Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Knox College, Taylor University, Lake Forest College. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | KnoxGalesburg, IL | Taylor UniversityUpland, IN | Lake ForestLake Forest, IL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 70.8% | 73.5% | 56.8% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1180–1440 | 1070–1330 | 1190–1393 |
| Average net price | $24,59530.9% on Pell grants | $24,86513.5% on Pell grants | $28,67332.2% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $57,903Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $40,490Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $56,402Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 67.7% | 73.8% | 77.8% |
| First-year retention | 83.1% | 89.3% | 89.9% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 30.9% | 13.5% | 32.2% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $54,820 | $52,198 | $61,825 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $27,000 | $20,500 | $26,158 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 10:1 | 14:1 | 12:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,127 | 2,025 | 1,813 |
| Consensus percentile | 48Lower is better | 48Lower is better | 46Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 58 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 84 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 68 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 | Knox | Taylor University | Lake Forest |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #83 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 | #3 of 94Regional colleges (Midwest)Regional Colleges (Midwest) · 2026 | #77 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | #392 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #390 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #443 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #866 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 |
| WSJ | #437 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #434 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #240 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #933 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #407 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #265 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Knox College 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.
Full profileStudents comparing Taylor 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.
Full profileStudents comparing Lake Forest College 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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