History
Founded in 1833, Oberlin was the first institution of higher education in America to adopt a policy to admit students of color (1835) and the first college to award bachelor's degrees to women (1841) in a coeducational program.
Location
The Oberlin College campus is located on 440 acres in Oberlin, Ohio, 35 miles southwest of Cleveland.
Degree and Diploma Programs
- Bachelor of Arts (BA)
- Double-Degree Program (BM/BA five-year program offered jointly offered by the Conservatory of Music and the College of Arts and Sciences)
Enrollment
2,800 students (2,200 College of Arts and Sciences, 600 Conservatory of Music, including 175 double degree)
Faculty
U.S. News & World Report recognized Oberlin faculty for their commitment to undergraduate teaching in “Best Colleges 2010” guide; Oberlin ranked third in the nation. Student-to-faculty ratio is 11:1 (Arts and Sciences), 8:1 (Conservatory of Music); 68 percent of classes have fewer than 20 students.
Tuition and Fees
| Tuition | $41,234 |
| Required Fees | $343 |
| Room | $5,720 |
| Board | $5,290 |
| Total | $52,587 |
Financial Aid
$52.8 million awarded for the 2010-11 academic year to 8 out of 10 Oberlin students, with average annual award of $34,000 (grants, loans, and work-study).
Student Body
9% in-state, 85% out-of-state, 8% from abroad; 54% female, 46% male, 20% underrepresented students
Geographic Distribution
| Mid-Atlantic | 30% |
| Midwest | 23% |
| New England | 11% |
| West/Southwest | 20% |
| South | 9% |
| International | 7% |
Profile: Incoming Class of 2014
| Applicant Pool | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| College of Arts and Sciences | Conservatory of Music | Early Decision | |
| Applicants | 6,014 | 1,373 | 385 |
| Admitted | 1,996 | 322 | 235 |
| Enrolled | 705* | 137* | 222* |
| *Includes 38 double-degree students enrolled in both divisions. College figures are for first-year applicants only. Conservatory figures also include transfer and graduate students. | |||
| Test Score Averages (median 50% ranges for incoming students in college only) | |
|---|---|
| ACT | 28-32 |
| SAT critical reading | 660-740 |
| SAT mathematics | 640-720 |
| SAT writing | 650-740 |
| Enrolling Class Characteristics(both divisions, excluding graduate students) | |
|---|---|
| 8% | International students |
| 25% | American ethnic minorities |
| 601 | High schools represented |
| 66% | Public school students |
| 34% | Private/parochial school students |
| 44% (358) | Male students |
| 56% (464) | Female students |
| Yield (percentage of admitted students who enrolled) | |
|---|---|
| College of Arts & Sciences | 35% |
| Conservatory of Music | 42% |
| Class Rank (college only) | |
|---|---|
| 24% | ranked in top 1% |
| 62% | ranked in top 5% |
| 78% | ranked in top 10% |
| 96% | ranked in top 25% |
| For first-year admitted students with rankings available | |
| Fall 2010 Enrollment (both divisions) | |
|---|---|
| 751 | First-year students |
| 38 | Double degree (first-year and transfer students) |
| 25 | Transfer students |
| 8 | Graduate students (conservatory only) |
| 822 | TOTAL |
| GPA* | |
|---|---|
| Weighted | 3.9 |
| Unweighted | 3.6 |
Download PDF of Class of 2014 Profile
brochure
Academic Year
Two semesters with January designated
as winter term, when students select one topic of concentration to pursue
with an emphasis on self-education, creativity, and intellectual independence.
Alumni
More than 50,000 and growing; since 1920,
more Obies have gone on to earn PhDs than graduates from any other predominantly
undergraduate liberal arts college; three have been recipients of a
Nobel Prize; seven have been awarded MacArthur "genius" fellowships.
Athletics
22 varsity teams
Cultural Life
More than 500 concerts and recitals,
about 40 theater and dance productions and two Opera Theater productions
each year; one of the top five college art museums in the nation.
Libraries
Oberlin has four libraries housing 2.4
million items: the Mudd Learning Center and three other libraries specializing
in music, art, and science.
Student Organizations
More than 200 groups
