Lake Forest College vs Whittier College

Lake Forest College and Whittier College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Lake Forest, nestled in the serene suburb of Lake Forest, Illinois, boasts a higher acceptance rate (69%) compared to Whittier's selective admissions (49%). While Whittier's student body is more diverse, with 49% identifying as students of color, Lake Forest's student body is predominantly White (73%). Both colleges excel in preparing students for postgraduate success, with impressive graduation rates of 79% and 77% respectively. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further distinctions, including popular majors, financial aid opportunities, and campus life, to determine which college best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Lake Forest College	Whittier College
Overview
Location	Lake Forest, Illinois	Whittier, California
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	87.0%	82.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	64.4%	82.5%
Application fees	$50	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $70
SAT range	1130 - 1345	1120 - 1340
ACT range	26 - 31	23 - 28
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%	11.0%
Students submitting ACT score	15.0%	9.0%
Total number of applicants	4,358	2,884
Total number of admissions given out	2,808	2,379
Admitted students who chose to enroll	417	277
Yield rate	14.9%	11.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$66,400	$61,014
Average net price	$25,126	$22,091
Tuition	$50,100	$48,924
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,540 Meal plan: $5,958	Room/dormitory: $8,216 Meal plan: $6,756
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $38,182	97.0% Average amount $32,645
Students receiving federal student loan	43.0% Average amount $5,895	65.0% Average amount $5,040
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $15,800	6.0% Average amount $17,379

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,661 Men 41.7% Women 58.3%	1,325 Men 43.7% Women 56.3%
Graduate students	29 Men 34.5% Women 65.5%	62 Men 25.8% Women 74.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	45.4%	N/A
International students	15.7%	6.3%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,236	849
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	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Education Foreign Languages and Literatures Psychology	Social Sciences Education Family and Consumer Sciences Visual & Performing Arts Foreign Languages and Literatures
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	73.0%	63.6%
Dropout rate	4.8%	3.6%
Transferred out	22.2%	31.9%
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	Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $34,282 Year 2: $41,689 Year 3: $64,434 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,241 Year 2: $67,324 Year 3: $59,453 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,364 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $54,567 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,650 Year 2: $35,914 Year 3: $47,815 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,730 Year 2: $28,309 Year 3: $42,330 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,976 Year 2: $14,935 Year 3: $38,238 Social Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,267 Year 2: $26,715 Year 3: $37,247 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,562 Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: $35,879 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,185 Year 2: $16,015 Year 3: $34,329 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,103 Year 2: $27,765 Year 3: $30,273

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Lake Forest College vs Whittier College

Lake Forest College

Whittier College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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