Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Dakota Wesleyan University, Lake Forest College, Illinois College. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Dakota WesleyanMitchell, SD | Lake ForestLake Forest, IL | IllinoisJacksonville, IL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 73.4% | 56.8% | 78.2% |
| SAT middle 50% | Not reportedDakota Wesleyan University reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. | 1190–1393 | 883–1180 |
| Average net price | $19,73527.1% on Pell grants | $28,67332.2% on Pell grants | $18,29838.4% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $33,790Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $56,402Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $38,676Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 48.3% | 77.8% | 63.8% |
| First-year retention | 75.1% | 89.9% | 70.6% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 27.1% | 32.2% | 38.4% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $53,728 | $61,825 | $52,575 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $27,000 | $26,158 | $25,565 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 12:1 | 12:1 | 11:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 670 | 1,813 | 930 |
| Consensus percentile | 46Lower is better | 46Lower is better | 46Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 53 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 68 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 22 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Dakota Wesleyan | Lake Forest | Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #29 of 94Regional colleges (Midwest)Regional Colleges (Midwest) · 2026 | #77 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 | #114 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | #390 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
| Washington Monthly | #1203 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #871 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #768 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | #240 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
| Niche | #710 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #265 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #838 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Listed | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Dakota Wesleyan University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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