Private nonprofit · College

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio · Fringe town

#3 most selective in Ohio#4 graduation rate in Ohio
34.2%
Admit rate
$38,645
Avg net price
81%
Graduation rate
$58,343
Median earnings

Oberlin College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Oberlin, Ohio (fringe town setting), enrolling 2,887 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,887 undergradsFringe townVery selective · 34% admitNCAA Division III with football · North Coast Athletic ConferenceCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Oberlin College's admitted students.

Admit rate
34.2%
SAT (mid 50%)
1360–1520
Avg GPA (est.)
3.98

Enter a test score to see where you land against Oberlin College's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Oberlin College's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. It is located about 31 miles (50 km) southwest of Cleveland within the Cleveland metropolitan area. Oberlin is the home of Oberlin College, a liberal arts college and music conservatory with approximately 3,000 students. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Fringe town
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To Great Lakes shore
11 miles
Nearest airport
21 miles to Cleveland Hopkins (CLE) · major hub

How Oberlin College compares

Selectivity34.2%

More selective than 92% · #3 most selective of 65 in Ohio

SAT average1447

Higher than 93%

Graduation rate81%

Higher than 90% · #4 of 73 in Ohio

First-year retention91%

Higher than 87%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$58,343

Higher than 63% · #17 of 74 in Ohio

Average net price$38,645

Cheaper than 5% · #69 cheapest of 73 in Ohio

Median debt at graduation$26,000

Lower than 24%

Student–faculty ratio9 : 1

Lower than 83%

Undergraduate enrollment2,887

Larger than 68%

Percentiles compare Oberlin College with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Ohio.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

2,900students
  • Undergraduate2,887100%
  • Graduate130%

Undergraduates by gender

2,887undergrads
  • Women1,60756%
  • Men1,28044%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White61%
  • Black4.3%
  • Hispanic9.2%
  • Asian5.1%
  • Other or multiracial20%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,887
Graduate enrollment
13
Student–faculty ratio
9 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
10%
First-generation students
9%
Students over 25
0%
Median family income
$111,580
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$101,088
Endowment
$1,270,465,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
34.2%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1360–1520
SAT average
1447
SAT reading
700–760
SAT math
660–760
ACT composite
31–34
Average GPA (estimated)
3.98

Cost

In-state tuition
$67,366
Room & board
$19,510
Books & supplies
$1,908
Total cost of attendance
$87,404
Average net price
$38,645

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
81%
Graduated on time (4 years)
60%
First-year retention
91%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$38,871
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$58,343
Median debt at graduation
$26,000
Students with federal loans
31%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
77%

About 20% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
60%
Low-income (Pell)
63%
First-generation
63%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
2,694
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
93%
Housing charge (year)
$9,398
Meal plan (year)
$9,544
Application fee
$100
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
North Coast Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
488 (280 men · 208 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (13)

Lacrosse65
Track and Field (Indoor)65
Track and Field (Outdoor)65
Soccer48
Swimming and Diving (combined)47
Football40
Baseball34
Basketball30
Cross Country29
Tennis22
Field Hockey17
Softball15
Volleyball11

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.5 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
19
Property offenses (2022–2024)
3

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,909 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

7.3reported offenses a year
6.3 violent a year1.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
5.7
Burglary
0.7
Fondling
0.3
Statutory rape
0.3
Arson
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$18,774
$30–48k
$15,799
$48–75k
$22,123
$75–110k
$29,207
$110k+
$48,731

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$96,890

$22,123/year × about 4.4 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

99%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$33,119
average award, among those who get one

Oberlin College discounts heavily: 99% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $33,119. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 882 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$58,343
Typical debt at graduation
$26,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
45%
Out-earn a HS grad
49%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.5 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$54,806
Men
$61,497

Men out-earn women by $6,691 (12%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
83°F
Winter low
18°F
Annual rain
40″
Annual snow
47″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.04.1JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Oberlin, OH US station (0.8 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Oberlin College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Oberlin College side by side →

Colleges near Oberlin College

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.