ISU vs. Lake Forest College

Should I go to Illinois State University or Lake Forest College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if ISU or Lake Forest College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Illinois State University vs. Lake Forest College comparison
Illinois State University Lake Forest College College 3 College 4
Illinois State University Lake Forest College
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Overview

ISU Lake Forest College
Location Normal, IL Lake Forest, IL
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 20,683 1,753
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #493 #267
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website illinoisstate.edu lakeforest.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ISU Lake Forest College
Tuition (In State) $11,840 $52,000
Tuition (Out of State) $23,681 $52,000
Room & Board $10,602 $11,898
Avg Net Price $20,551 $27,839
Avg Grant Aid $11,619 $37,907
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 100%

Admission

ISU Lake Forest College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 19,596 4,665
Admitted 16,899 2,786
Acceptance Rate 86.2% 59.7%
Enrolled % 23.6% 16%
Avg High School GPA 3.41 3.62
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 21/27 26/31
SAT Range 1000/1210 1153/1340
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Apr 1, 2024 Feb 15, 2024

Academics

ISU Lake Forest College
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Education (18%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Communication (5%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)

Outcomes

ISU Lake Forest College
Graduation Rate 71% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,000 $53,800
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $227 $279

Diversity

ISU Lake Forest College
% Men 42% 41%
% Women 58% 59%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 77% 58%
% Black 8% 7%
% Hispanic 9% 17%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 0% 8%
% Unknown Race 0% 3%

Students

ISU Lake Forest College
% In-State 96% 48%
% Out-of-State 3% 52%

Campus

ISU Lake Forest College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Illinois State University is larger than than Lake Forest College based on total student enrollment (20,683 students vs. 1,753 students)

ISU vs. Lake Forest College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ISU or Lake Forest College?

  • Lake Forest College is 339.2% more expensive to attend than ISU for in-state tuition ($52,000.00 vs. $11,840.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 119.6% higher at Lake Forest College than Illinois State University ($52,000.00 vs. $23,681.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Illinois State University than Lake Forest College ($20,551 vs. $27,839)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Illinois State University are 12.2% lower than costs at Lake Forest College ($10,602 vs. $11,898)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Lake Forest College than Illinois State University (100% vs. 97%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Lake Forest College students is 226.3% larger than aid received Illinois State University ($37,907 vs. $11,619)

ISU vs. Lake Forest College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, ISU or Lake Forest College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Lake Forest College or ISU .

  • Accepted freshman Lake Forest College students have a 0.21 point higher average high school GPA (3.62) than students at ISU (3.41)
  • ISU has a higher acceptance rate (86.2%) than Lake Forest College (59.7%)

ISU vs. Lake Forest College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ISU or Lake Forest College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Lake Forest College and ISU.

  • The graduation rate at ISU is higher than Lake Forest College (71% vs. 68%)
  • Graduates from Lake Forest College earn on average $4,800 more per year than ISU graduates after ten years. ($53,800 vs. $49,000)
  • Illinois State University students graduate with a $5,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Lake Forest College graduates. ($22,000 vs. $27,000)
  • ISU graduates are paying $52 less per month on federal student loans than Lake Forest College graduates. ($227 vs. $279)
  • More Lake Forest College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ISU students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 74%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/