Lake Forest Academy
Lake Forest Academy is a private, independent coeducational college preparatory boarding and day school founded in 1857 in Lake Forest, Illinois, serving 452 students in grades 9-12 with a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and a globally diverse student body.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1857
- HeadquartersLake Forest, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Lake Forest Academy does
Lake Forest Academy is a private, independent, coeducational college preparatory boarding and day school founded in 1857 in Lake Forest, Illinois. It serves 452 students in grades 9-12 across a 150-acre wooded campus located 30 miles from Chicago, with a student body drawn from 19 U.S. states and 40 countries. The school delivers a liberal-arts curriculum including 24 Advanced Placement courses, a Global Education Program aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals, and curricular travel opportunities in partnership with School Year Abroad. Supporting academic programs include the J.C. Cowart Media Commons (3D printers, recording studio, VR headsets, Adobe Creative Cloud), an on-site Health Center, College Counseling (31:1 student-to-counselor ratio, 100% matriculation rate), Academic Support, and a Summer Academy. Technology infrastructure includes a one-to-one iPad program launched in 2011, Canvas LMS, Veracross for admissions and parent portals, and library access to JSTOR, EBSCO, Gale, and ProQuest.
LFA operates on a subscription tuition model: day-student tuition is $57,150 and boarding tuition is $79,775 for the 2026-27 academic year, with an additional $2,500 international fee. The school distributes services through a mix of on-campus visits, global "On The Road" recruitment, and the Veracross application portal. Approximately 50% of students are boarders across five dormitories and 50% are day students from surrounding Chicago suburbs; international students comprise 22% of enrollment. The school awards $6.3M in annual financial aid and merit scholarships of $10,000-$15,000. No explicit annual revenue figure is disclosed, but gross tuition potential is approximately $31M. The school is governed by a Board of Trustees and led by Head of School Tom Johnson (permanent since July 2025), and operates as a nonprofit with an approximately $79.5M endowment.
Lake Forest Academy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lake Forest Academy
- Legal name
- Lake Forest Academy
- Website
- https://lfanet.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1857
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Lake Forest Academy is a private, independent coeducational college preparatory boarding and day school founded in 1857 in Lake Forest, Illinois, serving 452 students in grades 9-12 with a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and a globally diverse student body.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lake Forest Academy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Private K-12 Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Nonsectarian Independent Boarding Schools (EDAJABAB)
Keywords
Where Lake Forest Academy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lake Forest
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Lake Forest Academy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Tuition Revenue: LFA generates revenue primarily through tuition payments from day and boarding students. Day Student tuition is $57,150 and Boarding Student tuition is $79,775 for 2026-27 academic year, plus $2,500 international fee.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Day Student Tuition 2026-27 |
| Subscription | Annual | Boarding Student Tuition 2026-27 |
| Subscription | Annual | International Fee |
| Subscription | Annual | Merit Scholarships |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Lake Forest Academy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lake Forest Academy is a private, independent coeducational college preparatory boarding and day school for grades 9-12, offering a comprehensive liberal arts curriculum with 24 Advanced Placement classes, a Global Education program, athletics, fine and performing arts, college counseling, and on-campus residential life. The school serves 452 students on a 150-acre campus in Lake Forest, Illinois, with a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and 100% college matriculation rate.
Product overview
Lake Forest Academy is a co-educational college preparatory boarding and day school offering a unified educational program for grades 9-12. The core academic program spans liberal arts disciplines including English, mathematics, science, history, world languages, and fine & performing arts. Supporting modules include the Global Education Program with international travel opportunities, a comprehensive Athletics Program, Arts Program, College Counseling services, Academic Support Program with learning specialists, Summer Programs for credit courses, the J.C. Cowart Media Commons for technology and creative projects, Library Services with extensive digital databases, an on-campus Health Center, and Residential Life Program for boarding students. The school serves 452 students with a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and awards over $6.3 million in financial aid annually.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lake Forest Academy Education Program Co-educational college preparatory boarding and day school for grades 9-12, offering a comprehensive liberal arts curriculum across English, mathematics, science, history, world languages, arts, and global education, with 24 Advanced Placement classes and a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio.
- Global Education Program Program designed using the Global Competence Matrix aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals, culminating in a Capstone Project and featuring curricular travel opportunities to 25+ international destinations, plus School Year Abroad membership.
- Athletics Program Comprehensive athletic program with fall, winter, and spring sports offerings, including team sports and physical education, supported by a 45,000-square-foot Athletic Center expansion completed in 2024.
- Arts Program Fine and performing arts offerings including music, theater, and visual arts, with performances held at the Cressey Center for the Arts.
- College Counseling Comprehensive college counseling program with four counselors, 31:1 student-to-counselor ratio, 100% college matriculation rate, and relationships with over 200 colleges and universities that visit campus annually.
- Academic Support Program Learning Resource Specialist services including individualized coaching, Student Accommodation Plans, standardized testing accommodations, and structured study hall for students needing additional academic support.
- Summer Programs (Summer Academy) Summer Academy offering high school credit courses and summer work assignments for various subjects including English, languages, history, math, science, and global concentration.
