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
Oberlin, Ohio (population 8,600), is located 35 miles southwest of Cleveland.
Campus
Residential campus of 440 acres
Degrees Offered
- Bachelor of Arts (BA)
- Bachelor of Music (BMus)
- Double Degree (five-year program leading to both the BA and BMus)
Graduate Degrees
- Master of Music in Performance on Historical Instruments
- Master of Music (integrated, five-year programs in opera theater, conducting, and historical performance)
- Master of Music Teaching
- Master of Education
Two-Year Certificates in Music:
- Performance Diploma (undergraduate)
- Artist Diploma (graduate)
Calendar
Two 15-week semesters, with a winter-term project in January
Enrollment
2,800 students (2,200 College of Arts and Sciences, 400 Conservatory of Music, 200 double degree)
Student Body
9% in-state, 85% out-of-state, 6% from abroad; 55% female, 45% male
Student Organizations
120 chartered organizations
Athletics
22 varsity teams
Geographic Distribution:
| Mid-Atlantic |
30% |
| Midwest |
24% |
| New England |
10% |
| West/Southwest |
20% |
| South |
9% |
| International |
6% |
Alumni
38,000 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; six have been awarded MacArthur “genius” Fellowships.
Costs for Academic Year 2008-09:
| Tuition |
$38,012 |
| Required Fees |
$268 |
| Room |
$5,150 |
| Board |
$4,720 |
| Total |
$48,150 |
Financial Aid
More than $41 million awarded annually to about two thirds of Oberlin students, with average aid of $25,000 (grant, loan, and work) each year.
Faculty
Student-to-faculty ratio is 11:1 (Arts and Sciences), 8:1 (Conservatory of Music); 68 percent of classes have fewer than 20 students.
Libraries
Oberlin has four libraries housing 2.3 million items: the Mudd Learning Center and three other libraries specializing in music, art, and science.
Cultural Life
More than 400 concerts and recitals, about 40 theater and dance productions and two operas each year; one of the top five college art museums in the nation
