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Oberlin OhioPhoto: Weatherman1126 · Public domain
Colleges in and near Oberlin

Oberlin is a college town: 34 of every 100 residents are students

Oberlin College (2,976 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Ohio, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town34% of residents are studentsOberlin College

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Oberlin. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
3
9,864 students on campus
Nearest college
0.4 mi
Oberlin College
Residents in college
34%
Above OH (6%)
Nearest community college
11.6 mi
Lorain County · $4,265 tuition
Nearest public university
11.6 mi
Lorain County · $4,265 in-state
Students on campus in Oberlin
2,976
next to 8,603 residents

What stands out about college in Oberlin

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town34 of every 100 Oberlin residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.A college in OberlinOberlin College has 2,976 students on campus in Oberlin, 81% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 11.6 miles awayLorain County Community College in Elyria: tuition and fees $4,265 a year for Ohio residents.In-state price at Lorain CountyLiving in Ohio, Lorain County Community College charges $4,265 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $8,860. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Oberlin

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

34 of every 100 Oberlin residents are in college (OH: 6).

2,976students on campus at Oberlin College, next to 8,603 residents (dorm students count as residents)
301college students live in Oberlin households rather than dorms
27.3median age · OH 39.7
55%of residents are women · OH 51% (±3.3 points)
42%of homes rented · OH 33%
$995median rent · 4% below the state
OberlinOberlin, OH
Cost of living$995/mo median rentB−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIB−HealthCDC estimatesB+Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundB−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Oberlin’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income B−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 16.0% of Oberlin residents are below the poverty line, 13.5% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 5 points either way). 59% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living B−

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (34% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health B+

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Oberlin’s median age is 27.3 (Ohio 39.7), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety B−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Oberlin

Two private colleges within 12.2 miles, and Lorain County Community College 11.6 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miLorain CountyOberlin CollegeOhio Business College-SheffieldOberlin
University or collegeCommunity college
Oberlin CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,976 on campus · In Oberlin34%admitted$39knet price81%graduate$58kearningsLorain County Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 6,723 on campus · 11.6 mi · Elyria$4knet price31%graduate$39kearningsTuition and fees: $4,265 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Ohio Business College-SheffieldUniversity or college · For-profit · 165 on campus · 12.2 mi · Sheffield Village$29knet price73%graduate$30kearningsEarnings are reported for all 3 campuses that file with it.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $75–110k, where Oberlin’s median household income ($81,308) falls.

Lorain County Community College11.6 mi · Elyria · sticker $9,860 · tuition $4,265$6,686a year
Oberlin CollegeIn Oberlin · sticker $87,404$29,207a year
Ohio Business College-Sheffield12.2 mi · Sheffield Village · sticker $34,607—a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Oberlin: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Oberlin CollegeLorain CountyOhio Business College-Sheffield
Lorain County Community College31% graduate$39k earnings$14k typical debt
Oberlin College81% graduate$58k earnings$26k typical debt
Ohio Business College-Sheffield73% graduate$30k earnings*$12k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Ohio Business College-Sheffield (3).

Majors

What students study in Oberlin

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Oberlin College, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Visual & performing arts 27%Social sciences 13%Biology 11%Psychology 8%Area & ethnic studies 6%Computer science 6%Everything else 28%

Biggest programs

Music136 graduates a year
$43k4 yrs out
Psychology, General58 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Economics58 graduates a year
$87k4 yrs out
Biology, General53 graduates a year
$44k4 yrs out
Political Science and Government51 graduates a year
$71k4 yrs out
Natural Resources Conservation and Research49 graduates a year
$47k4 yrs out
History45 graduates a year
$61k4 yrs out
Fine and Studio Arts38 graduates a year
$44k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Oberlin

Is Oberlin a college town?

Yes. 34 of every 100 Oberlin residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Ohio. Oberlin College has 2,976 students on campus, next to 8,603 residents.

What colleges are in Oberlin?

Oberlin College is inside the city. Lorain County Community College is 11.6 miles away in Elyria.

Why is Oberlin’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 16.0% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 13.5% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 5 points).

What is the closest community college to Oberlin, and what does it cost?

Lorain County Community College in Elyria, 11.6 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,265 a year for Ohio residents; the federal net price, $3,967, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Oberlin College?

Oberlin College admitted 34% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,360–1,520 on the SAT.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Oberlin. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →