Oberlin vs. Kenyon vs. Denison vs. Tiffin University

Should I go to Oberlin College or Kenyon College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Oberlin or Kenyon is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Oberlin College vs. Kenyon College vs. Denison University vs. Tiffin University comparison
Oberlin College Kenyon College Denison University Tiffin University
Oberlin College Kenyon College Denison University
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Overview

 Oberlin Kenyon Denison Tiffin University
Location Oberlin, OH Gambier, OH Granville, OH Tiffin, OH
Setting Midsize Suburban Distant Rural Rural Fringe Distant Town
Enrollment 2,976 2,184 2,405 3,598
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #155 #59 #98 #942
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website oberlin.edu kenyon.edu denison.edu tiffin.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 Oberlin Kenyon Denison Tiffin University
Tuition (In State) $63,700 $69,030 $64,000 $30,900
Tuition (Out of State) $63,700 $69,030 $64,000 $30,900
Room & Board $18,942 $14,410 $15,400 $12,650
Avg Net Price $50,484 $44,470 $42,177 $24,516
Avg Grant Aid $33,746 $39,330 $34,723 $20,572
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 83% 95% 98%

Admission

 Oberlin Kenyon Denison Tiffin University
Applied 11,039 8,218 14,580 4,785
Admitted 3,641 2,524 2,468 3,817
Acceptance Rate 33% 30.7% 16.9% 26.2%
Enrolled % 21.4% 18% 25.8% 20.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.67 3.84 3.76 3.11
Typical High School Grades B+ A- A- B
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional Very High Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition High High Very High
ACT Range 30/33 31/34 29/32 15/22
SAT Range 1370/1510 1360/1500 1300/1470 870/1120
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 15, 2026 Jan 15, 2026 Jan 15, 2026

Academics

 Oberlin Kenyon Denison Tiffin University
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 9:1 9:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (26%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Ethnic Studies (9%)
  • Social Sciences (22%)
  • English and Literature (17%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Business (30%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (18%)
  • Psychology (5%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (2%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (1%)

Outcomes

 Oberlin Kenyon Denison Tiffin University
Graduation Rate 88% 87% 79% 46%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,900 $52,900 $56,100 $42,000
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 87% 83% 21%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,579 $19,000 $26,000 $26,117
Median Loan Payment $274 $196 $268 $270

Diversity

 Oberlin Kenyon Denison Tiffin University
% Men 0% 7% 0% 11%
% Women 0% 12% 0% 15%
Racial Diversity Medium Low Medium Very High
HBCU No No No No
% White 68% 73% 66% 46%
% Black 5% 4% 7% 14%
% Hispanic 8% 7% 10% 4%
% Native American 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 4% 4% 1%
% International 8% 5% 8% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 3% 2% 24%

Students

 Oberlin Kenyon Denison Tiffin University
% In-State 6% 12% 21% 60%
% Out-of-State 84% 67% 65% 19%

Campus

 Oberlin Kenyon Denison Tiffin University
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No No Yes
Daycare Facility No No No No
Learn More Details Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Oberlin College is larger than than Kenyon based on total student enrollment (2,976 students vs. 2,184 students)

Oberlin vs. Kenyon Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Oberlin or Kenyon?

  • Kenyon College is 8.4% more expensive to attend than Oberlin for in-state tuition ($69,030.00 vs. $63,700.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.4% higher at Kenyon than Oberlin College ($69,030.00 vs. $63,700.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Kenyon College than Oberlin ($44,470 vs. $50,484)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Kenyon College are 31.5% lower than costs at Oberlin College ($14,410 vs. $18,942)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Oberlin College than Kenyon College (99% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Kenyon College students is 16.5% larger than aid received Oberlin College ($39,330 vs. $33,746)

Oberlin vs. Kenyon Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Oberlin or Kenyon? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Kenyon or Oberlin .

  • The average SAT score at Oberlin College (1357) is 22 points higher than at Kenyon (1335)
  • Incoming Oberlin students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Kenyon (30)
  • Accepted freshman Kenyon students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at Oberlin (3.67)
  • Oberlin has a higher acceptance rate (33%) than Kenyon (30.7%)

Oberlin vs. Kenyon Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Oberlin or Kenyon? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Kenyon and Oberlin.

  • The graduation rate at Oberlin is higher than Kenyon College (88% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Kenyon College earn on average $9,000 more per year than Oberlin graduates after ten years. ($52,900 vs. $43,900)
  • Kenyon College students graduate with a $7,579 lower median federal student loan debt than Oberlin graduates. ($19,000 vs. $26,579)
  • Kenyon graduates are paying $78 less per month on federal student loans than Oberlin graduates. ($196 vs. $274)
  • More Kenyon graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Oberlin students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 82%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/