Lake Forest College vs. WLC

Should I go to Lake Forest College or Wisconsin Lutheran College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Lake Forest College or WLC 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. Wisconsin Lutheran College comparison
Lake Forest College Wisconsin Lutheran College College 3 College 4
Lake Forest College Wisconsin Lutheran College
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Overview

Lake Forest College WLC
Location Lake Forest, IL Milwaukee, WI
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 1,818 1,094
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #273 #417
Religious Affiliation - Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website lakeforest.edu wlc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Lake Forest College WLC
Tuition (In State) $53,300 $34,520
Tuition (Out of State) $53,300 $34,520
Room & Board $12,480 $11,880
Avg Net Price $29,894 $22,809
Avg Grant Aid $38,424 $24,122
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Lake Forest College WLC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,811 1,847
Admitted 2,858 1,460
Acceptance Rate 59.4% 79%
Enrolled % 14.9% 17.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.62 3.54
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 28/31 22/28
SAT Range 1170/1365 1060/1300
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

Academics

Lake Forest College WLC
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Communication (19%)
  • Education (15%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Biology (7%)

Outcomes

Lake Forest College WLC
Graduation Rate 68% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,800 $43,000
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 77%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $258

Diversity

Lake Forest College WLC
% Men 0% 2%
% Women 1% 4%
Racial Diversity High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 58% 83%
% Black 7% 5%
% Hispanic 17% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 8% 2%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

Lake Forest College WLC
% In-State 41% 69%
% Out-of-State 36% 31%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Lake Forest College is larger than than WLC based on total student enrollment (1,818 students vs. 1,094 students)

Lake Forest College vs. WLC Cost Comparison

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

  • Lake Forest College is 54.4% more expensive to attend than WLC for in-state tuition ($53,300.00 vs. $34,520.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 54.4% higher at Lake Forest College than Wisconsin Lutheran College ($53,300.00 vs. $34,520.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Wisconsin Lutheran College than Lake Forest College ($22,809 vs. $29,894)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Wisconsin Lutheran College are 5.1% lower than costs at Lake Forest College ($11,880 vs. $12,480)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Lake Forest College as Wisconsin Lutheran College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Lake Forest College students is 59.3% larger than aid received Wisconsin Lutheran College ($38,424 vs. $24,122)

Lake Forest College vs. WLC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Lake Forest College students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.62) than students at WLC (3.54)
  • WLC has a higher acceptance rate (79%) than Lake Forest College (59.4%)

Lake Forest College vs. WLC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Lake Forest College or WLC? 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 WLC and Lake Forest College.

  • The graduation rate at Lake Forest College is higher than Wisconsin Lutheran College (68% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Lake Forest College earn on average $10,800 more per year than WLC graduates after ten years. ($53,800 vs. $43,000)
  • Wisconsin Lutheran College students graduate with a $2,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Lake Forest College graduates. ($25,000 vs. $27,000)
  • WLC graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than Lake Forest College graduates. ($258 vs. $279)
  • More Lake Forest College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WLC students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 77%)

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