Oberlin College

Oberlin is a place of intense energy and creativity, built on a foundation of academic, artistic, and musical excellence. With a top-ranking liberal arts college, a world-class conservatory, and a first-rate art museum all on a single campus, it is the ideal laboratory in which to study and design the world you want.

Oberlin College, an independent coeducational institution, holds a distinguished place among American colleges and universities. Oberlin was the first college to grant undergraduate degrees to women and, historically, was a leader in the education of African Americans. The Oberlin community is known for its academic and musical excellence and its commitment to social engagement and diversity.

Oberlin uniquely combines an outstanding professional school of music with a leading undergraduate college of arts and sciences. The Oberlin Conservatory of Music provides flexible programs to prepare students as professional musicians and teachers of music. Deeply committed to academic excellence, the College of Arts and Sciences offers a rich and balanced curriculum in the humanities, social sciences, mathematics, and natural sciences. Within that framework the college expects that students will work closely with the faculty to design an educational program appropriate to their own particular interests, needs, and long-term goals.

Oberlin seeks a disparate and promising student body. Recognizing that diversity broadens perspectives, Oberlin is dedicated to recruiting a culturally, economically, geographically, and racially diverse group of students. Interaction with others of widely different backgrounds and experiences fosters the effective, concerned participation in the larger society so characteristic of Oberlin graduates. Oberlin seeks students who are talented, highly motivated, personally mature, and tolerant of divergent views. The conservatory in particular seeks talented musicians with considerable potential for further growth and development. Performance is central to all of the curricula including music education, history, theory, composition, and technology.

Oberlin educates students for lives of intellectual, musical, and artistic rigor and breadth; sustained inquiry, creativity and innovation; and leadership. Oberlin aims to prepare graduates with the knowledge, skills, and perspectives essential to confront complex issues and to create change and value in the world.

Oberlin is committed to educational access and opportunity. It seeks to offer a diverse and inclusive residential learning environment encouraging a free and respectful exchange of ideas and shares an enduring commitment to a sustainable and just society.

Students interested in studying away for a semester or year can choose from Oberlin-sponsored programs, consortial programs, or more than 90 affiliated programs. In addition, the office helps coordinate international winter-term projects.

Oberlin College believes that all interested students, regardless of major, should have the opportunity to spend a semester or full academic year away from campus on an academic program in a different part of the country or world.

Oberlin is frequently ranked among the top 25 Baccalaureate institutions with the greatest number of students studying abroad in various programs.

Study Away opportunities offered by Oberlin or by programs affiliated with the college cover a wide range of geographic areas of the world, curricular or academic interests, and program types. Approximately 300 Oberlin students each year are approved to participate in semester- or year-long study away programs.

Educating students to think globally is an important characteristic of an Oberlin education. We enroll and graduate students from around the world. We send our students to study away from campus with the belief that experiencing and understanding other cultures is an invaluable part of a liberal arts education.

The Counseling Center provides psychological support to students as they pursue their academic and personal goals, and strives to enhance the quality of each student’s experience at Oberlin. Counseling Center professionals are dedicated to making our care accessible to all students. Our staff is committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and affirming environment.

Our vibrant campus community is full of opportunities to explore, connect, and learn. In an environment that prioritizes inclusion and respect, you’ll have options for everything from housing to hanging out.

Oberlin’s learning environment is like no other. It combines a top-ranked liberal arts college, a prestigious conservatory of music, and one of the finest academic art museums in the country—all on a single campus.

Investing in education equates to an investment in human potential. At Oberlin College, our financial aid policies reflect a historic commitment to inclusion and academic excellence. Oberlin’s unique campus provides a variety of living and dining options as well as an abundance of opportunities to explore, connect, and learn.

From its founding in 1833, Oberlin College has been a school with a mission, or rather, many missions. Beginning with abolition and coeducation, and most recently addressing the challenges of climate change, Oberlin has always been—to quote historian Geoffrey Blodgett ’53—a “peculiar mix of scholarly ambition and stubborn moral idealism.”

A safe and supportive community promotes learning and personal growth. We offer confidential individual assistance as well as campus programs addressing substance use, health and safety, stress management, and more.