Computer Science at Lake Forest College

At $48,587 in first-year earnings, Lake Forest's computer science graduates earn roughly $23,000 less than typical Illinois CS graduates and land in the bottom 10% statewide. This is striking given the program's relatively modest debt load of $27,000—the issue isn't overleveraging, it's that graduates aren't accessing the well-paying tech jobs that make CS degrees valuable. Illinois has a robust tech sector, with even mid-tier programs placing graduates above $70,000, so Lake Forest's outcomes suggest either limited employer connections or students entering lower-tier positions in the field.

The small sample size here matters significantly. With fewer than 30 graduates tracked, a handful of students pursuing graduate school immediately or taking non-traditional paths could drastically skew these numbers downward. That said, the gap is too large to dismiss entirely—even accounting for statistical noise, this program appears to underperform its regional peers by a substantial margin.

For parents considering this program, the question is whether Lake Forest's small liberal arts environment justifies the opportunity cost. If your child is set on computer science specifically and wants strong early career earnings, Illinois offers numerous alternatives with proven track records. Lake Forest might work for a student who values the small college experience above all else, but they should enter knowing the CS outcomes trail far behind what's typical for the major.