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Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio · Private nonprofit · 4-year · Town

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At a glance

Average net price
$38,645What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate
34%
Graduation rate
80%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates
2,887
In-state tuition
$67,366Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition
$67,366
SAT midpoint
1,399
Median earnings, 10 yrs
$58,343Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.

How it compares to similar colleges

Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.

Affordability

$38,645

Better than 7% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).

Completion

80%

Better than 88% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).

Earnings

$58,343

Better than 62% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).

Debt at graduation

$26,000

Better than 28% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).

What these ratings are based on
Affordability
Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
Completion
Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
Earnings
Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
Debt at graduation
Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
Why there is no rating for selectivity
A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.

What it actually costs

Published cost

$87,404

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$38,645

What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.

Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for Oberlin College
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time80%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return91%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed$26,000
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled$58,343

What graduates of each major earn

Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.

Bachelor’s programs at Oberlin College by graduate earnings
MajorEarnings, 1 yrDegrees awarded
Economics$61,71358
Neurobiology and Neurosciences$34,59328
Political Science and Government$30,18751
Film/Video and Photographic Arts$23,51914
Biology, General$22,68453
Area Studies$20,90535
English Language and Literature, General$19,73424
Psychology, General$18,19358
Music$17,141136
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies$15,50127
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft$12,44118
Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchNot reported49
HistoryNot reported45
Fine and Studio ArtsNot reported38
MathematicsNot reported36
Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralNot reported34
SociologyNot reported23
PhysicsNot reported20
Romance Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsNot reported19
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsNot reported16
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group StudiesNot reported14
Religion/Religious StudiesNot reported14
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and ServicesNot reported13
Engineering, OtherNot reported11
Geological and Earth Sciences/GeosciencesNot reported11
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular BiologyNot reported11
Legal Professions and Studies, OtherNot reported11
PhilosophyNot reported10
AnthropologyNot reported8
ChemistryNot reported8
DanceNot reported6
ArcheologyNot reported6
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherNot reported5
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsNot reported2
Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsNot reported2
Visual and Performing Arts, OtherNot reported1

All 36 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

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