Oberlin College
- 4 Year
- OBERLIN, OH
CollegeGrad School
Oberlin College Reviews
Rating 3.67 out of 5 650 reviews
The best way I think I can describe Oberlin is a hypocritical. My professors are fantastic and most care so much for their teaching and connections with students, but the administration is awful and offers very little faculty support. There has been a housing crisis for the past 2 years because the college keeps over admitting students, so living here is a nightmare. The food is often less than acceptable. Accommodations are incredibly difficult to obtain and counseling services are lacking. However, the college claims how strongly it supports its students. Finances are unfortunately destroying the Oberlin experience. Also, you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere. The school is in the decline, but there are some fantastic parts: the LIBRARIES (amazing), extracurriculars, range of academic options, and the quality of academics and professors are all shining at Oberlin. The unfortunate thing is that all these things are dissolving because of financial drainage and poor administration.
Oberlin College is a small Liberal arts college located in Oberlin, Ohio. The student population is about 3000 with the surrounding area being a tiny college town. Oberlin College is split into two parts: the Conservatory of Music and the College of Arts & Sciences. I plan to get a degree in the College. A special thing about Oberlin is its vibrant music scene. There are several bands that perform in a variety of different venues across campus. Although the Conservatory and College are both separate departments, there are several instances where college and conservatory students take classes in opposite departments. Because of this, there is a lot of potential for students to bond , which can build a nurturing community. However, there are downsides, including poor dorm maintenance, poor food quality, and occasional unresponsiveness from campus safety to student issues. I strongly advise thinking if this college is where you truly want to be. There is the bright side and the dark side
Overall, I do enjoy it here but it has its faults. First of all, the return on investment is HORRIBLE seeing as you're paying over 80k for stuff that you can find at a lot of colleges. However, if you're here on financial aid and scholarships, then it can be viewed a lot differently. There is a lot of opportunities here (especially studying abroad and research funding) that can be much easier to access compared to other places. Plus, the community is nice and if enjoy a smaller community and town, Oberlin has it.
Since the school is fairly small, there is a very close knit community, bringing the students closer.
Genuinely love this place. Everyone is so wonderfully quirky and interesting, academics are good. Biggest downside is the cost, and the fraught relationship between students and administration. I've met the coolest people here though, so totally worth it.
Best 4 years of my life! Oberlin has allowed me to explore everything I wanted to and more. I'm not sure I'd have the amount of experience and support that I currently do had I gone anywhere else.
The professors and education here are incredible. The resources and facilities and sheer knowledge available are well worth the price. However, the administrative factors of Oberlin leave everything to be desired – the Board of Trustees are incredibly opaque and self serving, and there's many decisions being made in relation to how the school is run that are incredibly negative. However, that's not the experience and education that I'll take with me for the rest of my life.
I definitely had my doubts about Oberlin and the first two years here were pretty challenging. Still, the pros outweigh the cons and there are things I'm getting out of my education here that I would not get elsewhere.
Pros: There's so much live music! Professors are great and really care about their students-- office hours are very accessible. Art rental, co-ops, and yummy food in town. I love the bike path. Have not had a class larger than 40 people and there is a lot of freedom in the general distribution requirements.
Cons: Admin are annoying and the whole union busting thing was bad. There have many bad choices made by the College. The school can feel pretty small at times, especially when the winters are so rough. Super expensive. Lots of rich people from New York, Boston, and California. Is expensive but does give more aid than other comparable schools in my experience
Pros: There's so much live music! Professors are great and really care about their students-- office hours are very accessible. Art rental, co-ops, and yummy food in town. I love the bike path. Have not had a class larger than 40 people and there is a lot of freedom in the general distribution requirements.
Cons: Admin are annoying and the whole union busting thing was bad. There have many bad choices made by the College. The school can feel pretty small at times, especially when the winters are so rough. Super expensive. Lots of rich people from New York, Boston, and California. Is expensive but does give more aid than other comparable schools in my experience
As a conservatory student, I have a different experience than others. I can say that from my experience, the professors want you to succeed and thrive. They all give you individual attention and actually take the time to learn who you are.
Oberlin College is full of a lot of quirky weird people. This means that you can definitely find people that you get along with, and discover your place in the world. It is such a small school which means it is easy to run into people and hang out, which can be positive but also negative when you really don't want to see someone. Academics and professors are where this school really excels. I love so many of my professors with such a deep passion. For the most part, they are incredible people who want you to succeed and will help you in any way. Absolutely love the professors, the college needs to pay them more. The activist nature of the campus is also great but at times can be performative. The campus dining food is pretty bad, as is most college food, but the cooperative community provides better food. I'm in Third World Co-op and we have the best food on campus. It is a cute town in a beautiful state, the fall leaves are beautiful but the winters are biting cold. Would recommend.
Great academics and professors, personally loved my experience but know others who didn't. Niche school that depends on the person.
I was terrified of college before I even applied, let alone came to school. Where would I work? Would my roommate be weird? Would there be parties?
