Oberlin College SAT Scores, ACT Scores, Acceptance Rate, and Admissions Requirements
Test-optional does not mean score-neutral at Oberlin: 31% of applicants submitted SAT scores, and the middle range is 1370 to 1500. Your clearest testing target is the upper half of that SAT band, with a 33-plus ACT as a comparable goal if you choose ACT.
Data on this page is sourced from our college data partners and was last updated on July 9, 2026.
Oberlin College facts and stats
Oberlin College enrolls about 2,896 undergraduates in a small-town campus setting. Oberlin has a 91% freshman retention rate, which is well above the national average of roughly 70%, and its 6-year graduation rate is 81%. The student-to-faculty ratio is 9:1. Admissions are test-optional.
Oberlin, OH
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Key Oberlin College application dates
Key dates
Regular Decision
January 15
Early Action
Not offered
Early Decision
November 15
Priority Deadline
—
Financial Aid Priority
February 1
Test dates
August 22, 2026
Registration deadline: August 7, 2026
September 12, 2026
Registration deadline: August 28, 2026
October 3, 2026
Registration deadline: September 18, 2026
September 19, 2026
Registration deadline: August 14, 2026
October 17, 2026
Registration deadline: September 11, 2026
December 12, 2026
Registration deadline: November 6, 2026
If you choose to submit scores to test-optional Oberlin, plan to take your first SAT or ACT by the spring of junior year and use the summer before senior year and fall for retakes that could improve your superscore. For the November 15 Early Decision deadline, an October retake is typically the last fall sitting likely to have scores arrive in time.
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What you'll actually pay
Oberlin is a private not-for-profit, so the same rate applies to all students. Tuition and fees are $67,366, and 55% of students receive aid, with an average merit award of $25,820. Submit the FAFSA by the February 1 priority deadline.
Oberlin’s listed cost of attendance is $86,876, including $67,366 in tuition and fees and $19,510 for room and board. About 55% of students receive aid, with an average aid package of $59,570. Merit awards average $25,820 for recipients. Graduates leave with an average debt of $26,565.
Student life at Oberlin College
93% of undergrads live on campus
No fraternity or sorority life on campus.
Similar schools
Art Academy of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OHAcceptance rate: 32.2%
Ashland University
Ashland, OHAcceptance rate: 76.4%
SAT: 1050–1280
ACT: 20–25
ETI Technical College of Niles
Niles, OHAcceptance rate: 100%
Baldwin Wallace University
Berea, OHAcceptance rate: 75.7%
SAT: 1068–1263
ACT: 22–28
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