Oberlin College User Reviews and Ratings
Proud Alum and Parent
By Alum and Parent, From Maine
As an alum and parent of current student, I remain impressed with the academic excellence, culture of inquiry, and strong commitment to the arts and sciences at Oberlin College. My education provided the foundation for graduate studies at Harvard and a long and rewarding career. Oberlin's facilities, faculty, collections, research opportunities, and world class conservatory and museum are truly unparalleled in an undergraduate setting. A recent visit to campus provided a much needed on the ground reality check. The opportunity to speak candidly and in depth with students, administration, faculty, and staff was worth the 30 year wait. I left invigorated by everyone's enthusiasm, kindness, and intelligence. Oberlin is sustaining itself as the transformative institution I attended - in no small part to President Ambar's strategic efforts to proactively address the many complexities of operating a LAC in a world of changing demographics. The world is changing and Oberlin remains a leader in embracing and promoting collaborative learning, interdisciplinary research, and rigorous academic standards. I am proud my child is an Obie.
What best describes you? Parent
Activities & Social Life
Score：5
City & Setting
Score：5
Classes & Teachers
Score：5
Dining & Food
Score：5
Dorms & Housing
Score：5
Health & Safety
Score：5
Life Altering
By Eternally Grateful, From San Diego, California
Oberlin is not cheap, but the difference it has made in our son's life has been a wondrous thing to behold. The lifelong friends he made, the rigor of the academic program, the focused environment, everything was a perfect fit for him, a very bright kid who didn't always feel like he fit in. He just finished his master's in music at UCLA, just started his doctorate at USC, performs professionally on a regular basis, and will be marrying his Oberlin College sweetheart next month...where else? At Oberlin. Not sure you can ask for much more than that.
What best describes you? Parent
Activities & Social Life
Score：5
City & Setting
Score：5
Classes & Teachers
Score：5
Dining & Food
Score：5
Dorms & Housing
Score：5
Health & Safety
Score：5
A national treasure
By Class of '69, From Denver
Oberlin's quantitative rank may have slipped a bit between my class ('69) and my daughter's ('10), but it is still a national treasure, and I'm proud to be an alum. The highly academic culture rewards serious study but also cross-boundary collaboration and creativity. Faculty members get to know students and love to be their mentors. Oberlin welcomes and strongly encourages people from diverse backgrounds, as it has since the very beginning. It produces grads who are prepared for exciting careers in music and the creative arts, "bench science," the helping professions, social and political leadership, academia, and other important areas. I'm so happy my daughter followed me to Oberlin!
What best describes you? Other
Activities & Social Life
Score：5
City & Setting
Score：5
Classes & Teachers
Score：5
Dining & Food
Score：4
Dorms & Housing
Score：4
Health & Safety
Score：5
fantastic college experience
By obie23, From Norwich Vermont
I could not be more grateful to have gone to Oberlin. Without the support of the faculty, and the encouragement to explore different areas of study I would not be taking the path I am currently perusing. I went from Cinema Studies to Computer Science, having taken my first ever computer science course sophomore year. I really enjoyed the introductory course and the chair of the department helped me plan out an intensive course progression to complete the major, for this I could not be more thankful. If I had chosen to go to the NYU film school, I would never have been exposed to as diverse an array of courses.
What best describes you? Current Student
Activities & Social Life
Score：4
City & Setting
Score：3
Classes & Teachers
Score：5
Dining & Food
Score：3
Dorms & Housing
Score：4
Health & Safety
Score：5
Great academics
By dzfar, From PA
Great academics. World Class professors and students. Honestly not as left leaning as people say. Very rigorous coursework, strong curriculum, that shaped the way I think and approach problems.
What best describes you? Current Student
Activities & Social Life
Score：5
City & Setting
Score：4
Classes & Teachers
Score：5
Dining & Food
Score：3
Dorms & Housing
Score：4
Health & Safety
Score：5
Exceptional Undergraduate Experience
By grateful parent, From New York
Our son will be graduating Oberlin College & Conservatory with a double degree in Economics and Jazz Performance. He has benefitted from exceptionally close and supportive relationships with professors, a seamless integration of liberal arts studies with music, and study abroad (both for a semester and a winter term). He has had the opportunity to study with amazing teachers and jazz legends and pursue international music and academic experiences that have been life changing. He has grown and developed intellectually and musically. In addition, he has had a range of internships and is well positioned for jobs, fellowships and graduate study. We feel extremely grateful and appreciative for all that Oberlin has to offer!
