10-yr median earnings
$58,343
Federal aid recipients only
Private Nonprofit · Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private nonprofit institution in Oberlin, Ohio. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.
- $58,343
- 10-yr median earnings
- 34.2%
- Acceptance rate
- $38,645
- Avg net price / yr
- 80.2%
- 150%-time completion
The verdict
Oberlin College pairs top-quartile former-student earnings with a selective admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 17%
- former-student earnings, US
- 34.2%
- acceptance rate
- 80.2%
- 150%-time completion
- +50%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
Town: Fringe
Carnegie: Bacc: A&S
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Oberlin College profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
C
College Value Score
57/100
Oberlin College
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings A-
$58,343
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$38,645
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate A-
80.2%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$26,000
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A+
86.7%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention A
91.0%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$38,645
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
80.2%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 80.2%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Oberlin College vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Oberlin College ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Oberlin College: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$58,343 Top 17% higher than 83% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Oberlin College | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $58,343 | #888 of 5103 | 83rd |
| Average net price | $38,645 | #4852 of 5020 | 3rd (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 80.2% | #708 of 4858 | 85th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,887 | #1138 of 5462 | 79th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
2,887
Undergraduate enrollment
34.2%
Acceptance rate
1,447
SAT average
80.2%
150%-time completion
$58,343
10-yr median earnings
91.0%
First-year retention
How Oberlin College ranks in Ohio
State rank among 243 reporting Ohio colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Oberlin College | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $58,343 | #31 of 243 | 87th |
| Average net price | $38,645 | #221 of 228 | 3rd (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 80.2% | #45 of 235 | 81st |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,887 | #29 of 257 | 89th |
Highest former-student earnings in Ohio
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chamberlain University-Ohio | $92,405 | $31,544 |
| 2 | Case Western Reserve University | $87,989 | $41,190 |
| 3 | Ohio Northern University | $80,928 | $24,478 |
| 4 | Four County Career Center | $77,338 | - |
| 5 | University of Dayton | $75,537 | $29,533 |
| 6 | Mount Carmel College of Nursing | $75,103 | $10,420 |
| 7 | Mount Carmel College of Nursing - Fairfield | $75,103 | - |
| 8 | Kenyon College | $71,830 | $38,512 |
| 9 | Trinity Health System School of Nursing | $71,660 | $9,825 |
| 10 | Firelands Regional Medical Center School of Nursing | $68,723 | - |
| 11 | The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences | $68,303 | $18,378 |
| 12 | Denison University | $67,753 | $40,007 |
| 31 | Oberlin CollegeThis school | $58,343 | $38,645 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 34.2% |
| SAT Average | 1,447 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 660 – 760 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 700 – 760 |
| ACT Average | 32 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 31 – 34 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Oberlin College
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k $18,774
$0 – $30k
$18,774 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k $15,799
$30k – $48k
$15,799 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$22,123 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$48,731 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Oberlin College - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $67,366 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $67,366 |
| Average Net Price | $38,645 |
9.6%
Pell Grant Rate
31.0%
Federal Loan Rate
$26,000
Median Debt
$276/mo
Monthly Payment
What students pay at Oberlin College rose +35.1% since 2013
Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort went from $29,002 in 2013 to $39,184 in 2023, a rise of $10,182 in nominal dollars. Across the 4,315 colleges measured over the same 2013–2023 span, the median change was +14.6%.
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $29,0022023 · $39,184
Over the same years, enrollment went +1.9% (2,894 → 2,950 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
55.7%
Female
8.9%
First Generation
Outcomes
91.0%
Retention Rate
$38,871
Median Earnings (6yr)
53.2%
Earning Over $25K
86.7%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 80.2% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 91.0% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $38,871 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $58,343 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 53.2% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 86.7% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $26,000 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $276/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Top programs at Oberlin College by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Computer and Information S…
Computer and Information Sciences, General
$129,395 median earnings
- Economics
Economics
$87,120 median earnings
- Political Science and Gove…
Political Science and Government
$70,689 median earnings
- History
History
$60,895 median earnings
- Area Studies
Area Studies
$55,151 median earnings
- English Language and Liter… $49,906
English Language and Literature, General
$49,906 median earnings
- Psychology, General $48,109
Psychology, General
$48,109 median earnings
- Natural Resources Conserva… $46,580
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
$46,580 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
| Program | Credential | Completers | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's | 44 | $129,395 | $26,000 |
| Economics | Bachelor's | 54 | $87,120 | $25,000 |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's | 36 | $70,689 | $23,250 |
| History | Bachelor's | 29 | $60,895 | $25,250 |
| Area Studies | Bachelor's | 35 | $55,151 | $24,951 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's | 34 | $49,906 | $25,567 |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's | 68 | $48,109 | $23,750 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Bachelor's | 49 | $46,580 | $23,250 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's | 35 | $44,299 | $20,500 |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's | 78 | $44,095 | $23,250 |
| Music | Bachelor's | 140 | $43,343 | $25,500 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Bachelor's | 18 | - | - |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Bachelor's | 28 | - | $26,487 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | Bachelor's | 25 | - | - |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's | 32 | - | $22,625 |
Nearby Schools
Lorain County Joint Vocational School District
Oberlin, OH
87 students
Ross Medical Education Center-Elyria
Elyria, OH
74 students
Northern Institute of Cosmetology
Lorain, OH
57 students
Lorain County Community College
Elyria, OH
5,373 students
Ohio Business College-Sheffield
Sheffield Village, OH
224 students
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Private Nonprofit institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Private Nonprofit institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Similar 2013–2023 Net-Price Trend
Same-sector institutions with the same direction and nearest fitted annual change; only series with R² of at least 0.40 qualify.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Oberlin College? ▼
Oberlin College is a private nonprofit institution in Oberlin, Ohio. The acceptance rate is 34.2%. The average SAT score is 1,447. Undergraduate enrollment is 2,887 students.
How much do Oberlin College former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Oberlin College who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $58,343 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $38,871.
How much does Oberlin College cost? ▼
The average net price at Oberlin College is $38,645. In-state tuition is $67,366 and out-of-state tuition is $67,366. Median student debt at graduation is $26,000.
What is the graduation rate at Oberlin College? ▼
Oberlin College has a 80.2% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 91.0%.
Is Oberlin College worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Oberlin College is $26,000, while former students earn a median of $58,343 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 45% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 86.7% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $276.
Sources & methodology
Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.
Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Oberlin College
- Compare Oberlin College against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Ohio side by side.Browse Ohio
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.