Oberlin College is 4th Among Baccalaureate Institutions for Fulbright Scholars in 2020-21

For the 12th consecutive year, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) has recognized Oberlin College on its list of U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most Fulbright students. The Chronicle of Higher Education publishes the list  annually.

Fourteen Oberlin students were recognized as Fulbright Scholars for the 2020-2021 academic year, which was the fourth highest among baccalaureate institutions. “I am thrilled to see another banner year for Fulbright awards at Oberlin,” says Nicholas Petzak, director of fellowships and awards. “Congratulations to all!”  

Fulbright provides fellows with the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research and exchange ideas around the world. Oberlin scholars will gain valuable experience through teaching assistantships and will engage in research opportunities through a variety of projects such as working for immigration rights in Guatemala, community building and environmentalism in Germany, studying the impact of foreign languages on learning musical instruments in France, and developing community education opportunities in Colombia.

After more than a decade on the Fulbright Top-Producers list, Petzak says Fulbright has become a part of Oberlin culture. “When we have forty or fifty or more applicants in a year, I know that for many Oberlin students thinking about an application has become a normal part of their educational journey. The entire community of support makes it worth the work of putting together an application and anyone who applies will have imagined a whole new scope for what is possible to achieve, and they will be much better equipped to apply for whatever comes next.”

Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program was created to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries and is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s ECA. Since 1970, more than 250 Oberlin College students have received Fulbright awards.

Learn more about fellowship opportunities at Oberlin College.