Lake Forest College
About
Lake Forest College is a private liberal arts college in Lake Forest, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1857 as Lind University by a group of Presbyterian ministers, the college has been coeducational since 1876 and an undergraduate-focused liberal arts institution since 1903. Lake Forest enrolls approximately 1,800 students representing 43 states and 114 countries. Lake Forest offers 34 undergraduate majors and 49 minor programs in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, and features programs of study in pre-law, pre-medicine, communication, business, finance, and computer science. Most students live on the college's wooded 107-acre (43 ha) campus located 0.5 miles (0.80 km) from the Lake Michigan shore; however, the population of commuting students has increased in the past few years.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 2.9-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 46 Title IV programs, 10 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 36 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing10 · 21.7%
- No Data36 · 78.3%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Higher Learning Commission
Programmatic accreditations · 1
Action history · 2
- Oct 2025Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs
- Jun 2017Renewal of AccreditationHigher Learning Commission
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 648 students received $4.1M in Pell grants, alongside $8.1M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 364 borrowers who entered repayment, 4 (1.0%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Lake Forest College
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 13
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus5
Includes 5 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Lake Forest College vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Lake Forest College selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectLake Forest College | 78% | — | 1,837 | $28,673 | Baccalaureate |
| 62% | 80.7% | 1,308 | $14,301 | Baccalaureate | |
| 73% | 62.7% | 2,570 | $22,736 | Baccalaureate | |
| 71% | 63.0% | 1,004 | $21,526 | Baccalaureate | |
| 79% | 17.4% | 2,394 | $40,007 | Baccalaureate | |
| 75% | 57.2% | 1,917 | $22,264 | Baccalaureate | |
| 69% | 73.1% | 753 | $24,714 | Baccalaureate | |
| 67% | 83.7% | 1,243 | $21,829 | Baccalaureate | |
| 80% | 79.2% | 3,395 | $27,182 | Baccalaureate | |
| 75% | 39.3% | 1,582 | $28,199 | Baccalaureate | |
| 76% | 75.3% | 1,166 | $19,072 | Baccalaureate | |
| 82% | 31.0% | 2,249 | $38,512 | Baccalaureate | |
| 68% | 70.8% | 1,136 | $24,595 | Baccalaureate | |
| 77% | 63.9% | 1,417 | $23,401 | Baccalaureate | |
| 87% | 28.5% | 2,138 | $32,149 | Baccalaureate | |
| 65% | 90.9% | 713 | $17,133 | Baccalaureate | |
| 81% | 34.2% | 2,909 | $38,645 | Baccalaureate | |
| 59% | 55.6% | 1,525 | $20,897 | Baccalaureate | |
| 63% | 79.8% | 709 | $20,216 | Baccalaureate | |
| 84% | 48.3% | 3,124 | $23,874 | Baccalaureate | |
| 74% | 59.5% | 1,738 | $23,458 | Baccalaureate | |
| 77% | 63.3% | 866 | $24,336 | Baccalaureate | |
| 85% | 87.4% | 2,874 | $26,975 | Baccalaureate | |
| 53% | 72.3% | 1,285 | $18,649 | Baccalaureate | |
| Peer group median | 75% | 63.3% | 1,554 | $23,666 |
Institutions like Lake Forest College
Explore the federal data for institutions in Lake Forest College's comparison group.
