Lake Forest College vs Smith College

Nestled in the heart of the Midwest, Lake Forest College, and Smith College, a renowned institution in the Northeast, stand as two distinct beacons of higher education. While both share a commitment to academic excellence and fostering a vibrant campus community, they offer unique experiences that cater to diverse student aspirations. With Lake Forest College's acceptance rate hovering around 60% and Smith College's at a selective 35%, the institutions attract students with varying academic profiles. Explore the comparison table below to delve into further details on acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, helping you discern the institution that best aligns with your academic pursuits and personal preferences.
Lake Forest College logo

Lake Forest College

Smith College logo

Smith College

Overview

Location Lake Forest, Illinois Northampton, Massachusetts
Campus setting Suburb: Large 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 87.0% 95.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 64.4% 29.9%
Application fees $50 $60
SAT range 1130 - 1345 1370 - 1530
ACT range 26 - 31 31 - 34
Students submitting SAT score 26.0% 34.0%
Students submitting ACT score 15.0% 20.0%
Total number of applicants 4,358 6,064
Total number of admissions given out 2,808 1,814
Admitted students who chose to enroll 417 676
Yield rate 14.9% 37.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $66,400 $68,128
Average net price $25,126 $29,569
Tuition $50,100 $55,830
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $5,540

Meal plan: $5,958
Room/dormitory: $9,700

Meal plan: $9,720
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $38,182
70.0%
Average amount $44,108
Students receiving federal student loan 43.0%
Average amount $5,895
35.0%
Average amount $3,560
Students taking out private loans 4.0%
Average amount $15,800
5.0%
Average amount $8,280

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,661
Men 41.7% Women 58.3%
2,566
Men 0.1% Women 99.9%
Graduate students 29
Men 34.5% Women 65.5%
358
Men 16.2% Women 83.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 45.4% N/A
International students 15.7% 13.4%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 1,236 2,519
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Illinois Arizona California Colorado Minnesota Mississippi New York California Connecticut Maryland

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Education
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Psychology
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Engineering
  • Social Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Mathematics and Statistics
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 9:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 73.0% 91.0%
Dropout rate 4.8% 3.6%
Transferred out 22.2% 5.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,498
  • Year 2: $44,468
  • Year 3: $58,948
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $45,662
  • Year 2: $41,007
  • Year 3: $50,604
Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,515
  • Year 2: $40,647
  • Year 3: $46,215
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,630
  • Year 2: $30,409
  • Year 3: $42,995
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,945
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: $37,497
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $33,373
  • Year 2: $23,807
  • Year 3: $32,580
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $26,153
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $29,832
  • Year 3: N/A
Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $35,544
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,197
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,496
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $70,990
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $47,650
  • Year 3: $56,651
Social Work (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,011
  • Year 2: $45,554
  • Year 3: $53,962
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $46,620
  • Year 3: $53,886
Education, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,098
  • Year 2: $43,798
  • Year 3: $48,619
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,776
  • Year 2: $39,153
  • Year 3: $43,120
Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $31,839
  • Year 3: $41,147
Research and Experimental Psychology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $29,006
  • Year 2: $18,566
  • Year 3: $41,145
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $26,954
  • Year 2: $28,019
  • Year 3: $40,411
Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $34,603
  • Year 3: $38,497

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