1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Oberlin College](/school/oberlin-college/) 4. / 5. Admissions & selectivity Admissions & selectivity Copy linkPrint brief # Oberlin College Acceptance Rate & Admissions Updated October 1, 2026 [Overview](/school/oberlin-college/)[Cost & aid](/school/oberlin-college/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/oberlin-college/outcomes/)Admissions[Majors](/school/oberlin-college/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/oberlin-college/similar/) **On this page**+ ## What is the acceptance rate at Oberlin College? Oberlin College’s reported acceptance rate is 34.2%. **Acceptance rate · Fall 2024** 34.2% Source: College Scorecard · Fall 2024 admissions. Acceptance rates can change from year to year; this figure does not predict the current or next admission cycle. First-year applicants and admitted students · CDS 2025-26 **Applicants** 11,738 **Admitted** 3,873 Source: Oberlin College Common Data Set 2025-26, C1 · first-time, first-year students. How to interpret the acceptance rate Oberlin College admits 34.2% of applicants, a rate well below the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 11,738 applicants, 3,873 admitted students, and 768 enrolled first-year students. ## What SAT and ACT scores do enrolled Oberlin College students report? In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported the SAT scores of enrolled first-year students who submitted them. The middle half range was 1370 to 1480, and 34% of the entering class submitted. For the ACT, the middle half of submitters scored between 30 and 33, and 14% of enrolled students submitted those scores. These ranges describe the enrolled class, not a set of minimum requirements. The reported average high-school GPA was 3.60, based on the 86.0% of enrolled first-year students who reported a GPA. Among the 27% of the entering class that reported a class rank, 43% graduated in the highest tenth of their high-school class and 69% in the highest quarter. Applicants can use the 1370 and 1480 SAT figures as a benchmark for the academic profile of recent entering students who chose to submit scores. They can also use the 30 and 33 ACT figures. The ranges below describe enrolled students who submitted test scores at Oberlin College. Use them as academic context, then check the university’s current testing policy for your application cycle. **34% of entering students submitted SAT scores** SAT: reported composite scores **25th percentile** 1370 **Median** 1420 **75th percentile** 1480 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. **14% of entering students submitted ACT scores** ACT: reported composite scores **25th percentile** 30 **Median** 32 **75th percentile** 33 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. Source: Oberlin College Common Data Set 2025-26, C9 · Enrolled first-time, first-year score submitters. ## Who enrolls at Oberlin College? **Pell Grant recipients** 9.6% **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group** 3.8% **First-year retention** 91.0% Retention source: College Scorecard; full-time first-year retention. About these student measures The entering-student group includes part-time entrants as well as other attendance patterns. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, Oberlin College reported 11,738 applicants for first-year admission, 3,873 admitted students, and 768 enrolled first-year students. The same source recorded 322 transfer applicants, 125 admitted transfers, and 80 enrolled transfers. Oberlin College enrolls 2,887 undergraduates. Its admission rate of 34.2% sits well below the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). Pell Grant recipients account for 9.6% of the student body, while an estimated 3.8% of students arrive from other colleges. That composition points to a small residential campus built around traditional first-year entry. Pell-eligible and transfer applicants should use the college's net price calculator. The campus serves small shares of both groups, so aid estimates can clarify what families might actually pay. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) at Oberlin College is 80.9%, well above the peer median of 68.8%. First-year retention sits at 91.0%, also above the peer median of 83.4%. Pell Grant recipients complete at a rate of 81.0%, which is above the overall six-year rate by 0.1 percentage points. Enrolled students can expect a college where most first-year students persist and where graduation outcomes, for Pell recipients and the entering class as a whole, exceed those of comparable institutions. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Admission rates describe past applicants, not an individual’s chance of admission; confirm requirements and deadlines with the institution. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).