Oberlin College vs Davidson College

Oberlin College and Davidson College, both highly regarded liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Oberlin, located in Ohio, boasts a rich history of social activism and a focus on the arts, while Davidson, situated in North Carolina, emphasizes experiential learning and a strong sense of community. With acceptance rates of 32% and 24%, respectively, both colleges are highly selective. Oberlin's student body is more diverse, with 48% students of color compared to Davidson's 34%. Popular majors at Oberlin include music, art, and environmental studies, while Davidson students often pursue economics, biology, and political science. Oberlin's graduation rate is 86%, slightly higher than Davidson's 84%. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two exceptional institutions.
Davidson College logo

Davidson College

Oberlin College logo

Oberlin College

Overview

Location Davidson, North Carolina 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 95.0% 91.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Presbyterian

Admission

Acceptance rate 17.8% 34.3%
Application fees $50
Undergraduate: $100

Graduate: $100
SAT range N/A 1338 - 1460
ACT range N/A 30 - 34
Students submitting SAT score 34.0%
Students submitting ACT score 22.0%
Total number of applicants 6,434 10,597
Total number of admissions given out 1,145 3,639
Admitted students who chose to enroll 547 864
Yield rate 47.8% 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 $73,200 $73,914
Average net price $25,794 $44,689
Tuition $54,460 $59,384
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $7,700

Meal plan: $7,525
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)

64.0%
Average amount $47,889
93.0%
Average amount $34,607
Students receiving federal student loan 10.0%
Average amount $5,095
34.0%
Average amount $5,142
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $33,219
4.0%
Average amount $4,519

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,973
Men 47.2% Women 52.8%
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 76.8% N/A
International students 8.2% 11.1%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity 1,830 2,694
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from North Carolina Virginia Texas New Jersey Florida N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Psychology
  • Physical Science
  • Social Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Ethnic Studies
  • 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 Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 89.6% 82.3%
Dropout rate 10.0% 17.3%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Economics (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: $60,797
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $80,388
Political Science and Government (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: $42,752
  • Year 2: $45,715
  • Year 3: $53,747
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $43,240
  • Year 3: N/A
English Language and Literature, General (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: $41,099
  • Year 2: $35,330
  • Year 3: N/A
Biology, General (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $31,670
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: $34,292
  • Year 2: $28,598
  • Year 3: N/A
Anthropology (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: N/A
History (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $22,075
  • 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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