Oberlin College Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA

Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college with an acceptance rate of 36%. Located 35 miles north of Cleveland, Ohio, Oberlin College is one of the leading liberal arts colleges in the country. Oberlin has a distinguished history as the first college to grant undergraduate degrees to women. In addition to the College of Arts and Sciences, which has an 11-to-1  student/faculty ratio and a chapter of  Phi Beta Kappa, Oberlins Conservatory of Music has a strong international reputation. Considering applying to Oberlin? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, Oberlin College had an acceptance rate of 36%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 36 students were admitted, making Oberlins admissions process competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 7,525 Percent Admitted 36% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 30% SAT Scores and Requirements Oberlin requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 62% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 650 740 Math 630 750 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that most of Oberlins admitted students fall within the top 20% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Oberlin scored between 650 and 740, while 25% scored below 650 and 25% scored above 740. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 630 and 750, while 25% scored below 630 and 25% scored above 750. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1490 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at Oberlin. Requirements Oberlin college does not require the SAT writing section. Note that Oberlin participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. At Oberlin, SAT Subject tests are not required, but applicants are permitted to submit SAT II scores if they believe they will add to their application. ACT Scores and Requirements Oberlin College requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 47% of admitted students submitted ACT scores. ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile English 30 34 Math 26 28 Composite 29 31 This admissions data tells us that most of Oberlins admitted students fall within the top 9% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Oberlin received a composite ACT score between 29 and 31, while 25% scored above 31 and 25% scored below 29. Requirements Oberlin College does not require the ACT writing section. Unlike many colleges, Oberlin superscores ACT results; your highest subscores from multiple ACT sittings will be considered. GPA In 2018, the unweighted average high school GPA of Oberlins incoming freshmen class was 3.7%. This information suggests that most successful applicants to Oberlin College have primarily A grades. Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph Oberlin College Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Oberlin College. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in  with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances Oberlin College has a highly competitive admissions pool with a low acceptance rate and high average SAT/ACT scores. However, Oberlin has a  holistic admissions  process involving other factors beyond your grades and test scores. A strong application essay and glowing letters of recommendation can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful extracurricular activities and a rigorous course schedule. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their grades and test scores are outside of Oberlins range. Finally, you can strengthen your application by participating in a recommended optional interview. Note that the Conservatory of Music has a separate application process which includes an audition. In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. Most successful applicants had high school averages of A- or higher, combined SAT scores of 1300 or higher (ERWM), and ACT composite scores of 28 or better. The distribution of data points on the graph suggests that Oberlin places more value on grades than it does on test scores. If You Like Oberlin College, You May Also Like These Schools: Bowdoin CollegeYale UniversitySwarthmore CollegeVassar CollegeAmherst College All admissions data was sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Oberlin College Undergraduate Admissions Office.