- J.C. Cowart Media Commons Innovation center equipped with 3D printers, sublimation printer, Cricut cutting machines, auto heat press, recording studio with Logic Pro and GarageBand, green screen, and VR headsets for student creative and technical projects.
- Library Services Library providing access to electronic and physical media including research databases (Gale, EBSCO, JSTOR), eBooks, streaming video, bibliographic tools, and digital archives, plus physical collection of print books, magazines, DVDs, and video games.
- Health Center On-campus health facility offering physical and psychological health services including examination rooms, overnight accommodations, laboratory, private counseling rooms, and group therapy spaces.
- Residential Life Program Five dormitories on campus with dorm parents, offering boarding for 50% of the student body with weekend activities and local community trips.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% college matriculation rate
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Lake Forest Academy
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Lake Forest Academy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration15 records
Feature2 records
Lake Forest Academy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- School Year Abroad (SYA)coreLFA is a member school of School Year Abroad, an organization founded in 1964 that provides immersive study abroad programs. SYA operates campuses in France, Italy, Spain, and China. LFA students can participate during summer or during sophomore, junior, or senior year. Tameka Carter serves as LFA's SYA Coordinator.
- Carney Sandoe & AssociatescoreLed the Head of School global search process for LFA. Carney Sandoe & Associates is one of the leading search consultants in the educational field.
- ClaritycoreLFA partners with Clarity to process financial aid applications. Clarity generates estimates of family expected contribution based on financial information provided, which the Financial Aid Committee uses to determine financial aid packages.
- NicheminorNiche provides school rankings including Best Schools rankings. LFA was named No. 1 private school in Illinois for the third consecutive year in the 2026 rankings.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Lake Forest Academy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- North Shore Country Day School: Independent college preparatory day school in Winnetka, Illinois, serving the same affluent North Shore Chicago suburbs as LFA's day student population. Same-day local competitor for day-prep families who may choose between LFA day and a North Shore day option.
Direct peers
- Hotchkiss School: Elite coeducational boarding school in Lakeville, Connecticut, consistently ranked top 10 nationally. Direct competitor for the same boarding prep applicant pool and similarly strong global student representation.
- The Hill School: Independent college preparatory boarding and day school in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Direct peer for college-prep boarding applicants; Head of School Tom Johnson previously spent 17 years at The Hill as Director of Student Activities and Dean of Faculty.
- Choate Rosemary Hall: Elite coeducational boarding and day school in Wallingford, Connecticut, consistently ranked in the top 10 boarding schools nationally. Direct competitor for boarding students from U.S. and international markets.
- Lawrenceville School: Elite coeducational boarding and day school in New Jersey with a comparable house system and global curriculum focus. Direct competitor for top-tier boarding families, particularly from the U.S. East Coast and international markets.
- St. Mark's School: Elite coeducational boarding school in Southborough, Massachusetts. Comparable size, mission, and applicant profile, competing for top-tier boarding students and similar international family segments.
- Phillips Exeter Academy: Elite coeducational boarding and day school in New Hampshire consistently ranked among the top U.S. boarding high schools. Direct competitor for college-prep boarding applicants, particularly those seeking Harkness-style pedagogy and a national peer network.
- Deerfield Academy: Elite coeducational boarding and day school in Massachusetts, consistently top-10 nationally. Direct peer for boarding prep school applicants; the current Head of School is a Deerfield alumnus, highlighting personnel overlap in the elite boarding school talent ecosystem.
- Northfield Mount Hermon: Coeducational boarding and day school in Massachusetts with comparable mission, scale, and financial aid orientation. Direct competitor for college-prep boarding applicants across the same geographic and demographic segments.
- Phillips Academy Andover: Elite coeducational boarding and day school in Massachusetts and the most direct competitor for the same applicant pool as LFA. Competes head-to-head for top-tier boarding students globally and operates a similar financial aid model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lake Forest Academy social profiles
Digital presenceLake Forest Academy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lake Forest Academy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Lake Forest Academy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lake Forest Academy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lake Forest Academy
What does Lake Forest Academy do?
Lake Forest Academy is a private, independent coeducational college preparatory boarding and day school for grades 9-12, offering a comprehensive liberal arts curriculum with 24 Advanced Placement classes, a Global Education program, athletics, fine and performing arts, college counseling, and on-campus residential life. The school serves 452 students on a 150-acre campus in Lake Forest, Illinois, with a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and 100% college matriculation rate.
Is Lake Forest Academy a public or private company?
Lake Forest Academy is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Lake Forest Academy founded?
Lake Forest Academy was founded in 1857. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Lake Forest Academy based?
Lake Forest Academy is headquartered in Lake Forest, United States, in the North America region.
How does Lake Forest Academy make money?
One revenue line is on record: tuition Revenue.
Who are Lake Forest Academy's main competitors?
North Shore Country Day School is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Hotchkiss School, The Hill School, Choate Rosemary Hall, Lawrenceville School, St. Mark's School, Phillips Exeter Academy, Deerfield Academy, Northfield Mount Hermon and Phillips Academy Andover.
Does Lake Forest Academy have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lake Forest Academy.
What industry is Lake Forest Academy in?
Lake Forest Academy's product category is Private K-12 Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJABAB, Nonsectarian Independent Boarding Schools. Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 8200.