The average acceptance rate at Lake Forest over the past 10 years is 57.56%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 56.81%. Compared to the previous year, it became slightly more competitive to gain admission to Lake Forest in 2025.
The acceptance rate has decreased each year for the past 3 years, indicating increasing selectivity.
The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 15.52%, and the 2025 yield is 13.64%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 29.33% from 2015 to 2025.
The number of Lake Forest applicants increased by 11.33% (545 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 58.79% overall.
The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 56.81%, demonstrating consistent admission standards over the past decade. The stability of this rate suggests that Lake Forest maintains a predictable and steady admissions environment for prospective students.
The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 13.64%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at Lake Forest. This pattern may reflect increased competition from peer institutions, changing student demographics, or shifts in institutional enrollment strategy.
For the 2025 admission cycle, Lake Forest received approximately 5,356 applications, admitted 3,043 students, and enrolled 415 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that Lake Forest is attracting an increasing number of prospective students over time. This growth in applications typically reflects enhanced institutional visibility, improved marketing initiatives, or increasing perceived value in the higher education market.
Lake Forest 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at Lake Forest over the past decade show a consistent pattern of increasing selectivity, with the acceptance rate declining year-over-year for 3 consecutive years. The average acceptance rate over this period is 57.56%, while the most recent rate stands at 56.81%. This data reflects the institution's evolving competitiveness in the higher education admissions landscape.
For the most recent admission cycle (2025), the acceptance rate is 56.81%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 54.32% and for women is 60.13%.
The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at Lake Forest have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 55.00% | 53.08% | 56.42% |
| 2016-17 | 56.94% 1.95% |
55.55% 2.47% |
57.96% 1.54% |
| 2017-18 | 52.99% -3.96% |
52.90% -2.65% |
53.05% -4.92% |
| 2018-19 | 57.92% 4.94% |
55.39% 2.49% |
59.86% 6.82% |
| 2019-20 | 55.20% -2.72% |
50.73% -4.66% |
58.42% -1.44% |
| 2020-21 | 57.61% 2.41% |
52.38% 1.65% |
61.59% 3.16% |
| 2021-22 | 64.00% 6.39% |
60.99% 8.61% |
66.98% 5.39% |
| 2022-23 | 59.72% -4.28% |
54.10% -6.89% |
64.42% -2.56% |
| 2023-24 | 59.41% -0.32% |
55.95% 1.85% |
62.09% -2.33% |
| 2024-25 | 56.81% -2.59% |
52.18% -3.77% |
60.50% -1.59% |
| Average | 57.56% | 54.32% | 60.13% |
Lake Forest has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 19.30% in 2015 to 13.64% in 2025, representing a 29.33% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 15.52%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at Lake Forest from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 29.33% over this period.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 19.30% | 20.37% | 18.55% |
| 2016-17 | 15.08% -4.22% |
14.33% -6.04% |
15.61% -2.94% |
| 2017-18 | 15.66% 0.58% |
17.47% 3.14% |
14.39% -1.22% |
| 2018-19 | 16.19% 0.54% |
17.35% -0.11% |
15.37% 0.98% |
| 2019-20 | 14.49% -1.71% |
16.78% -0.57% |
13.05% -2.32% |
| 2020-21 | 15.03% 0.54% |
14.79% -1.99% |
15.18% 2.13% |
| 2021-22 | 14.99% -0.04% |
16.99% 2.20% |
12.98% -2.20% |
| 2022-23 | 15.97% 0.99% |
16.28% -0.72% |
15.76% 2.78% |
| 2023-24 | 14.87% -1.10% |
15.99% -0.29% |
14.09% -1.67% |
| 2024-25 | 13.64% -1.23% |
14.31% -1.68% |
13.20% -0.89% |
| Average | 15.52% | 16.47% | 14.82% |
Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 4,446, the average number of admitted is 2,562, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 394.
The number of Lake Forest applicants increased by 11.33% (545 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 58.79% overall.
The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at Lake Forest College from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 3,373 | 1,855 | 358 |
| 2016-17 | 4,227 25.32% |
2,407 29.76% |
363 1.40% |
| 2017-18 | 4,303 1.80% |
2,280 -5.28% |
357 -1.65% |
| 2018-19 | 4,147 -3.63% |
2,402 5.35% |
389 8.96% |
| 2019-20 | 4,739 14.28% |
2,616 8.91% |
379 -2.57% |
| 2020-21 | 4,482 -5.42% |
2,582 -1.30% |
388 2.37% |
| 2021-22 | 4,358 -2.77% |
2,789 8.02% |
418 7.73% |
| 2022-23 | 4,665 7.04% |
2,786 -0.11% |
445 6.46% |
| 2023-24 | 4,811 3.13% |
2,858 2.58% |
425 -4.49% |
| 2024-25 | 5,356 11.33% |
3,043 6.47% |
415 -2.35% |
| Average | 4,446 | 2,562 | 394 |
The following table compares Lake Forest College' acceptance rate to similar schools.
| 2024 | 2025 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Forest College | 59.41% | 56.81% | -4.38% |
| Northwestern University | 7.69% | 7.15% | 7.55% |
| DePaul University | 75.89% | 73.53% | 3.21% |
| University of Chicago | 4.48% | 4.79% | -6.47% |
| Loyola University Chicago | 81.60% | 81.39% | 0.26% |
| National Louis University | 95.05% | 93.12% | 2.07% |
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