Lake Forest College vs Harvard
When it comes to higher education, Lake Forest College and Harvard University stand as two distinct beacons of academic excellence. Lake Forest College, nestled in the heart of the Midwest, offers a close-knit community with a strong liberal arts focus, while Harvard University, an Ivy League titan, boasts a world-renowned reputation for research and innovation. With acceptance rates of 68% and 5%, respectively, these institutions cater to different applicant pools. Lake Forest College's student body is predominantly White (69%) and female (58%), while Harvard's student body is more diverse, with a larger international student population (12%). Both institutions offer a wide range of undergraduate programs, with popular majors at Lake Forest College including Business Administration, Psychology, and Biology, and popular majors at Harvard including Computer Science, Economics, and History. With graduation rates of 75% and 97%, respectively, both institutions provide students with the tools and support they need to succeed. Explore the
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![]() Harvard University |
![]() Lake Forest College |
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Overview |
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Location | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Lake Forest, Illinois |
Campus setting | City: Midsize | Suburb: Large |
College type | 4 year | 4 year |
Control/business model | Private (Non Profit) | Private (Non Profit) |
Calendar system | Semester | Semester |
Degrees offered | Undergraduate and Graduate | Undergraduate and Graduate |
Students retention rate | 96.0% | 87.0% |
![]() |
Yes | Yes |
Religious affiliation | ||
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Admission |
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Acceptance rate | 4.0% | 64.4% |
Application fees |
Undergraduate:
$75
Graduate:
$105
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$50 |
SAT range | 1480 - 1580 | 1130 - 1345 |
ACT range | 33 - 36 | 26 - 31 |
Students submitting SAT score | 54.0% | 26.0% |
Students submitting ACT score | 31.0% | 15.0% |
Total number of applicants | 57,786 | 4,358 |
Total number of admissions given out | 2,318 | 2,808 |
Admitted students who chose to enroll | 1,951 | 417 |
Yield rate | 84.2% | 14.9% |
Test scores (SAT/ACT) | N/A | N/A |
High school GPA | Not required | Required |
Recommendation letters | Required | Required |
High school transcript | Not required | Not required |
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) | Not required | Required |
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Tuition and Fees |
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Sticker price | $78,028 | $66,400 |
Average net price | $13,910 | $25,126 |
Tuition | $51,143 | $50,100 |
Room & board |
Room/dormitory:
$11,705
Meal plan:
$7,236
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Room/dormitory:
$5,540
Meal plan:
$5,958
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Available payment plans |
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Financial Aid |
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Students receiving financial aid
(Grants & scholarships) |
56.0%
Average amount $59,840 |
100.0%
Average amount $38,182 |
Students receiving federal student loan |
3.0%
Average amount $5,180 |
43.0%
Average amount $5,895 |
Students taking out private loans |
2.0%
Average amount $8,080 |
4.0%
Average amount $15,800 |
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Students and Campus |
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Undergraduate students |
9,579
Men 49.0% Women 51.0% |
1,661
Men 41.7% Women 58.3% |
Graduate students |
21,766
Men 46.3% Women 53.7% |
29
Men 34.5% Women 65.5% |
Racial/ethnic diversity |
Moderate
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Low
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Out-of-state students | N/A | 45.4% |
International students | 23.9% | 15.7% |
Campus local/setting | City: Midsize | Suburb: Large |
Dormitory capacity | 12,874 | 1,236 |
First year students are required to live on campus? | Yes | No |
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from | New York California Texas Illinois New Jersey | Illinois Arizona California Colorado Minnesota |
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Academics |
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Popular study areas |
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Students to faculty ratio | 7:1 | 12:1 |
Institutional accreditation | New England Commission on Higher Education | Higher Learning Commission |
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Outcome |
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Graduation rate | 96.7% | 73.0% |
Dropout rate | 2.0% | 4.8% |
Transferred out | N/A | 22.2% |
Alumni salary by major (Top 10) |
Statistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Law (First Professional Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (First Professional Degrees)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
Public Health (Master's Degrees)
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Master's Degrees)
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Education, General (Doctoral Degrees)
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
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Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees)
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor's Degrees)
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
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