Applicants, Acceptance Rate, Yield Trends at Oberlin

The average acceptance rate at Oberlin over the past 10 years is 33.45%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 34.18%.

The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 26.07%, and the 2025 yield is 19.47%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 43.73% from 2015 to 2025.

The number of Oberlin applicants decreased by 4.56% (503 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 34.82% overall.

Trends by Subject

Key Takeaways: Oberlin Admission Metrics

Acceptance Rate Overview

The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 34.18%, showing a decreasing selectivity trend. This suggests that Oberlin is admitting a higher proportion of applicants, which may indicate either an increase in application quality or a strategic enrollment decision by the institution.

Yield Rate & Enrollment Patterns

The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 19.47%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at Oberlin. This pattern may reflect increased competition from peer institutions, changing student demographics, or shifts in institutional enrollment strategy.

Application Volume & Admission Trends

For the 2025 admission cycle, Oberlin received approximately 10,536 applications, admitted 3,601 students, and enrolled 701 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that Oberlin is attracting an increasing number of prospective students over time. This growth in applications typically reflects enhanced institutional visibility, improved marketing initiatives, or increasing perceived value in the higher education market.

Acceptance Rate Changes

Oberlin 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at Oberlin over the past decade show a relatively stable trend, with fluctuations in both directions. The average acceptance rate over this period is 33.45%, while the most recent rate stands at 34.18%. This data reflects the institution's evolving competitiveness in the higher education admissions landscape.

For the most recent admission cycle (2025), the acceptance rate is 34.18%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 31.42% and for women is 35.09%.

The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at Oberlin have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).

YearTotalMenWomen
2015-16 28.78% 29.60% 28.21%
2016-17 28.03%
-0.74%
29.92%
0.33%
26.82%
-1.39%
2017-18 33.72%
5.68%
32.93%
3.01%
34.25%
7.42%
2018-19 36.21%
2.50%
33.71%
0.79%
38.01%
3.76%
2019-20 36.40%
0.19%
35.03%
1.32%
37.39%
-0.62%
2020-21 35.36%
-1.04%
32.53%
-2.50%
37.48%
0.09%
2021-22 34.00%
-1.36%
30.99%
-1.54%
37.00%
-0.48%
2022-23 34.87%
0.87%
31.77%
0.77%
37.15%
0.15%
2023-24 32.98%
-1.89%
29.11%
-2.65%
35.98%
-1.17%
2024-25 34.18%
1.20%
28.65%
-0.47%
38.64%
2.66%
Average 33.45% 31.42% 35.09%
Oberlin College Acceptance Rate Trends Over Time - Historical Admission Rate Data Visualization Chart

Admission Yield (Enrollment Rate) Changes

Oberlin has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 34.59% in 2015 to 19.47% in 2025, representing a 43.73% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 26.07%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.

The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at Oberlin from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 43.73% over this period.

YearTotalMenWomen
2015-16 34.59% 35.13% 34.20%
2016-17 31.91%
-2.68%
32.50%
-2.63%
31.49%
-2.71%
2017-18 27.82%
-4.09%
29.83%
-2.66%
26.51%
-4.98%
2018-19 29.54%
1.72%
31.95%
2.12%
28.00%
1.49%
2019-20 28.44%
-1.10%
30.05%
-1.90%
27.35%
-0.65%
2020-21 20.66%
-7.78%
20.70%
-9.36%
20.63%
-6.72%
2021-22 24.01%
3.35%
27.00%
6.30%
22.01%
1.38%
2022-23 22.86%
-1.15%
24.02%
-2.97%
22.12%
0.11%
2023-24 21.40%
-1.46%
23.02%
-1.00%
20.38%
-1.75%
2024-25 19.47%
-1.93%
20.62%
-2.40%
18.65%
-1.73%
Average 26.07% 27.48% 25.14%
Oberlin College enrollment rate trends chart showing historical yield changes from 2015 to 2025

Applicants, Admitted, and Enrolled Headcount Changes

Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 9,188, the average number of admitted is 3,078, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 778.

The number of Oberlin applicants decreased by 4.56% (503 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 34.82% overall.

The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at Oberlin College from 2015 to 2025.

YearApplicantsAdmittedEnrolled
2015-16 7,815 2,249 778
2016-17 8,518
9.00%
2,388
6.18%
762
-2.06%
2017-18 7,762
-8.88%
2,617
9.59%
728
-4.46%
2018-19 7,525
-3.05%
2,725
4.13%
805
10.58%
2019-20 7,708
2.43%
2,806
2.97%
798
-0.87%
2020-21 9,309
20.77%
3,292
17.32%
680
-14.79%
2021-22 10,597
13.84%
3,603
9.45%
865
27.21%
2022-23 11,066
4.43%
3,859
7.11%
882
1.97%
2023-24 11,039
-0.24%
3,641
-5.65%
779
-11.68%
2024-25 10,536
-4.56%
3,601
-1.10%
701
-10.01%
Average 9,188 3,078 778
Oberlin College - 10 Year Applicants, Admissions, and Enrollment Trends Chart

Compare Acceptance Rate Change to Similar Colleges

The following table compares Oberlin College' acceptance rate to similar schools.

20242025Change %
Oberlin College32.98%34.18% 3.64%
Guilford College80.00%83.76% -4.49%
Case Western Reserve University36.54%28.68% 27.41%
University of Dayton65.45%61.65% 6.16%
Franklin University---
Cedarville University65.29%62.82% 3.93%

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