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Is Oberlin College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Oberlin, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Heavy lift
Oberlin lands in the heavy lift band for a typical family. The combination of $38,645 in yearly net price and $26,000 in median debt asks a lot relative to median earnings of $58,343. For context, Oberlin's net price sits about 121% above the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school and near the top of its sector range. This does not make the school wrong for every student, but it does mean the price deserves a closer test.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$50,484
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrThis significantly impacts your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $27,647 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $111,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price is doing real work against the score and raises the financing burden quickly.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data is workable, but not so strong that it erases financing risk.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$38,645
Median earnings 10 years out
$58,343
Median debt at graduation
$26,000
Graduation rate
80%
At Oberlin, a typical graduate carries about $26,000 in student debt and earns roughly $58,343 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $296 per month, or 6% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
What this means for your family
Oberlin is a private nonprofit four year school in Oberlin, OH. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
Kenyon
Gambier, OH
Worth-It Score: 63/100
Median net price: $38,512
Private nonprofit 4-year
Denison
Granville, OH
Worth-It Score: 55/100
Median net price: $40,007
Private nonprofit 4-year
Case Western Reserve
Cleveland, OH
Worth-It Score: 74/100
Median net price: $41,190
Private nonprofit 4-year
Art Academy of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH
Worth-It Score: 16/100
Median net price: $34,253
Private nonprofit 4-year
Xavier
Cincinnati, OH
Worth-It Score: 56/100
Median net price: $32,997
Common questions about Oberlin
The median net price at Oberlin is $38,645 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in Ohio? See the most affordable private colleges in Ohio →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →