Admissions Factors
What Oberlin Looks For
Oberlin rates 3 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA and class rank.
How Oberlin rates each factor
Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.
Very important
Important
Considered
The numbers behind the class
Overall admit rate
33%
3,873 of 11,738 applicants
Early decision admit rate
39.4%
Early decision admits equal 34% of the class
Admitted from the waitlist
7.2%
33 of 460 who stayed on it
Enrolled first-years had an average high school GPA of 3.60. 43% of those who reported a class rank were in the top tenth of their class.
Frequently asked questions
What does Oberlin look for in applicants?
Oberlin rates 3 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA and class rank.
Does Oberlin consider legacy status?
Oberlin rates alumni relation as "considered" in its 2025-26 Common Data Set.
Does Oberlin track demonstrated interest?
Oberlin rates the level of an applicant's interest as "considered".
What is Oberlin's waitlist acceptance rate?
460 students stayed on the waitlist and 33 were admitted, a rate of 7.2%. The number changes a lot from year to year because it depends on how many admitted students enroll.
What is Oberlin's early decision acceptance rate?
Early decision: 263 of 668 applicants were admitted (39.4%), against 33% overall. Early pools include recruited athletes and other students with a strong tie to the college, so the gap overstates the boost for an ordinary applicant.
Source: Oberlin’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.
