Lake Forest College acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Lake Forest College is a private college in Illinois that admits most qualified applicants (around 57%), which puts it in the moderately selective range. A rate like this means it admits more applicants than it rejects; the bar is less about clearing a single cutoff and more about how your full profile compares to admitted students.
Use this page to see what Lake Forest College weighs, where it ranks among Illinois schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1270, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
Lake Forest College application deadlines, 2026-27 · Lake Forest College supplemental essays, 2026-27
What do students study at Lake Forest College?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Lake Forest College?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Lake Forest College, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Lake Forest College?
At Lake Forest College, your real chance depends on far more than the published 57% admit rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Lake Forest College in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Lake Forest College hard to get into?
Lake Forest College is moderately selective: it admits more applicants than it rejects, with about a 57% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Lake Forest College?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Lake Forest College, but admitted students often present roughly a 3.2 to 3.7 GPA. Lake Forest College reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Lake Forest College by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Lake Forest College for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Lake Forest College with a 3.5 GPA and a 1290 SAT?
About 90% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.5 unweighted GPA and a 1290 SAT, the middle of Lake Forest College's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.8 GPA with a 1390 SAT comes out near 97%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/lake-forest-college.
How to get into Lake Forest College
Built from Lake Forest College's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Getting into Lake Forest College comes down to four decisions, each one visible in the data on this page.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Lake Forest College carries about a 3.37 core GPA and a 1343 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 1190 to 1393 SAT (28 to 32 ACT). Submit a score at 1292 or higher; below 1190, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Lake Forest College rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: essays that sound like you and answer the actual prompt, and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
An early application signals interest and gets your file read before the pool fills. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Lake Forest College's exact dates at www.lakeforest.edu.
How many students apply to Lake Forest College, and how many get in?
4,811 students applied to Lake Forest College for fall 2023; 2,858 were admitted (59.4%). 425 enrolled. Only about 15% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Lake Forest College enrolls about 1,813 undergraduates in total, 57% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 13 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Lake Forest College?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Lake Forest College scored between 1190 and 1393 on the SAT (average 1343). On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 28 to 32. A score above 1393 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1190 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Lake Forest College is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Lake Forest College looks for
What Lake Forest College weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
Lake Forest College signals that it values rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay above the rest of the file. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Lake Forest College's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Lake Forest College
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Lake Forest College cost after financial aid?
Lake Forest College's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $70,655 per year. Tuition and fees alone are $56,402. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $28,673 a year, and it ranges from $19,605 for families earning under $30,000 to $35,341 for families earning over $110,000. 32% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Lake Forest College graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Lake Forest College student who received federal aid earns $61,825 a year, up from $51,324 at six years. 78% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 90% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $26,158; 67% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Lake Forest College compares in Illinois
Lake Forest College ranks #11 most selective of 37 schools in Illinois in our database.
Among the 37 Illinois schools we track, Lake Forest College ranks #11 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like University of Chicago (4%) and Northwestern University (8%) sit nearby, which makes Illinois a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to Lake Forest College
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
If Lake Forest College is on your list, schools with a similar admit profile are worth a look: Jacksonville University, Lindenwood University, and Marist University. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Lake Forest College's acceptance rate?
Lake Forest College admitted 2,858 of 4,811 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 59.4% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 15% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Lake Forest College?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1190 to 1393 on the SAT and 28 to 32 on the ACT. A score above 1393 is in the top quarter of admits. Lake Forest College is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Lake Forest College test-optional?
Yes. Lake Forest College reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Lake Forest College cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Lake Forest College, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $28,673 a year against a sticker price of about $70,655. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $19,605 on average.
What do Lake Forest College graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Lake Forest College are $61,825 a year among students who received federal aid, and 78% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Lake Forest College value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Lake Forest College weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Lake Forest College consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Lake Forest College's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Lake Forest College?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Lake Forest College specifically.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.