Graduates of Lake Forest College earn median 4-year earnings of $62,893, placing Lake Forest College in the 63.0 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,932 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Lake Forest College in the 49.7 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Lake Forest College #647 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Lake Forest College's concentration in business and professional fields. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program by aggregate return, combining substantial enrollment with solid mid-career pay. Among the most popular majors, Business/Commerce, General enrolls 53 graduates with median 4-year earnings of $74,632, while Research Psychology and Biology, General also anchor the institution's degree output. Biology, General graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $48,287, performing at 0.8× the national benchmark for the field. Communication and Media Studies rounds out the top programs with 30 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $64,580, at 1.1× benchmark. This program mix — anchored in Business — supports consistent mid-career outcomes across the institution's undergraduate portfolio.
Graduates of Lake Forest College earn median 4-year earnings of $62,893, placing Lake Forest College in the 63.0 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,932 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Lake Forest College in the 49.7 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Lake Forest College #647 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Lake Forest College's concentration in business and professional fields. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program by aggregate return, combining substantial enrollment with solid mid-career pay. Among the most popular majors, Business/Commerce, General enrolls 53 graduates with median 4-year earnings of $74,632, while Research Psychology and Biology, General also anchor the institution's degree output. Biology, General graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $48,287, performing at 0.8× the national benchmark for the field. Communication and Media Studies rounds out the top programs with 30 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $64,580, at 1.1× benchmark. This program mix — anchored in Business — supports consistent mid-career outcomes across the institution's undergraduate portfolio.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of Lake Forest College earn median 4-year earnings of $62,893, placing Lake Forest College in the 63.0 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,932 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Lake Forest College in the 49.7 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Lake Forest College #647 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Lake Forest College's concentration in business and professional fields. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program by aggregate return, combining substantial enrollment with solid mid-career pay. Among the most popular majors, Business/Commerce, General enrolls 53 graduates with median 4-year earnings of $74,632, while Research Psychology and Biology, General also anchor the institution's degree output. Biology, General graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $48,287, performing at 0.8× the national benchmark for the field. Communication and Media Studies rounds out the top programs with 30 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $64,580, at 1.1× benchmark. This program mix — anchored in Business — supports consistent mid-career outcomes across the institution's undergraduate portfolio.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Lake Forest College's program mix is anchored in business and professional fields, reflecting the institution's identity as a private liberal arts college with applied career outcomes. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program with 53 graduates, followed by Research Psychology, Biology, General, Economics, and Communication and Media Studies. Business represents the dominant concentration, with Business and 18% of the degree portfolio, alongside Social Sciences at 18% and Arts at 5%. The highest-earning programs at Lake Forest College cluster in professional and quantitative fields. Finance leads with median earnings of $98,583 four years after enrollment from 30 graduates, followed by Business/Commerce, General with 53 graduates earning $74,632. Communication and Media Studies delivers median earnings of $64,580 from 30 graduates, while English Language and Literature, General and Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services round out the earnings leaders with $58,901 and $52,598 respectively. These programs reflect direct-to-workforce pathways where graduates enter professional roles immediately after completion. The institution's program portfolio emphasizes career-ready preparation aligned with regional labor markets. Most of Lake Forest College's ranked programs are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the workforce directly in business, finance, and professional services sectors. The supply and demand for college graduates provides context for how these dominant program families align with national wage trends and hiring demand in professional services and business administration fields.
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Lake Forest College earn median 4-year earnings of $62,893, placing Lake Forest College in the 63.0 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,932 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Lake Forest College in the 49.7 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Lake Forest College #647 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Lake Forest College's concentration in business and professional fields. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program by aggregate return, combining substantial enrollment with solid mid-career pay. Among the most popular majors, Business/Commerce, General enrolls 53 graduates with median 4-year earnings of $74,632, while Research Psychology and Biology, General also anchor the institution's degree output. Biology, General graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $48,287, performing at 0.8× the national benchmark for the field. Communication and Media Studies rounds out the top programs with 30 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $64,580, at 1.1× benchmark. This program mix — anchored in Business — supports consistent mid-career outcomes across the institution's undergraduate portfolio.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
