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Business · Finance Rank #301 of 431

Financeat Lake Forest College

Graduates earn $61,264/yr in their first year — about 11.0% above the national Finance average. Base-case 10-year earnings $743K; scenarios range from $651K to $779K depending on AI disruption.

Lake Forest, IL Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
68 SOLID
69
Optimistic
65
Pessimistic
Earnings
$61,264
1-year post-graduation
ROI
2.9x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$743K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
59% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Lake Forest College

First-year earnings of $61,264 at Lake Forest College come in 11% above the national median of $55,340 for Finance programs.

The 3.4x return on tuition is positive but not overwhelming. Financial outcomes depend on keeping costs close to in-state rates.

AI risk is moderate — 55% task exposure — and the 16% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

With first-year pay of $61,264 far exceeding the $27,000 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

At #301 out of 431 programs, Lake Forest College's financial outcomes for Finance trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $61,264 to $84,573 shows 38% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$651K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score65/100
Earnings Multiple3.0x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$743K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score68/100
Earnings Multiple3.4x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$779K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score69/100
Earnings Multiple3.6x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Lake Forest College's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Finance graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Chief executives
+4.3% 10-yr growth · 22,200 openings/yr
$206,420/yr
High
2
Financial managers
+14.8% 10-yr growth · 74,600 openings/yr
$161,700/yr
High
3
Financial risk specialists
+6.5% 10-yr growth · 4,800 openings/yr
$106,000/yr
High
4
General and operations managers
+4.4% 10-yr growth · 308,700 openings/yr
$102,950/yr
Moderate
5
Personal financial advisors
+9.6% 10-yr growth · 24,100 openings/yr
$102,140/yr
High
6
Financial and investment analysts
+5.7% 10-yr growth · 25,100 openings/yr
$101,350/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Finance

How Lake Forest College stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
University of Pennsylvania
PA · Private nonprofit
82
DW Score
$123K
1-yr earn
8.2x
ROI
Georgetown University
DC · Private nonprofit
80
DW Score
$106K
1-yr earn
4.9x
ROI
Washington University in St Louis
MO · Private nonprofit
81
DW Score
$103K
1-yr earn
6.6x
ROI
University of Notre Dame
IN · Private nonprofit
79
DW Score
$99K
1-yr earn
4.5x
ROI
Wake Forest University
NC · Private nonprofit
78
DW Score
$86K
1-yr earn
4.4x
ROI
Also at Lake Forest College

Other top programs at Lake Forest College

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Lake Forest College, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Finance offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Finance trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Finance at Lake Forest College

How does Lake Forest College's Finance program score?

A score of 68/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Lake Forest College trails the majority of Finance programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.

How vulnerable is Finance to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Finance careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 55% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.