10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$131,032at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Lake Forest College
⌖ Lake Forest, IL · 13 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$131,032 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
18.0 yrsModeled economic break-even
−44%Modeled 10-year ROI
$61,366Observed earnings · year 5
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
Cost, completion and earnings context
$28,673Average net price / year
$70,655Cost of attendance
$61,366Median earnings · year 5 after completion
77.8%Completion rate
56.8%Admission rate
1,813Student size
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$38,437Year 1
$62,893Year 4
$61,366Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Finance and Financial Management Services · Bachelor's Degree$98,5832Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$77,5543Business/Commerce, General · Bachelor's Degree$74,6324Communication and Media Studies · Bachelor's Degree$64,5805Political Science and Government · Bachelor's Degree$61,7706English Language and Literature, General · Bachelor's Degree$58,9017Psychology, General · Bachelor's Degree$54,2708Social Sciences, Other · Bachelor's Degree$53,438Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Comparable colleges in IL
Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.
Wheaton, IL
Wheaton College
- Annual net price
- $26,975
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $58,828
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -52%
McKendree University
- Annual net price
- $24,717
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $59,757
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -47%
Illinois Wesleyan University
- Annual net price
- $28,199
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $66,515
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -27%
Elmhurst University
- Annual net price
- $24,185
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $64,263
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -30%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $98,583 | $27,000 |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $77,554 | $27,000 |
| Business/Commerce, General | Bachelor's Degree | $74,632 | $27,000 |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $64,580 | $27,000 |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $61,770 | $27,000 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $58,901 | $23,250 |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $54,270 | $27,000 |
| Social Sciences, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $53,438 | $26,500 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor's Degree | $52,598 | $27,000 |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $48,287 | $27,000 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $27,000 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $26,839 |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $27,000 |
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.