What best describes you? Parent
Activities & Social Life
Score：5
City & Setting
Score：4
Classes & Teachers
Score：5
Dining & Food
Score：4
Dorms & Housing
Score：4
Health & Safety
Score：5
Great experience
By Mom, From Boston, Ma
My son graduated from Oberlin 3 years ago and since then had wonderful opportunities in both obtaining prestigious fellowship abroad and a full scholarship at one of the top medical schools. None of this would have been possible without rigorous and inspiring Oberlin teaching. One of the comments on this board that ranks Oberlin as the worst college on the planet is obviously written with malicious intent to hurt this great institution and most likely is authored by someone angry and disappointed at not getting accepted by the school.
What best describes you? Parent
Activities & Social Life
Score：5
City & Setting
Score：5
Classes & Teachers
Score：5
Dining & Food
Score：4
Dorms & Housing
Score：4
Health & Safety
Score：5
Outstanding Liberal Arts in Idyllic Small Town Setting
By Obie Parent, From Tulsa, Oklahoma
As a current Oberlin parent I feel the necessity to address the verifiable inaccuracies in one of the reviews that is an intentional attempt to smear Oberlin College. The statistics alluded to as regards freshman retention and graduation rates are especially egregious. Oberlin has a freshman retention rate of 89% or higher and a four year graduation rate of 76%, which is deleteriously affected by the significant number of students who choose to achieve a dual degree in both liberal arts as well as the prestigious Oberlin Music Conservatory, since by six years around 88% have achieved their degree. While the writer of this article is entitled to their opinion, they are not entitled to smear Oberlin by asserting false information based upon their bias. My daughter has had an incredible academic experience at Oberlin. First and foremost, the quality of the teaching is extremely high and the faculty is integrally engaged in encouraging, challenging, and supporting their students. Even classes that were outside of her major area were wonderful opportunities for her because of the quality and involvement of the faculty. While there is a "liberal vibe" to the campus, the university emphasizes respect for others and the creation of an environment where all voices can be heard. I have been to formal lectures where there was disagreement--but that is the role of open discussion at a university. The emphasis on acceptance and respect for others helps to create an environment where that interchange can take place. The living and eating cooperatives at Oberlin provide incredible opportunities for personal growth. My only criticism is that the University administration is increasingly limiting budget friendly co-op experiences as they deal with monetary challenges by requiring students to participate in expensive college sponsored living and meal plans. I would encourage administration to support the co-op system because it is a unique strength of the Oberlin experience.
What best describes you? Parent
Activities & Social Life
Score：5
City & Setting
Score：5
Classes & Teachers
Score：5
Dining & Food
Score：4
Dorms & Housing
Score：4
Health & Safety
Score：5
Passionate and Thoughtful Environment
By J. S., From Chicago, IL
I don't normally write reviews, but the person who wrote the one star one is cuckoo caca insahno, so I felt the need to off-set it, seeing that there are only two. I am an alumnus and still marvel at the fact that I had the opportunity to learn and grow in such an intellectually and artistically rich academic environment. Oberlin is the right school for people who are passionate, driven, and unapologetically themselves. I'm eternally grateful for the four years I got to spend there.
What best describes you? Alumni
Activities & Social Life
Score：5
City & Setting
Score：5
Classes & Teachers
Score：5
Dining & Food
Score：5
Dorms & Housing
Score：5
Health & Safety
Score：5
Gem
By Susan G., class of 1984, From Larchmont, NY
Outstanding faculty, wide array of courses, small class size, great facilities, beautiful campus, safe, liberal vibe, energizing.
What best describes you? Alumni
Activities & Social Life
Score：5
City & Setting
Score：5
Classes & Teachers
Score：5
Dining & Food
Score：5
Dorms & Housing
Score：5
Health & Safety
Score：5
