Lake Forest College vs Carleton College

Nestled in the heart of the Midwest, Lake Forest College and Carleton College stand out as two exceptional liberal arts institutions, each offering a unique educational experience. While both colleges share a commitment to academic excellence and a vibrant campus community, they differ in several key aspects. Lake Forest College, located in the charming town of Lake Forest, Illinois, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for prospective students. Carleton College, situated in the picturesque city of Northfield, Minnesota, is known for its rigorous academic programs and attracts a highly selective student body. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further distinctions between these two esteemed institutions, including popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and more, to help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Carleton College	Lake Forest College
Overview
Location	Northfield, Minnesota	Lake Forest, Illinois
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Trimester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	95.0%	87.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	17.5%	64.4%
Application fees		$50
SAT range	1408 - 1550	1130 - 1345
ACT range	31 - 35	26 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	35.0%	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	34.0%	15.0%
Total number of applicants	7,915	4,358
Total number of admissions given out	1,389	2,808
Admitted students who chose to enroll	555	417
Yield rate	40.0%	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)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$78,315	$66,400
Average net price	$31,718	$25,126
Tuition	$59,850	$50,100
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,115 Meal plan: $7,260	Room/dormitory: $5,540 Meal plan: $5,958
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	65.0% Average amount $45,715	100.0% Average amount $38,182
Students receiving federal student loan	45.0% Average amount $3,914	43.0% Average amount $5,895
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $14,334	4.0% Average amount $15,800

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,044 Men 48.7% Women 51.3%	1,661 Men 41.7% Women 58.3%
Graduate students	N/A	29 Men 34.5% Women 65.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	81.5%	45.4%
International students	10.2%	15.7%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,854	1,236
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Minnesota California Illinois New York Texas	Illinois Arizona California Colorado Minnesota

Academics
Popular study areas	Physical Science Social Sciences Ethnic Studies Mathematics and Statistics Visual & Performing Arts	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Education Foreign Languages and Literatures Psychology
Students to faculty ratio	8:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	91.4%	73.0%
Dropout rate	8.3%	4.8%
Transferred out	N/A	22.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $76,876 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $101,936 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,032 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $66,207 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,526 Year 2: $23,034 Year 3: $30,071 Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,669 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,425 Year 2: $22,329 Year 3: N/A Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,952 Year 2: $37,568 Year 3: N/A Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,227 Year 2: $36,141 Year 3: N/A Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,625 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Physics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,774 Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,301 Year 2: $33,719 Year 3: N/A	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

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Lake Forest College vs Carleton College

Carleton College

Lake Forest College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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