite scores between 1,400 and 1,600, 50.75% between 1,200 and 1,399 and 20.89% between 1,000 and 1,199. The percent of freshman students who submitted ACT Composite scores in the range between 30-36 was 53.65, 36.58 between 24-29 and 9.7 in the range between 18-23.
The average ACT score for all the enrolled students in 2025 was 29 while the average GPA was 3.78. That means that you need a GPA that's above average in order to get into Lake Forest College; the same goes for your ACT score.
The SAT Critical Reading average score was 656 for the accepted students, while the average SAT Math score was 643.
Deadlines
The closing date for applications to this school is February 15.
Retention Rate
The student retention rate is the percentage of students who re-enroll from one year to the next. When creating your list of possible schools to attend, don't forget to consider the freshmen retention rate.
As reported in 2025, the freshman retention rate for Lake Forest College was 89.9%, demonstrating the exceptional quality of the educational experience at this institution.
The graduation rate is another indicator to take into account. It reflects the proportion of students who obtain their degrees within the expected timeframe. The six-year graduation rate at this institution stands at 78%, which is considered an above-average graduation rate.
Student Body
Making the choice of which school is the right place for you is not easy. You can get a better insight into a school's culture and life by finding out more about its student body.
Main Student Body
In 2025, the school had an enrollment of 1,837 students.
The school reported an out-of-state student body portion of 38% for that year. The total number of undergraduate students enrolled at the institution was 1,814, 358 of which were international students. The number of transfer students at this school was 90.
Student Population Gender Ratio
With a coeducational student body, the school had 781 male and 1,029 female full-time students in 2025. There were 2 full-time graduate male and 11 full-time graduate female students at this school.
Student Population Diversity
Higer Education is committed to expanding the diversity of its student body and improving students' sense of inclusion and belonging. Diversity promotes critical thinking, challenges preconceived notions, and encourages intellectual growth, so it helps students develop empathy and a broader understanding of the world. Discover more about the many ethnic communities that go to this school.
In 2025, out of the total number of students enrolled at the institution, the number of Asian students was 113, while the number of Afro-American students was 47. 328 undergrads at this school declared as Hispanic/Latino and 66 identified with more than one race. There were also 49 students whose ethnicity is unknown.
Cost
Before submitting an application to any college or university, the financial component should be taken into account. Here are some details you should know about the expenses at Lake Forest College that the majority of students face.
Tuition and Fees
Here are some facts that can be useful if you were curious about Lake Forest College estimated tuition price.
In 2025, tuition amounted to $58,000 for all full-time domestic students. Lake Forest College is a private institution, so tuition is the same for all the accepted students. Full-time students in 2025 were obliged to pay additional fees in the amount of $902.
Books and Supplies
The estimated cost of books and supplies for a college or university should also be taken into consideration as another significant expense. The cost of books and supplies for full-time students of this school is estimated at about $1,290.
Boarding
The cost of dorm rooms and meals in the school's cafeteria is for sure something to take into consideration. How much do room and board fees average around at schools?
In 2025, room and board cost at Lake Forest College amounted to $13,050 a year. The cost of a dorm room only at this school in 2025 amounted to $6,325 for one academic year. The estimated expense of room-only (on campus) for commuters not living at home was also $6,325.
| Expense Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $ 58,000 |
| Room and Board | $ 13,050 |
| Book and Supplies | $ 1,290 |
| Total Expense | $ 72,340 |
Financial Aid
Getting some financial aid in forms of grants, loans, scholarships or work-study programs can be very important for finishing your studies. If you are interested in finding out more about need-based and non-need-based aid at Lake Forest College, here are some recent data you should consider.
The most recent records show that 340 freshmen received some sort of financial help. Students of this school received an average of $55,850 in financial help.
Need-based
Need-based aid is financial aid that a student can receive if they are determened to have financial need and meet other eligibility criteria.
1,398 students were granted some form of need-based financial aid. Need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid at Lake Forest College is available to international students. The total number of students (including freshmen) who were determined to have financial need was estimated to be 1,398. The amount of federal need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the students at this institution reached $4,457,740, and state $4,049,360. The students of Lake Forest College received the -institutional need-based aid in the amount of $50,217,571, and external in the amount of $13,505,490.
$32,850
Average Amount of Aid Received
Non-Need Based
Non-need-based aid is any type of financial aid given to a student who does not meet the requirements for need-based aid. Non-need-based student aid typicaly comes in a form of Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and the Teacher Education Access for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant.
The total amount of institutional scholarships and awards that were not based on financial need was $13,846,125. This includes endowment, alumni, other institutional awards, and also external funds awarded by the institution, but doesn't include athletic aid and tuition waivers. $485,914 was the amount that the students at this institution got from external sources (like Kiwanis and National Merit).
Open Applications
Find open programs by choosing your preferred academic interest from the list below, and select your desired term start. Get started with your application process and find more information using the Apply button.
Majors
Faculty
13:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
The student-to-faculty or student-to-professor ratio represents the number of students compared to the number of professors at a school.
According to the most recent data, the student-faculty ratio at Lake Forest College was 13:1: that means 13 students per one teacher, which is considered a good ratio. This school has recently reported to have 213 faculty members. This number included 105 men and 106 women. The fact that female faculty members outnumber the male ones at this school speaks volumes for gender equality at Lake Forest College.
Student Population Diversity Graph
Campus Life
It is not all about learning and grades at Lake Forest College: campus life is a crucial component of your educational experience. Find out some info about social life at Lake Forest College.
Student Organizations
Student organizations are run by students of an institution, and its membership usually consists only of current students and/or alumni.
That includes sororities and fraternities. 6 percent of male and 7 of female students are active in different organizations at Lake Forest College. For students with a talent for acting, there is a drama club. For individuals with an interest in media and communication, Lake Forest College publishes its own newspaper and has its own radio station.
Student Services
Lake Forest College has a number of services vital for a pleasant and secure life on campus.
There are emergency phone and alarm devices available around the clock. There are electronically operated dormitory entrances. There is a security patrol available 24/7. Theer is a nighttime transportation/escort service.
There is a medical clinic with personal/psychological counseling. All in all, campus life at Lake Forest College is rich and vibrant and provides everything most students need.
Career Services
Having career services at a college or university can mean a great deal for your career planning, so find out what you can expect at Lake Forest College.
Career Counselling
At Lake Forest College, there is both group career counseling for all students and individual career counseling for all students. There are a library, a job bank, and job fairs. Job interviews are also available to students through the career center. The career center offers resume preparation and resume referral to employers. The school has campus employer recruitment for all the students. This school offers alumni networking opportunities, which could be excellent for your future career. Individual job placement is available to all students at this school.
Job Placement
Finding out some information about the expected post-graduation salary can help you decide if a particular school suits your career objectives.
Within six months of graduation, this school's students can expect an average base annual starting salary of 54,498 USD.
$54,498
Average Starting Salary After 6 Months of Graduation
FAQ
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Lake Forest College is located in Lake Forest, IL.
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Lake Forest College offers need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid to international students.
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The overall full-time tuition per academic year for Lake Forest College is 58,000 USD, based on the most recent data.
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This school has an official test-optional admission policy but makes use of SAT, SAT Subject Tests, ACT, or other standardized test scores in admission decisions for the candidates who choose to submit them.
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According to the latest information, the acceptance rate for Lake Forest College is 56%.
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According to the latest information, the freshman retention rate for Lake Forest College is 89.9%.
Contact Information
Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2025 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved.
Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
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Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2025 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved.
Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
