Lake Forest College vs Grinnell College

Nestled in the heart of the Midwest, Lake Forest College and Grinnell 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 fostering 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. Grinnell College, situated in the vibrant city of Grinnell, Iowa, is known for its rigorous academic programs and attracts a diverse student body from across the globe. 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 higher education journey.

	Grinnell College	Lake Forest College
Overview
Location	Grinnell, Iowa	Lake Forest, Illinois
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	93.0%	87.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	10.5%	64.4%
Application fees		$50
SAT range	1370 - 1530	1130 - 1345
ACT range	30 - 34	26 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	29.0%	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	33.0%	15.0%
Total number of applicants	10,513	4,358
Total number of admissions given out	1,108	2,808
Admitted students who chose to enroll	471	417
Yield rate	42.5%	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	$76,098	$66,400
Average net price	$37,423	$25,126
Tuition	$58,156	$50,100
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,779 Meal plan: $7,572	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)	100.0% Average amount $35,821	100.0% Average amount $38,182
Students receiving federal student loan	36.0% Average amount $3,952	43.0% Average amount $5,895
Students taking out private loans	12.0% Average amount $5,903	4.0% Average amount $15,800

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,748 Men 47.5% Women 52.5%	1,661 Men 41.7% Women 58.3%
Graduate students	N/A	29 Men 34.5% Women 65.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	91.5%	45.4%
International students	19.4%	15.7%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,450	1,236
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Illinois Iowa Minnesota Texas	Illinois Arizona California Colorado Minnesota

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Physical Science Visual & Performing Arts Computer and Information Science	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Education Foreign Languages and Literatures Psychology
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	86.9%	73.0%
Dropout rate	12.9%	4.8%
Transferred out	N/A	22.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,661 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $55,487 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,893 Year 2: $34,704 Year 3: $49,481 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,499 Year 2: $29,141 Year 3: $41,882 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,517 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $40,572 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,353 Year 3: $37,882 Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: $37,613 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,718 Year 2: $19,227 Year 3: $29,237 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $28,680 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,658 Year 2: $91,744 Year 3: N/A Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,239 Year 2: N/A 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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