- BaccalaureateMichigan
Albion College
Grad rate62%Admit rate80.7%Enrollment1,308Net price$14,301View data - BaccalaureateIllinois
Augustana College
Grad rate73%Admit rate62.7%Enrollment2,570Net price$22,736View data - BaccalaureateWisconsin
Beloit College
Grad rate71%Admit rate63.0%Enrollment1,004Net price$21,526View data - BaccalaureateOhio
Denison University
Grad rate79%Admit rate17.4%Enrollment2,394Net price$40,007View data - BaccalaureateIndiana
DePauw University
Grad rate75%Admit rate57.2%Enrollment1,917Net price$22,264View data - BaccalaureateIndiana
Earlham College
Grad rate69%Admit rate73.1%Enrollment753Net price$24,714View data - BaccalaureateIndiana
Hanover College
Grad rate67%Admit rate83.7%Enrollment1,243Net price$21,829View data - BaccalaureateMichigan
Hope College
Grad rate80%Admit rate79.2%Enrollment3,395Net price$27,182View data - BaccalaureateIllinois
Illinois Wesleyan University
Grad rate75%Admit rate39.3%Enrollment1,582Net price$28,199View data - BaccalaureateMichigan
Kalamazoo College
Grad rate76%Admit rate75.3%Enrollment1,166Net price$19,072View data - BaccalaureateOhio
Kenyon College
Grad rate82%Admit rate31.0%Enrollment2,249Net price$38,512View data - BaccalaureateIllinois
Knox College
Grad rate68%Admit rate70.8%Enrollment1,136Net price$24,595View data - BaccalaureateWisconsin
Lawrence University
Grad rate77%Admit rate63.9%Enrollment1,417Net price$23,401View data - BaccalaureateMinnesota
Macalester College
Grad rate87%Admit rate28.5%Enrollment2,138Net price$32,149View data - BaccalaureateIllinois
Monmouth College
Grad rate65%Admit rate90.9%Enrollment713Net price$17,133View data - BaccalaureateOhio
Oberlin College
Grad rate81%Admit rate34.2%Enrollment2,909Net price$38,645View data - BaccalaureateOhio
Ohio Wesleyan University
Grad rate59%Admit rate55.6%Enrollment1,525Net price$20,897View data - BaccalaureateWisconsin
Ripon College
Grad rate63%Admit rate79.8%Enrollment709Net price$20,216View data - BaccalaureateMinnesota
St Olaf College
Grad rate84%Admit rate48.3%Enrollment3,124Net price$23,874View data - BaccalaureateOhio
The College of Wooster
Grad rate74%Admit rate59.5%Enrollment1,738Net price$23,458View data - BaccalaureateIndiana
Wabash College
Grad rate77%Admit rate63.3%Enrollment866Net price$24,336View data - BaccalaureateIllinois
Wheaton College
Grad rate85%Admit rate87.4%Enrollment2,874Net price$26,975View data - BaccalaureateOhio
Wittenberg University
Grad rate53%Admit rate72.3%Enrollment1,285Net price$18,649View data
Lake Forest College Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research is committed to serving the College by providing comprehensive data, research, and analytic services to support administrative planning and constituencies across the Lake Forest College community.
Visit IR office page- Kyle DiepDirector of Institutional Research
Reports & documents (2)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planOur Forester Future2023Our Forester Future 2023–2028 is the strategic plan for Lake Forest College to navigate upcoming challenges and achieve sustained success. It builds upon decades of foundation, focusing on enhancing operational excellence, efficiency, and addressing both capital infrastructure and human resources needs. The plan emphasizes the college's distinctive approach to liberal arts education and aims to strengthen three pillars: Foresters, Resources, and Partnerships.lakeforest.edu
Notable alumni of Lake Forest College (16)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Richard J. AblinAcademia
- Sig GisslerAcademia
- Philip KlinknerAcademia
- William Mather LewisAcademia
- Ralph J. Mills Jr.Academia
- Edward WingenbachAcademia
- Richard ArmstrongArts and Entertainment
- Allan CarrArts and Entertainment
- Steve GoodmanArts and Entertainment
- Diana NyadAthletics
- Nate BerkusBusiness
- James C. FosterBusiness
Frequently asked questions about Lake Forest College
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Lake Forest College.
What is the graduation rate at Lake Forest College?
How many students attend Lake Forest College?
What is the average net price at Lake Forest College?
What is the yield rate at Lake Forest College?
Where is Lake Forest College located?
Who runs Institutional Research at Lake Forest College?
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
Have a question this page can’t answer?
Ask Clema anything about Lake Forest College and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card