Oberlin answered these questions and gave me a home. The wealth of programs here makes it not only a home for me but for any prospective student. I am involved in Circus, Pottery House, and have three jobs on campus. In addition to many opportunities like these, you will find some of the kindest, most intelligent people here. Some of them will be your professors, who both wave me at on the street and are incredibly qualified. One of my professors served as a foreign ambassador before teaching at Oberlin. Another has published astrophysics research used in the advancement of space data. In addition to professors, the students and staff are fantastic. I have made my closest friends here. And yes, there ARE parties like the ones you see in college movies--except the music is way, way better. Coming here is a decision I've never regreted.
Oberlin answered these questions and gave me a home. The wealth of programs here makes it not only a home for me but for any prospective student. I am involved in Circus, Pottery House, and have three jobs on campus. In addition to many opportunities like these, you will find some of the kindest, most intelligent people here. Some of them will be your professors, who both wave me at on the street and are incredibly qualified. One of my professors served as a foreign ambassador before teaching at Oberlin. Another has published astrophysics research used in the advancement of space data. In addition to professors, the students and staff are fantastic. I have made my closest friends here. And yes, there ARE parties like the ones you see in college movies--except the music is way, way better. Coming here is a decision I've never regreted.
Not worth the money. Some dorms are really nice and others are absolutely terrible, it doesn't seem fair. Main dining hall sucks but there are other options. Professors are okay, I'm a freshman and I personally find all of my classes incredibly boring and pointless. Counseling resources here are very unhelpful and not easily accesible for struggling students. It's also a very cliquey school.
When I first started my college search I was looking for a small school and that is about all that I knew. The basketball coaches at Oberlin reached out and so I agreed to do a few calls with them. This led to months of talking and me looking more into the school. My research led me to find out more about the academics at Oberlin. I decided to visit. The day after my visit I committed. After my first year I can confidentially say Oberlin College was the right choice for me. I am challenged both on the court and in the classroom. My teachers were incredibly helpful throughout the entire year not only in their classes but also in balancing my workload and lending advice when needed. The people at Oberlin are truly special and I am convinced I would not have been able to make the friends that I have made or form the connections that I have formed without attending Oberlin College.
I like a small and quiet school, and Oberlin is a very good match for me in those aspects. There are no parties except for in the conservatory. The professors depend significantly on the major, and since I am a chemistry major, I know the chemistry professors are great. Personally, a few professors in the math department were not good. The food is pretty good, but there aren't many types, so you get sick of them quickly. Most of the dorms are old, but they are pretty much clean and good except for a few. There are a lot of events on campus during the winter and throughout the year that anyone can participate in. People can also sign up and participate in many types of clubs based on their interests. Near Oberlin college, there is a small downtown with shops and restaurants, which is very lovely. Except for that, it is pretty much quiet and peaceful. There are many call buttons around campus, and I've never seen or heard of safety issues on campus.
While I do believe that Oberlin used to be a good school that was worth going to, it is not anymore because of the administration. Student life is poor, and general quality of life is low. You can sense that most people that go to the school are unhappy. If you ask students about their opinions of Oberlin they will either tell you they have mixed feelings or think it is a terrible investment. The administration is egregious and all they care about is money, they don't try to hide that from the students. One of my friends was forced to transfer schools because they revoked his financial aid. They are also paying the professors low wages which reflects in the education. Oberlin used to be a school renowned for its professors but most of the professors I have had (especially if they are new) have not been great. I don't like to admit it because I go here but the school is declining and I wouldn't be surprised if it was no longer considered a prestigious school in the next few years.
This College exists for one purpose and one only. To suck every last cent out of you and your family and leave you drowning in debt. Their scholarships are conditional on you living in their musty, overcrowded dorms and paying for the meal plan (valued at $7 if you try to buy any groceries with them), even if it claims to be "Merit-Based". They don't pay their professors a decent wage- most of them have the most basic healthcare plans that don't cover most expenses and haven't had their salaries adjusted for inflation in over 5 years. They don't pay their staff- they cleaned house of all workers who unionized over covid. And to top it all off, they "lost" hundreds of students' packed and labeled belongings over covid. They put it all in a shipping container and essentially had a free yard sale for the community to come and poach student belongings left in dorms they were kicked out of. This institution's values are all out of order. Would not recommend.
I had a great student experience at Oberlin College. Oberlin provided me with opportunities to engage with activities and courses that I was excited about and I was able to have a good work-life balance as a student.
Oberlin is cool; I think I'd enjoy it more if I were a white person. And also if I was rich. The thing that's best about it is the people. For the most part, everyone is very kind and just looking for other people to create with. Very artsy school. I also like how small it is because it's more accessible to network.
The student community at Oberlin is fantastic, and the professors are friendly. There are many interesting course offerings. It has been difficult to get into some courses; however, professors are very thoughtful and if you express your interest they generally help you. I have some complaints about the quality of mental health services.