Lake Forest College vs Williams College

Nestled in the heart of the Midwest, Lake Forest College, and nestled in the picturesque Berkshires of Massachusetts, Williams College stand as two distinct beacons of higher education. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence and a vibrant campus life, they offer unique experiences that cater to different student aspirations. With Lake Forest College boasting a higher acceptance rate and a more diverse student body, it provides a welcoming environment for students from all backgrounds. In contrast, Williams College, with its lower acceptance rate and a focus on liberal arts, attracts students seeking a rigorous academic challenge. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into the specifics of each college, including popular majors, graduation rates, and more, to find the institution that best aligns with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Lake Forest College	Williams College
Overview
Location	Lake Forest, Illinois	Williamstown, Massachusetts
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Town: Fringe
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%	97.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	64.4%	8.8%
Application fees	$50	$65
SAT range	1130 - 1345	N/A
ACT range	26 - 31	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	15.0%
Total number of applicants	4,358	12,452
Total number of admissions given out	2,808	1,099
Admitted students who chose to enroll	417	574
Yield rate	14.9%	52.2%
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	$78,060
Average net price	$25,126	$14,487
Tuition	$50,100	$59,350
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,540 Meal plan: $5,958	Room/dormitory: $7,625 Meal plan: $7,375
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $38,182	52.0% Average amount $52,053
Students receiving federal student loan	43.0% Average amount $5,895	13.0% Average amount $3,992
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $15,800	2.0% Average amount $3,884

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,661 Men 41.7% Women 58.3%	2,174 Men 48.1% Women 51.9%
Graduate students	29 Men 34.5% Women 65.5%	50 Men 44.0% Women 56.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	45.4%	N/A
International students	15.7%	9.8%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	1,236	2,045
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
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	Mathematics and Statistics Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Ethnic Studies
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	6:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	73.0%	93.8%
Dropout rate	4.8%	3.1%
Transferred out	22.2%	1.6%
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	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $109,470 Year 2: $96,183 Year 3: $99,047 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $83,280 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $91,723 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,217 Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $63,034 Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,948 Year 2: $44,384 Year 3: $48,967 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,036 Year 2: $49,464 Year 3: $44,771 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,993 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $43,402 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,135 Year 2: $40,461 Year 3: $41,065 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,760 Year 2: $34,704 Year 3: $37,587 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,029 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $26,432 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,668 Year 2: $25,525 Year 3: $14,771

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Lake Forest College vs Williams College

Lake Forest College

Williams College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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