Lake Forest College (Lake Forest)

Founded in 1857, Lake Forest College has a long tradition of academic excellence and is known for its innovative curriculum. We are dedicated to elevating students from dreamers to doers. Here, students take classes to nurture and discover their passions. Our community embraces career preparation at its finest, with access to top internships in and around the great city of Chicago. In every field of study, we will help students make opportunities to excel.

In addition to majors in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, the College features programs of study in data science, entrepreneurship and innovation, pre-health, nursing pathways, pre-law, business, finance, computer science, and still other practical areas. Students learn in a rigorous academic environment in small class settings where professors do all the teaching and also serve as advisors and mentors. Professors are accomplished scholars, published authors, and recipients of prestigious grants. Many have come from some of the top PhD programs in the country.

Students get the best of both worlds: an idyllic lakeshore campus near the opportunity and culture of the third-largest city in the US. Lake Forest College is committed to helping students achieve their dream careers through pragmatic experience and guided preparation. With hands-on research, nationally ranked internship access, and dynamic classroom settings that foster supportive relationships between students and professors, this is the liberal arts at its finest.

Every first-year student and transfer student is assigned a career advisor, in addition to an academic advisor. Lake Forest prepares students to lead successful lives, and many go on to competitive graduate programs and top jobs. Abundant internships, research opportunities, personal guidance from professors, and connections to nearby Chicago also set Lake Forest apart.

Students represent nearly every state and more than 100 countries around the world. Together they comprise a learning community that prepares them to succeed in a global society. More than eighty student groups provide a host of extracurricular opportunities that develop leadership skills and enhance students' campus experience and post-college prospects. Lake Forest College offers recreational music, art, and theater programs, as well as 25 varsity sports and intramural and club sports.

Lake Forest College is a place to study, work, and live. With the diversity of the student body there is an eclectic mix of activities and opportunities outside the classroom.

Student organizations include student government, international interest groups, Greek Life, academic honor societies, community service, publications and media, music and performance, spiritual and religious groups, and many others.

Students have a voice in how the College is run and are actively involved in governance committees such as the College Council and have representation on the Board of Trustees. Student writers and performers can showcase their talents on stage with the Garrick Players, by hosting a show on "WMXM," the College's FM radio station, or through the student newspaper, literary magazines, chorus and instrumental ensembles. Academic honor societies enjoy active student participation as do the community service groups and many special-interest clubs. The College provides and maintains a comprehensive intramural and intercollegiate athletic program. There are four national fraternities and five national sororities, all housed within the residence halls. All students have equal opportunity to take advantage of the richness of the College's programs.

Lake Forest College competes in the NCAA Division III fielding thirteen women's and twelve men's intercollegiate varsity teams. Women's teams include basketball, cross-country, golf, handball, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, volleyball, track (indoor), and track (distance). Men's teams include basketball, cross-country, football, golf, handball, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track (indoor), and track (distance). The College also offers an extensive roster of intramural and club sports.

The College's Center for Chicago Programs facilitates engagement with the resources of Chicago which often complements programs for student organizations as well as provides students with information on cultural and social activities happening downtown. The train to Chicago is a short walk from campus and students enjoy traveling to the city for fun and entertainment as well as many class trips with professors.

Lake Forest College has "a very diverse student body with a large number of international students mixed with students from all over the U.S." Students are "socioeconomically diverse, with many choosing Lake Forest because of the financial aid offer." Many feel "the sense of community on our campus is extremely strong." Undergrads can be counted on to look out for each other, as Lake Forest College has "a lot [of] student leaders that help the incoming class [adjust to] the college as well as the workload." Indeed, many feel like their peers are "awesome, smart and talented," and "very supportive of each other." Students truly feel invested in their community. "Everyone is so willing to help out with anything, and I have felt so welcomed by my peers in class, intramural, social, and academic environments," one student says. At this small school, "everyone tends to know everyone" and "there's never a time where I don't see someone I know or someone I don't know greets me." It is this "really welcoming" environment and student population that make students feel right at home at Lake Forest.

The weekdays are mostly for study, and you find that many "people will spend time in the library." But in their downtime and on weekends, students love to "go to the beach, hang out in the quad area, take the train to Chicago, [and] attend school events" or go to "parties in dorms on weekend[s]." Greek life and "playing intramural sports or going to sports games" are popular pastimes, as are cultural clubs and service opportunities. "We all participate in a bunch of cultural and academic clubs that help us...establish a healthy relationship/friendship with each other," one student says. These healthy relationships also extend to those between student and staff when undergrads express interest in creating new programming or events for things undergrads are passionate about, like mental health. "We are always looking for new ways to express our interests to administration, and they always work with us to the best of their abilities."

There’s no question that Lake Forest provides the foundation students need to kickstart their careers. The Career Pathways program carves out a community for students in one or more of five areas, connecting them with invaluable networks and charting out a course of four Career Milestones. One undergrad readily notes that the “networking is … amazing.” In fact, students cite the number of connections this school has for jobs and internships as one of its main benefits, especially with Chicago-area institutions where students can complete up to three internships for credit. And the benefit of these resume-building experiences is reflected in Lake Forest’s impressive job statistics: 76 percent of the college’s newly minted alums were employed within six to nine months of graduation, and 18.6 percent were attending grad school. Payscale.com cites a median starting salary of $64,800 for Lake Forest graduates, and 46 percent get a high level of meaning from their job.