Lake Forest College vs. Notre Dame

Should I go to Lake Forest College or University of Notre Dame? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Lake Forest College or Notre Dame 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Georgetown Northwestern Vanderbilt Villanova Michigan Purdue Duke WUSTL Harvard BC USC Emory
Lake Forest College vs. University of Notre Dame comparison
Lake Forest College University of Notre Dame College 3 College 4
Lake Forest College University of Notre Dame
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Lake Forest College Notre Dame
Location Lake Forest, IL Notre Dame, IN
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 1,818 13,174
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #273 #31
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website lakeforest.edu nd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Lake Forest College Notre Dame
Tuition (In State) $53,300 $62,186
Tuition (Out of State) $53,300 $62,186
Room & Board $12,480 $17,378
Avg Net Price $29,894 $29,083
Avg Grant Aid $38,424 $51,128
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 59%

Admission

Lake Forest College Notre Dame
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,811 28,353
Admitted 2,858 3,510
Acceptance Rate 59.4% 12.4%
Enrolled % 14.9% 59.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.62 3.91
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition Low Very High
ACT Range 28/31 33/35
SAT Range 1170/1365 1440/1540
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, 2025 Jan 1, 2025

Academics

Lake Forest College Notre Dame
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

Lake Forest College Notre Dame
Graduation Rate 68% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,800 $89,800
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $279 $222

Diversity

Lake Forest College Notre Dame
% Men 0% 18%
% Women 1% 14%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 58% 69%
% Black 7% 4%
% Hispanic 17% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 8% 6%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

Lake Forest College Notre Dame
% In-State 41% 6%
% Out-of-State 36% 83%

Campus

Lake Forest College Notre Dame
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

  • University of Notre Dame is larger than than Lake Forest College based on total student enrollment (13,174 students vs. 1,818 students)

Lake Forest College vs. Notre Dame Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Lake Forest College or Notre Dame ?

  • University of Notre Dame is 16.7% more expensive to attend than Lake Forest College for in-state tuition ($62,186.00 vs. $53,300.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 16.7% higher at Notre Dame than Lake Forest College ($62,186.00 vs. $53,300.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Notre Dame than Lake Forest College ($29,083 vs. $29,894)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Lake Forest College are 39.2% lower than costs at University of Notre Dame ($12,480 vs. $17,378)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Lake Forest College than University of Notre Dame (100% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Notre Dame students is 33.1% larger than aid received Lake Forest College ($51,128 vs. $38,424)

Lake Forest College vs. Notre Dame Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Notre Dame students have a 0.29 point higher average high school GPA (3.91) than students at Lake Forest College (3.62)
  • Lake Forest College has a higher acceptance rate (59.4%) than Notre Dame (12.4%)

Lake Forest College vs. Notre Dame Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Lake Forest College or Notre Dame ? 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 Notre Dame and Lake Forest College.

  • The graduation rate at Notre Dame is higher than Lake Forest College (96% vs. 68%)
  • Graduates from University of Notre Dame earn on average $36,000 more per year than Lake Forest College graduates after ten years. ($89,800 vs. $53,800)
  • University of Notre Dame students graduate with a $5,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Lake Forest College graduates. ($21,500 vs. $27,000)
  • Notre Dame graduates are paying $57 less per month on federal student loans than Lake Forest College graduates. ($222 vs. $279)
  • More Notre Dame graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Lake Forest College students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 78%)

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