Lake Forest College vs. Gordon College

Should I go to Lake Forest College or Gordon College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Lake Forest College or Gordon College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Lake Forest College vs. Gordon College comparison
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Overview

Lake Forest College Gordon College
Location Lake Forest, IL Wenham, MA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,818 1,610
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #273 #343
Religious Affiliation - Interdenominational - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website lakeforest.edu gordon.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Lake Forest College Gordon College
Tuition (In State) $53,300 $27,000
Tuition (Out of State) $53,300 $27,000
Room & Board $12,480 $12,650
Avg Net Price $29,894 $25,250
Avg Grant Aid $38,424 $15,740
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Lake Forest College Gordon College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,811 2,579
Admitted 2,858 1,516
Acceptance Rate 59.4% 58.8%
Enrolled % 14.9% 21.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.62 3.58
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 28/31 26/32
SAT Range 1170/1365 1168/1370
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 15, 2026 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

Lake Forest College Gordon College
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • English and Literature (9%)

Outcomes

Lake Forest College Gordon College
Graduation Rate 68% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,800 $45,300
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 85%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $279

Diversity

Lake Forest College Gordon College
% Men 0% 5%
% Women 1% 15%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 58% 72%
% Black 7% 4%
% Hispanic 17% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 8% 8%
% Unknown Race 3% 0%

Students

Lake Forest College Gordon College
% In-State 41% 35%
% Out-of-State 36% 58%

Campus

Lake Forest College Gordon College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Lake Forest College is larger than than Gordon College based on total student enrollment (1,818 students vs. 1,610 students)

Lake Forest College vs. Gordon College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Lake Forest College or Gordon College?

  • Lake Forest College is 97.4% more expensive to attend than Gordon College for in-state tuition ($53,300.00 vs. $27,000.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 97.4% higher at Lake Forest College than Gordon College ($53,300.00 vs. $27,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Gordon College than Lake Forest College ($25,250 vs. $29,894)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Lake Forest College are 1.4% lower than costs at Gordon College ($12,480 vs. $12,650)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Lake Forest College as Gordon College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Lake Forest College students is 144.1% larger than aid received Gordon College ($38,424 vs. $15,740)

Lake Forest College vs. Gordon College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Lake Forest College or Gordon College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Gordon College or Lake Forest College .

  • Accepted freshman Lake Forest College students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.62) than students at Gordon College (3.58)
  • Lake Forest College has a higher acceptance rate (59.4%) than Gordon College (58.8%)

Lake Forest College vs. Gordon College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Lake Forest College or Gordon College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Gordon College and Lake Forest College.

  • The graduation rate at Gordon College is higher than Lake Forest College (74% vs. 68%)
  • Graduates from Lake Forest College earn on average $8,500 more per year than Gordon College graduates after ten years. ($53,800 vs. $45,300)
  • Gordon College and Lake Forest College graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($27,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Gordon College and Lake Forest College graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($279 vs. $279)
  • More Gordon College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Lake Forest College students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 78%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/