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Oberlin College

Oberlin College

Oberlin, OH · Town · 2,887 students
WebsiteCommon AppForbes rankingScorecard
Application deadlines: Check the admissions site
$38,645
Average net priceYour net price
2023-24
<30
30–48
48–75
75–110
110+
By household income — tap a bar
80%
Graduation rate
Entered fall 2017 & 2018
69% typical
$58,343
Earnings 10 years on
Measured 2020 & 2021
$58,391 typical
34%
Acceptance rate
Applied for fall 2024
64% typical · not scored
Accredited by Higher Learning Commission
About

Oberlin College is a distinguished liberal arts institution uniquely paired with a world-renowned Conservatory of Music, offering premier programs in musical performance, the natural sciences, politics, and creative writing. Historically celebrated as the first U.S. college to regularly admit women and Black students, Oberlin sustains a campus culture deeply rooted in progressive social activism, artistic expression, and intellectual curiosity. The undergraduate experience is uniquely distinguished by its self-directed Winter Term, collaborative dual-degree pathways between the college and conservatory, and an exceptional academic pipeline that consistently ranks among the nation's top producers of future Ph.D. recipients.

Wikipedia:Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio, United States. Founded as the Oberlin Collegiate Institute in 1833, it is the oldest coeducational liberal arts college in the United States and the second-oldest continuously operating coeducational institute of higher learning in the world. The Oberlin Conservatory of Music is the oldest continuously operating conservatory in the United States.

Location
Oberlin, OH, 44074 · Town campus
✈
Nearest airport from college
CLE · Cleveland
21 mi away
Open in Google Maps
Cost & aid
Cost of attendance
YoursEveryone
Tuition & fees$67,366
Housing & food (on campus)$19,510
Books & supplies$1,908
Cost of attendance$89,578
Average net price$38,645
Same price for all students
Tuition & fees$67,366
Housing & food (on campus)$19,510
Books & supplies$1,908
Cost of attendance$89,578
Average net price$38,645
Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: www.oberlin.edu
How it’s made up · 2026-27
Oberlin College’s own figures for 2026-27, newer than the 2024-25 federal figures above, so the amounts differ.
Tuition$70,320
Fees$1,142
Housing$10,270
Food$10,430
Books & supplies$930
Personal expenses$978
Total published by the school$89,578
Net price by family income · 2023-24
$0–30k
$18,774
$30–48k
$15,799
$48–75k
$22,123
$75–110k
$29,207
$110k+
$48,731
Outcomes
Completion
Within 6 yrs
80%
Entered 2017–18
Within 4 yrs
60%
Back for yr 2
91%
Transferred
0%
8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students
84% graduated · 5% transferred · 11% left or unknown · none still enrolled
Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021
6 yrs after entry$38,871
10 yrs after entry$58,343
Debt
Median at graduation$26,000
Monthly payment$276
Middle 50% owe$12k–$29.4k
90th percentile$36,038
Green marks a figure above the typical Baccalaureate — arts & sciences: 69% graduate within 6 yrs.
Admissions
Getting in · applied for fall 2024
Admit rate
34%
Test policy
Test optional
Per College Scorecard
SAT average
1447
R 700–760 · M 660–760
ACT midpoint
32
Comp 31–34 · E 33–36 · M 27–33
SAT middle 50%: 1360–1520
40080012001600

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Essay prompts

If Oberlin College asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body
Gender
Men 41%Women 59%
Who enrolls
Faculty ratio
9 : 1
Pell grant
10%
First-gen
9%
Family income
$111,580
Age at entry
19.0
Part-time
1%
Race & ethnicity
White
61%
Hispanic
9%
Black
4%
Asian
5%
Two or more
9%
Non-resident
10%
Unknown
2%
Varsity sports
NCAA Division III with football · EADA 2024-25
  • Baseball
    Men's
  • Basketball
    Men's · Women's
  • Cross Country
    Men's · Women's
  • Field Hockey
    Women's
  • Football
    Men's
  • Lacrosse
    Men's · Women's
  • Soccer
    Men's · Women's
  • Softball
    Women's
  • Swimming and Diving (combined)
    Men's · Women's
  • Tennis
    Men's · Women's
  • Track and Field (Indoor)
    Men's · Women's
  • Track and Field (Outdoor)
    Men's · Women's
  • Volleyball
    Women's
Programs & Earnings
Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings
Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021
After 6 yrs
$38,871
After 10 yrs
$58,343
Music136
Psychology, General58
Economics58
Biology, General53
Political Science and Government51
Natural Resources Conservation and Research49
History45
Fine and Studio Arts38
Mathematics36
Area Studies35
Computer and Information Sciences, General34
Neurobiology and Neurosciences28
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies27
English Language and Literature, General24
Sociology23
Physics20
Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.
Institutional
Resources
Endowment
$1.3B
Full-time faculty
79%
Faculty salary
$11,232/mo
Teaching spend
$26,123
per student
Federal loans
31%
Classification
Carnegie type
Baccalaureate — arts & sciences
Undergraduate profile
Four-year, more selective admissions

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