Wheaton College vs Lake Forest College

Wheaton College and Lake Forest College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions in Illinois, offer distinct educational experiences. Wheaton College, affiliated with the Christian faith, boasts a lower acceptance rate (38%) compared to Lake Forest College (60%). While Wheaton's student body is predominantly White (73%) and female (59%), Lake Forest College fosters a more diverse community with a higher percentage of international students (13%) and a more balanced gender ratio. In terms of academics, Wheaton College excels in the fields of Biblical and Theological Studies, while Lake Forest College is renowned for its strengths in the Social Sciences and Biological Sciences. Both colleges boast impressive graduation rates, with Wheaton College at 84% and Lake Forest College at 82%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these institutions and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Lake Forest College	Wheaton College
Overview
Location	Lake Forest, Illinois	Wheaton, Illinois
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%	89.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Undenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	64.4%	86.3%
Application fees	$50	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $30
SAT range	1130 - 1345	1250 - 1430
ACT range	26 - 31	27 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%	32.0%
Students submitting ACT score	15.0%	25.0%
Total number of applicants	4,358	1,993
Total number of admissions given out	2,808	1,719
Admitted students who chose to enroll	417	546
Yield rate	14.9%	31.8%
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	$54,700
Average net price	$25,126	$28,319
Tuition	$50,100	$40,570
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,540 Meal plan: $5,958	Room/dormitory: $6,640 Meal plan: $4,660
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $38,182	91.0% Average amount $23,469
Students receiving federal student loan	43.0% Average amount $5,895	52.0% Average amount $5,169
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $15,800	5.0% Average amount $15,404

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,661 Men 41.7% Women 58.3%	2,341 Men 44.9% Women 55.1%
Graduate students	29 Men 34.5% Women 65.5%	706 Men 34.6% Women 65.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	45.4%	N/A
International students	15.7%	5.9%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,236	2,153
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	Psychology Theology Education Health Professions Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	73.0%	87.6%
Dropout rate	4.8%	3.1%
Transferred out	22.2%	9.1%
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	Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,492 Year 2: $48,667 Year 3: $61,559 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,982 Year 2: $37,748 Year 3: $48,761 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $37,694 Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $48,539 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $30,613 Year 2: $33,459 Year 3: $41,661 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,251 Year 2: $37,856 Year 3: $41,339 Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $38,767 Year 2: $39,049 Year 3: $38,775 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,864 Year 3: $36,928 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,471 Year 2: $27,126 Year 3: $34,682 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,825 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $32,867 Religious Education (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $31,289

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