Oberlin College vs Wesleyan University

Oberlin College and Wesleyan University, two esteemed liberal arts institutions, share a commitment to academic excellence and fostering a vibrant intellectual community. However, they also possess distinct characteristics that set them apart. Oberlin, located in Ohio, boasts a slightly higher acceptance rate and a larger student body, while Wesleyan, situated in Connecticut, offers a more intimate learning environment with smaller class sizes. Both institutions excel in various academic disciplines, with Oberlin known for its strengths in music and environmental studies, and Wesleyan renowned for its programs in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details about these institutions, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates, to determine which college best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Oberlin College logo

Oberlin College

Wesleyan University logo

Wesleyan University

Overview

Location Oberlin, Ohio Middletown, Connecticut
Campus setting Town: Fringe City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system 4-1-4 Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 91.0% 95.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 34.3% 19.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $100

Graduate: $100
$55
SAT range 1338 - 1460 1300 - 1510
ACT range 30 - 34 31 - 34
Students submitting SAT score 34.0% 51.0%
Students submitting ACT score 22.0% 27.0%
Total number of applicants 10,597 13,067
Total number of admissions given out 3,639 2,540
Admitted students who chose to enroll 864 910
Yield rate 23.7% 35.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $73,914 $82,245
Average net price $44,689 $20,535
Tuition $59,384 $61,449
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,858

Meal plan: $8,996
$17,531
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

93.0%
Average amount $34,607
40.0%
Average amount $58,925
Students receiving federal student loan 34.0%
Average amount $5,142
18.0%
Average amount $3,834
Students taking out private loans 4.0%
Average amount $4,519
2.0%
Average amount $27,881

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,942
Men 41.6% Women 58.4%
3,385
Men 43.8% Women 56.2%
Graduate students 11
Men 72.7% Women 27.3%
196
Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 90.3%
International students 11.1% 11.3%
Campus local/setting Town: Fringe City: Small
Dormitory capacity 2,694 3,063
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A New York California Connecticut New Jersey Pennsylvania

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Social Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Social Sciences
  • Psychology
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Physical Science
Students to faculty ratio 9:1 8:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 82.3% 91.0%
Dropout rate 17.3% 3.6%
Transferred out N/A 5.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $53,775
  • Year 3: $53,847
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,232
  • Year 2: $36,334
  • Year 3: $45,541

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Occidental College Occidental College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Pomona College Pomona College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Scripps College Scripps College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Connecticut College Connecticut College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Trinity College Trinity College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Wesleyan University Wesleyan University
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Lake Forest College Lake Forest College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Butler University Butler University
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs DePauw University DePauw University
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Earlham College Earlham College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Wabash College Wabash College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Grinnell College Grinnell College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Bates College Bates College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Colby College Colby College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Hampshire College Hampshire College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs College of the Holy Cross College of the Holy Cross
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Mount Holyoke College Mount Holyoke College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Smith College Smith College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Wellesley College Wellesley College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Williams College Williams College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Hillsdale College Hillsdale College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Carleton College Carleton College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Macalester College Macalester College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs St Olaf College St Olaf College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Millsaps College Millsaps College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Bard College Bard College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Hamilton College Hamilton College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Sarah Lawrence College Sarah Lawrence College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Skidmore College Skidmore College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Union College Union College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Vassar College Vassar College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Davidson College Davidson College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Kenyon College Kenyon College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Ohio Wesleyan University Ohio Wesleyan University
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Ursuline College Ursuline College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Wittenberg University Wittenberg University
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs The College of Wooster The College of Wooster
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Lewis & Clark College Lewis & Clark College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Dickinson College Dickinson College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Franklin and Marshall College Franklin and Marshall College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Lafayette College Lafayette College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Furman University Furman University
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Rhodes College Rhodes College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Trinity University Trinity University
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Bennington College Bennington College
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs University of Richmond University of Richmond
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Shenandoah University Shenandoah University
Oberlin College Oberlin College vs Lawrence University Lawrence University
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Claremont McKenna College Claremont McKenna College
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Pomona College Pomona College
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Colorado College Colorado College
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Connecticut College Connecticut College
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Trinity College Trinity College
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Clark University Clark University
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Harvard University Harvard University
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs College of the Holy Cross College of the Holy Cross
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Massachusetts Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Mount Holyoke College Mount Holyoke College
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Hillsdale College Hillsdale College
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Bard College Bard College
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Sarah Lawrence College Sarah Lawrence College
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Union College Union College
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Duke University Duke University
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Bucknell University Bucknell University
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Dickinson College Dickinson College
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Franklin and Marshall College Franklin and Marshall College
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Rhodes College Rhodes College
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Trinity University Trinity University
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs University of Richmond University of Richmond
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University vs Stanford University Stanford University