Quad

Head-to-head

Lake Forest
Illinois Institute of Technology

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Illinois Institute of Technology grads earn $20.8K more ten years out than Lake Forest's ($82,592 vs. $61,825)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  2. 2

    Illinois Institute of Technology has 8 pts more first-gen students than Lake Forest (32% vs. 25%)

    First-generation students
  3. 3

    Illinois Institute of Technology is more diverse (index 0.78 vs. 0.70)

    Diversity index
  4. 4

    Illinois Institute of Technology has 1.6× as many undergrads as Lake Forest

    Undergrads
  5. 5

    Lake Forest's yield is 6 pts higher than Illinois Institute of Technology's

    Yield rate
  6. 6

    Illinois Institute of Technology's grants cover 61% of its full price on average, vs. 56% at Lake Forest

    Aid generosity

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

Illinois Institute of Technology admits 55%, Lake Forest 57%; Lake Forest's yield is higher, at 14%.

Acceptance rate
Lake Forest57%
Illinois Institute of Technology55%
Quad's selectivity
  • Lake ForestSelective
  • Illinois Institute of TechnologySelective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1100–1600
Lake Forest
1190–1393
Illinois Institute of Technology
1180–1440
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Lake ForestGPA, school record, and prep program required
  • Illinois Institute of TechnologySchool record and prep program required

Who's on each campus

Illinois Institute of Technology has 1.6× as many undergrads as Lake Forest; Lake Forest has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Lake Forest1.8K
Illinois Institute of Technology2.8K
Pell Grant share
Lake Forest32%
Illinois Institute of Technology30%

Majors and faculty

Business/Commerce leads at Lake Forest, and Computer Science at Illinois Institute of Technology.

Students per faculty member
Lake Forest13 to 1
Illinois Institute of Technology14 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Lake ForestBusiness/Commerce, General17%
  • Illinois Institute of TechnologyComputer Science18%

What each costs

Illinois Institute of Technology costs about $3.3K less a year than Lake Forest on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Lake Forest$31.7K
Illinois Institute of Technology$28.4K
Aid generosity
Lake Forest56%
Illinois Institute of Technology61%

What each pays off

Illinois Institute of Technology's former students earn more, a median $82.6K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 70% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Lake Forest$61.8K
Illinois Institute of Technology$82.6K
Graduation rate
Lake Forest77%
Illinois Institute of Technology76%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; Illinois Institute of Technology got less selective while Lake Forest held steady.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Lake ForestGrowing+55%
  • Illinois Institute of TechnologyGrowing+243%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why