Leaders in the Field

Oberlin's strong science programs have launched the careers of many prominent scientists. Oberlin ranks 19th among all colleges and universities in the number of graduates elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Among the most notable alumni are the three who have received Nobel Prizes. Less famous perhaps, but no less important, are the many other graduates who have gone on to become leaders in their disciplines and in the larger world of science. Oberlin graduateshave made major contributions to the worlds of medicine and industry, and have become extraordinary teachers and mentors who inspire new generations of young scientists.

Oberlin graduates are regularly accepted into top graduate programs. Medical school acceptance rates for Oberlin students are significantly higher than the national average. Many Oberlin science graduates use their degrees as the foundation for careers in fields that draw significantly on their scientific knowledge, such as law, public policy, pharmaceutical research, social work, public relations, and journalism.


Oberlin Nobel Prize Recipients

Robert Millikan (Class of 1891)
received the Nobel Prize in physics in 1923 for his work on electrical charges and photoelectric effects

Roger Sperry '35
shared the Nobel Prize in medicine/physiology in 1981 for his research on the functions of the left and right hemispheres of the brain

Stanley Cohen '45
shared the Nobel Prize in medicine/physiology for the discovery and characterization of proteins that promote and help regulate cell growth.


Oberlin Leaders in the World of Science

Oberlin Leaders in Medicine

Oberlin Leaders in Industry