Conservatory at a Glance
Young musicians from nearly every state across America and dozens of countries receive world-class training from our outstanding faculty of artist-teachers. You’ll study and perform in superior facilities and discover passions that will sustain you throughout your professional life. Find out why we were awarded the prestigious National Medal of Arts.
Master classes are a regular feature of conservatory life. Here, two members of The Cleveland Orchestra instruct a quartet during the winter-term Chamber Music Intensive.
Photo credit: Scott Shaw
Facts at a Glance
6:1 student/faculty ratio
540 conservatory students
180+ double-degree students
42 areas of private study
30+ student ensembles
11 performance venues
500 performances per year
1877 became all-Steinway school
1 music library
150 practice rooms
1 recording label distributed internationally
240+ Steinways
1,500 instruments for student use
32 organs
12 Conservatory special collections
1865 conservatory established
2009 National Medal of Arts awarded
440 acres on campus
136,000 sound recordings
150,000 music scores
$5 rent artwork
4 Conservatory alumni MacArthur ‘‘genius’’ fellows
5 environmentally sustainable buildings
13 organ practice rooms
5 electronic music studios
100% demonstrated need met
4 campus libraries
2 competitive project grant programs (FIG and XARTS)
6 interdisciplinary minors and concentrations
100,000 jazz recordings in Neumann Collection
$10,000 minimum annual merit award
6,900 instruments, books, scores in Selch Collection of American Music History
12 number of students awarded FIG and XARTS grants annually
Meet the Class of 2025
Oberlin’s first-year enrolling students come to us from 42 states and 50 countries.
Faculty
Our internationally renowned faculty are dedicated teachers and communicative artists. They spend generous hours teaching lessons, coaching ensembles, and providing close mentorship. Individual instruction is tailored to the particular needs of each student.
I think that there’s a new understanding that we are all humans and we can do our best work if we take care of ourselves and if we take care of each other, and I am happy to be teaching from that perspective.
Notable Oberlin Alumni
Robert Spano ’84
Conductor
Jennifer Koh ’97
Violinist
Theo Croker ’07
Jazz trumpet
Additional Resources
Instruments
Passionate about jazz guitar, vocal performance, chamber music, or electronic soundscapes? Sharpen your focus while broadening your sense of what’s possible.
Oberlin Facts and Outcomes
Learn more about Oberlin’s students, both while they are here and beyond.
Tuition & Fees
We’re committed to making the conservatory accessible to exceptional musicians—more than 90 percent of our students receive merit-based scholarships.
Get Involved
Cultural Life
Choose from more than 500 (mostly free) concerts each year, including 25 student ensembles, and two opera theater productions—or tour one of the top college museums in the country.
Clubs
Student clubs aren’t just for fun. Spanning music, social justice, faith, identity, politics, sports, and art, clubs are an essential part of your Oberlin education.
Community Engagement
Teach fellow Obies how to play an instrument, work with our on-campus record label, DJ a special event, or browse available gigs in the area.
Conservatory Facilities
With eleven performance spaces, 150 naturally lit practice rooms, 240-plus Steinway pianos, and a world-class recording studio, you’ll have everything you need to excel.
