Oberlin College vs Lafayette College

Oberlin College and Lafayette College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Oberlin, located in Ohio, boasts a lower acceptance rate (32%) compared to Lafayette's (38%), indicating its highly selective admissions process. While Lafayette, situated in Pennsylvania, has a slightly higher acceptance rate, it maintains a rigorous academic reputation. In terms of student body demographics, Oberlin's undergraduate population is more diverse, with international students comprising 13% of the student body compared to Lafayette's 7%. Both colleges excel in different academic areas; Oberlin is known for its strengths in the arts and social sciences, while Lafayette is recognized for its engineering and business programs. With Oberlin's higher graduation rate (89%) edging out Lafayette's (86%), both institutions demonstrate a strong commitment to student success. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more distinctions between these two exceptional colleges and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Lafayette College	Oberlin College
Overview
Location	Easton, Pennsylvania	Oberlin, Ohio
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	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	91.0%	91.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian

Admission
Acceptance rate	40.7%	34.3%
Application fees	$65	Undergraduate: $100 Graduate: $100
SAT range	1300 - 1460	1338 - 1460
ACT range	30 - 33	30 - 34
Students submitting SAT score	28.0%	34.0%
Students submitting ACT score	13.0%	22.0%
Total number of applicants	8,262	10,597
Total number of admissions given out	3,366	3,639
Admitted students who chose to enroll	782	864
Yield rate	23.2%	23.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	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	$75,934	$73,914
Average net price	$38,754	$44,689
Tuition	$55,874	$59,384
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,308 Meal plan: $6,362	Room/dormitory: $8,858 Meal plan: $8,996
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	61.0% Average amount $34,668	93.0% Average amount $34,607
Students receiving federal student loan	26.0% Average amount $4,491	34.0% Average amount $5,142
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $23,831	4.0% Average amount $4,519

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,725 Men 51.2% Women 48.8%	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	82.6%	N/A
International students	7.8%	11.1%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	2,510	2,694
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Mississippi Connecticut	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Biological and Biomedical Sciences Social Sciences Physical Science Visual & Performing Arts	Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Ethnic Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	87.9%	82.3%
Dropout rate	2.5%	17.3%
Transferred out	9.6%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,532 Year 2: $68,379 Year 3: $80,306 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,033 Year 2: $65,238 Year 3: $78,021 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $77,247 Year 2: $71,575 Year 3: $76,714 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,784 Year 2: $65,486 Year 3: $76,536 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,714 Year 2: $72,403 Year 3: $75,320 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,927 Year 2: $58,943 Year 3: $72,455 International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,229 Year 2: $48,198 Year 3: $60,266 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,408 Year 2: $44,468 Year 3: $57,092 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,680 Year 2: $32,391 Year 3: $50,156 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,170 Year 3: $48,201	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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