Lake Forest College

What is the cost of studying for a year at Lake Forest College?

Lake Forest College's published price is high, but the amount an individual student pays can be substantially lower after grants and scholarships. For 2024-25, reported full-time undergraduate tuition was $55,500, with $902 in required fees. The same reporting set lists $13,050 for room and board and $1,290 for books and supplies. Together, those listed items total $70,742; that is not a complete cost-of-attendance budget because transportation and personal expenses are not included.

Lake Forest is a private college, so the reported undergraduate tuition is the same for in-state and out-of-state students. Published prices from another academic year should not be substituted into the 2024-25 estimate. The college's current cost-of-attendance budget is the appropriate place to check updated charges and allowances, particularly for commuters, part-time students, and students with different housing arrangements.

Financial aid changes the comparison. Reported average net prices - which reflect costs after grant or scholarship aid - were $20,210 for students from families earning up to $48,000 and $35,341 for those from families earning above $110,000. Those are averages within income groups, not offers. Eligible students may receive institutional merit or need-based assistance, federal grants, Illinois state aid, and federal loans; eligibility and application requirements differ. Although all students in the reported aid measure received some form of financial aid, 67% received student loans. Applicants should compare their own aid offers by separating grants from loans and accounting for costs not billed directly by the college.

What are the work-study opportunities at Lake Forest College?

Lake Forest students can pursue campus employment and career-development support, but a student job, Federal Work-Study award, and internship are not interchangeable. Federal Work-Study is need-based financial aid that permits eligible students to earn wages through qualifying work; an award is not cash paid upfront or a guarantee of a particular position. Other campus jobs may have different eligibility and funding rules.

The college's career services include individual and group counseling, résumé assistance, interview preparation, job-search resources, employer events, and alumni networking. Those services can help students explore majors and seek internships or employment, but an internship is not required of every student. Students planning to work should check both the financial aid terms governing a Work-Study award and the process for applying to specific jobs; they should also consider how paid hours will fit their courses.