Oberlin College vs Grinnell College

Oberlin College and Grinnell College, two esteemed liberal arts institutions, share a commitment to academic excellence and fostering a diverse and inclusive community. However, they also possess distinct characteristics that set them apart. Oberlin, located in Ohio, boasts a slightly higher acceptance rate (33%) compared to Grinnell's (29%). Both colleges offer a wide range of academic programs, but Oberlin is known for its strengths in music and conservatory programs, while Grinnell excels in the natural sciences and social sciences. Oberlin's student body is slightly larger, with an undergraduate enrollment of around 2,900 students, while Grinnell has a more intimate community of approximately 1,700 undergraduates. Both institutions boast impressive graduation rates, with Oberlin's at 87% and Grinnell's at 89%. To help you make an informed decision about which college better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these

	Grinnell College	Oberlin College
Overview
Location	Grinnell, Iowa	Oberlin, Ohio
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Town: Fringe
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	93.0%	91.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	10.5%	34.3%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $100 Graduate: $100
SAT range	1370 - 1530	1338 - 1460
ACT range	30 - 34	30 - 34
Students submitting SAT score	29.0%	34.0%
Students submitting ACT score	33.0%	22.0%
Total number of applicants	10,513	10,597
Total number of admissions given out	1,108	3,639
Admitted students who chose to enroll	471	864
Yield rate	42.5%	23.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$76,098	$73,914
Average net price	$37,423	$44,689
Tuition	$58,156	$59,384
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,779 Meal plan: $7,572	Room/dormitory: $8,858 Meal plan: $8,996
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $35,821	93.0% Average amount $34,607
Students receiving federal student loan	36.0% Average amount $3,952	34.0% Average amount $5,142
Students taking out private loans	12.0% Average amount $5,903	4.0% Average amount $4,519

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,748 Men 47.5% Women 52.5%	2,942 Men 41.6% Women 58.4%
Graduate students	N/A	11 Men 72.7% Women 27.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	91.5%	N/A
International students	19.4%	11.1%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	1,450	2,694
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Illinois Iowa Minnesota Texas	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Physical Science Visual & Performing Arts Computer and Information Science	Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Ethnic Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	86.9%	82.3%
Dropout rate	12.9%	17.3%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,661 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $55,487 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,893 Year 2: $34,704 Year 3: $49,481 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,499 Year 2: $29,141 Year 3: $41,882 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,517 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $40,572 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,353 Year 3: $37,882 Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: $37,613 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,718 Year 2: $19,227 Year 3: $29,237 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $28,680 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,658 Year 2: $91,744 Year 3: N/A Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,239 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,028 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $101,858 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,721 Year 2: $41,205 Year 3: $56,067 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,275 Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: $32,173 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $19,045 Year 3: $28,960 Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,436 Year 2: $16,345 Year 3: $26,082 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $22,771 Year 3: $22,024 Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,910 Year 2: $19,531 Year 3: $19,799 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,902 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $16,622 Year 2: $18,771 Year 3: N/A Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $16,992 Year 3: N/A

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Grinnell College

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