Oberlin College
About
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.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Pell recipients here graduate at a 6.7-point higher rate than non-Pell students, unusual and worth a closer look.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 44 Title IV programs, 11 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 33 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing11 · 25.0%
- No Data33 · 75.0%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation
Higher Learning Commission
Programmatic accreditations · 2
Action history · 3
- Sep 2025Initial AccreditationCommission on English Language Program Accreditation · English Language
- Jan 2019Renewal of AccreditationHigher Learning Commission
- Aug 2014Change in Agency recognitionNational Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation · Music (MUS) - Institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and/or non-degree-granting programs
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 409 students received $2.3M in Pell grants, alongside $9.6M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 401 borrowers who entered repayment, 3 (0.7%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Oberlin College
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 13
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus11
- Public property2
Includes 8 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- Asia House1 fireCooking1 injured · 0 deathsDamage $1,000-$9,999
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Oberlin College vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Oberlin College selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectOberlin College | 81% | — | 2,909 | $38,645 | Baccalaureate |
| 94% | 9.0% | 1,914 | $23,367 | Baccalaureate | |
| 95% | 7.1% | 1,881 | $14,398 | Baccalaureate | |
| 90% | 20.4% | 2,128 | $25,407 | Baccalaureate | |
| 91% | 13.9% | 3,211 | $28,786 | Baccalaureate | |
| 82% | 37.0% | 1,990 | $36,175 | Baccalaureate | |
| 88% | 14.5% | 1,788 | $17,648 | Baccalaureate | |
| 91% | 13.6% | 2,031 | $28,985 | Baccalaureate | |
| 90% | 12.4% | 1,431 | $25,314 | Baccalaureate | |
| 82% | 31.0% | 2,249 | $38,512 | Baccalaureate | |
| 91% | 10.7% | 2,803 | $31,483 | Baccalaureate | |
| 93% | 7.1% | 1,700 | $19,285 | Baccalaureate | |
| 71% | 24.6% | 1,358 | $33,013 | Baccalaureate | |
| 92% | 7.5% | 1,623 | $23,149 | Baccalaureate | |
| 91% | 18.6% | 2,462 | $39,343 | Baccalaureate | |
| 93% | 16.5% | 4,011 | $30,177 | Baccalaureate | |
| 94% | 8.3% | 2,164 | $17,716 | Baccalaureate | |
| Peer group median | 91% | 13.8% | 2,031 | $28,786 |
Institutions like Oberlin College
Explore the federal data for institutions in Oberlin College's comparison group.
- BaccalaureateMassachusetts
Amherst College
Grad rate94%Admit rate9.0%Enrollment1,914Net price$23,367View data - BaccalaureateMaine
Bowdoin College
Grad rate95%Admit rate7.1%Enrollment1,881Net price$14,398View data - BaccalaureateMinnesota
Carleton College
Grad rate90%Admit rate20.4%Enrollment2,128Net price$25,407View data - BaccalaureateNew York
Colgate University
Grad rate91%Admit rate13.9%Enrollment3,211Net price$28,786View data - BaccalaureateConnecticut
Connecticut College
Grad rate82%Admit rate37.0%Enrollment1,990Net price$36,175View data - BaccalaureateIowa
Grinnell College
Grad rate88%Admit rate14.5%Enrollment1,788Net price$17,648View data - BaccalaureateNew York
Hamilton College
Grad rate91%Admit rate13.6%Enrollment2,031Net price$28,985View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Haverford College
Grad rate90%Admit rate12.4%Enrollment1,431Net price$25,314View data - BaccalaureateOhio
Kenyon College
Grad rate82%Admit rate31.0%Enrollment2,249Net price$38,512View data - BaccalaureateVermont
Middlebury College
Grad rate91%Admit rate10.7%Enrollment2,803Net price$31,483View data - BaccalaureateCalifornia
Pomona College
Grad rate93%Admit rate7.1%Enrollment1,700Net price$19,285View data - BaccalaureateOregon
Reed College
Grad rate71%Admit rate24.6%Enrollment1,358Net price$33,013View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Swarthmore College
Grad rate92%Admit rate7.5%Enrollment1,623Net price$23,149View data - BaccalaureateNew York
Vassar College
Grad rate91%Admit rate18.6%Enrollment2,462Net price$39,343View data - BaccalaureateConnecticut
Wesleyan University
Grad rate93%Admit rate16.5%Enrollment4,011Net price$30,177View data - BaccalaureateMassachusetts
Williams College
Grad rate94%Admit rate8.3%Enrollment2,164Net price$17,716View data
Oberlin College Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Planning supports campus-wide academic and administrative decision-making, assessment, and planning through the coordination of efforts and the collection, curation, analysis, and dissemination of data.
Visit IR office page- Tabassum HaqueDirector of Institutional Research
- Amy BornInstitutional Research Analyst
Common Data Set
Oberlin College's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Reports & documents (7)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DashboardDashboardoberlin.edu
- Data definitionData definitionThe page from Oberlin College's website was intended to provide data definitions related to institutional effectiveness. However, the user encountered a '404 not found' error indicating that the page could not be retrieved. The available content mainly includes navigation links and site structure but does not provide any actual definitions or substantive content related to institutional data.oberlin.edu
- Data dictionaryData dictionary2026The Oberlin College Data Dictionary page results in a 404 error, suggesting the page cannot be found. Oberlin College provides comprehensive information regarding its College of Arts & Sciences, Conservatory of Music, admissions processes, student life, news and events, and campus resources. However, specific details about the Data Dictionary are not available due to the page not being found.oberlin.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- GlossaryGlossary of Terms for First-Year StudentsThe glossary of terms for first-year students at Oberlin College provides definitions for common academic advising and registrar terminology. It includes terms such as academic advisor, chair, institutional requirements, office hours, and course load, among others. The glossary serves as a resource for incoming students to understand the requirements and processes they will encounter in their academic journey at Oberlin.oberlin.edu
- GlossaryGlossaryThe page from Oberlin College's website intended for displaying a glossary under 'Institutional Effectiveness & Planning' appears to lead to a '404' error page, suggesting that the content is not currently accessible. Therefore, no specific glossary terms or definitions are available from the page.oberlin.edu
- Strategic planOberlin College Strategic Plan 2016–20212016The Oberlin College Strategic Plan 2016–2021 outlines a forward-looking strategy to enhance academic and musical excellence in an inclusive environment. Key goals include optimizing the residential experience and achieving educational, financial, and environmental sustainability. The plan, initiated in 2014 and approved in early 2016, seeks to assess past progress and prepare Oberlin for the evolving higher education landscape.oberlin.edu
Notable alumni of Oberlin College (27)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Joshua AngristEconomics
- Stanley CohenBiology
- Robert MillikanPhysics
- Roger Wolcott SperryNeuroscience
- Michael DirdaJournalism
- Emily NussbaumJournalism
- Franz WrightPoetry
- Rhiannon GiddensMusic
- William GoldmanLiterature/Film
- Julie TaymorDirecting
- Jad AbumradRadio Journalism
- Alison BechdelLiterature
Frequently asked questions about Oberlin College
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Oberlin College.
What is the graduation rate at Oberlin College?
How many students attend Oberlin College?
What is the average net price at Oberlin College?
What is the yield rate at Oberlin College?
Where is Oberlin College located?
Who runs Institutional Research at Oberlin College?
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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