Lake Forest Academy

Lake Forest · IL · Private independent

Private

24 AP courses 5 National Merit Semifinalists

At a glance

Programs & features
  • 24 AP courses offered (school profile)
  • 5 National Merit SemifinalistsRoughly the top 1% of PSAT scorers in each state — about 16,000 juniors nationally. A useful gauge of a school's academic top end. (2024)

Composed from the school's own published profile (2024), and other public data. Full breakdowns below.

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How Lake Forest Academy compares for families

Among the academically strongest private schools in our database.

  • Nationally5 National Merit Semifinalists last year (NMSF is the top 1% of US PSAT scorers).
  • LocallyIL sits right at the US average on NAEP 8th-grade math — local school quality will set your kid apart.
  • vs Similar SchoolsThe closest comparables nearby: Safe Haven School, Arlyn Day School, Centerview Therapeutic School and 5 more. See the sidebar to compare side-by-side.

For Parents

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Objective, government-grade data — no school pays us for placement.

Your state's public flagship

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

44%
admit rate
$16,004
in-state tuition/yr · $35,124 out-of-state
1270–1510
SAT 25–75 · ACT 29–34

The in-state tuition gap is the flagship's biggest draw — most in-state families pay far less than the out-of-state sticker. Average net price after aid runs about $14,355/yr. Admission odds depend on your student's GPA and test scores, not which high school they attend.

See the full University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign profile → Estimate your odds with your scores →

Source: IPEDS admissions, tuition & enrollment + College Scorecard net price. Flagship = the state's primary public research university.

Their published matriculation list

Where their graduates enrolled

Lake Forest Academy publishes where its graduates enrolled. What follows is copied from that document — 15 colleges, ordered by the number of students enrolled.

Years, as the document states them
2021 - 2024

College  ·  Most Popular Matriculated Destinations (numbered subset)

U of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 21
Northwestern University 18
New York University 15
U of Michigan 12
Indiana University 11
Wake Forest University 11
Washington University-St. Louis 10
Boston University 9
Duke University 8
Purdue University 8
U of Miami (FL) 8
Emory University 7
Northeastern University 7
U of Southern California 7
Harvard University 6

These graduates went on to the colleges above.

Check your kid's odds at these colleges →

We'll load the 10 colleges the class chose most often — add your name, email and your child's numbers and we'll see where your child lands at each.

As published, source linked As published by Lake Forest Academy — Lake Forest Academy School Profile 2024-2025 ↗. Found at: p.2 of 2, "COLLEGE MATRICULATION 2021 - 2024" section.

Enrollment trend & projection

Total enrollment went from 435 in 2018 to 437 in 2022 — over 4 years.
+0.5%
Why only 3 data points?

Private school enrollment comes from the NCES Private School Universe Survey (PSS), which is collected every other year — not annually like public-school data. The most recent published collection is 2021–22; NCES targeted spring 2026 for the 2023–24 release — we'll load it as soon as it's published.

For a more current snapshot, see Lake Forest Academy's own published school profile (as of 2024-25): issuu.com/lfa_communications/docs/2024-2025_lfa_c… ↗

If the recent trend holds…

At its recent rate of +0.1%/year, projecting from 2022's 437 students:

2023
438
2025
439
2027
440

An extrapolation of the recent trajectory, not a forecast of the school's plans; ignores one-off shocks.

Revenue upside

At tuition per student, the 3 students projected to be gained by 2027 represent ≈ $48,000/year in tuition upside.

Tuition is an editable estimate (PSS doesn't publish tuition) — set it to your school's figure.

Most similar nearby high schools

The schools most like this one — same type, blended on distance and size — and where their enrollment is heading. These are the schools families here weigh against each other.

SchoolTypeMilesHS enrollmentTrend
Safe Haven School
Lake Bluff
Private 2.7 36
Arlyn Day School
Highland Park
Private 5.7 40
Centerview Therapeutic School
Northbrook
Private 7.6 11
Connections Day School
Libertyville
Private 7.7 66
Menta Academy North
Waukegan
Private 7.7 92
Cove School
Northbrook
Private 8.1 155 -1.9%
Newhope Academy
Arlington Heights
Private 9.2 100 +47.1%
South Campus
Palatine
Private 12.0 83 -2.4%

For Parents

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