Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL555 N Sheridan Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045-2399
847-234-3100
Lake Forest College is a private liberal arts college in Lake Forest, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as a coeducational institution, the college became a women's college in 1876 and remained one of the few historically women's colleges in the United States until it became coeducational again in 2015. Lake Forest enrolls approximately 1,600 students from across the United States and more than 40 countries. The majority of students reside on the college's 70-acre campus in Lake Forest.
The college offers bachelor's degrees in more than 40 majors and concentrations, and is known for its programs in international relations, economics, and history. Lake Forest is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The college's motto is Crescamus ("We grow").
Lake Forest College was founded in 1857 as a coeducational institution by a group of Presbyterian ministers and laymen, led by George W. Gale. The group purchased the former home of senator Charles B. Farwell, located on the shore of Lake Michigan in the city of Lake Forest, with the intention of establishing a college that would serve the Northwest Territory. The college's first president, Rev. Robert W. Patterson, arrived in 1859, and classes began that year with an initial enrollment of just over 100 students.
The American Civil War put a temporary halt to the college's growth, as many of the students and faculty enlisted in the Union Army. The college reopened in 1865 and resumed its growth, reaching an enrollment of over 500 students by the end of the 19th century. In 1906, the college purchased the former estate of philanthropist Mary Haskell for $600,000, which doubled the size of the campus. The Mary Haskell Institute for Home Economics, now known as the Mary Haskell School of Management, was established with the purchase.
In 1915, the college became a women's college, and in 1918 it was accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The college continued to grow in the 1920s, reaching an enrollment of over 1,000 students by the end of the decade. During World War II, the college once again served as a training ground for soldiers, this time for the United States Navy. The college's enrollment dropped sharply after the war, but rebounded in the 1950s, reaching an all-time high of 1,600 students in 1957.
In 1962, the college began to admit men again and became coeducational once more. The college's enrollment declined in the 1970s and 1980s, reaching a low of just over 700 students in 1986. The college began to rebound in the late 1980s, reaching an enrollment of 1,000 students by the early 1990s. The college has continued to grow in the 21st century, reaching an enrollment of over 1,600 students in 2015.
Lake Forest College is located on a 70-acre campus in the city of Lake Forest, Illinois, about 30 miles north of Chicago. The campus is home to 19 academic and administrative buildings, including the Main Building, which houses the college's administrative offices, classrooms, and library. The Main Building is a National Historic Landmark, and the campus also includes several other buildings that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The college's academic programs are divided into four divisions: the Division of Arts and Humanities, the Division of Social Sciences, the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and the Mary Haskell School of Management. The college offers more than 40 majors and concentrations, and is known for its programs in international relations, economics, and history.
Lake Forest is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, a consortium of 14 liberal arts colleges in the Midwest. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Quick Facts
Enrollment: 1583
Acceptance Rate: 57.61%
Type: Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above
Main Website: https://www.lakeforest.edu/
Financial Aid: https://www.lakeforest.edu/admissions/finaid/
Annual Costs
Total Cost In-State On-Campus: $64560
Total Cost Out-State On-Campus: $64560
Return on Investment Rating
The estimated cost for four years as an undergraduate at Lake Forest College is $229877.60. This includes the average cost of attendance for four years plus the interest on the average loan over a ten year repayment minus the average of grants and scholarships per student.
We then contrast this figure with average early-career and mid-career average incomes of graduates of four year programs at Lake Forest College. For graduates of Lake Forest College, we saw an average early-career income of $59400.00 and mid-career income of $114600.00. We then ranked the school's value based on how many years of mid-career income it takes to repay the educational costs.