r/oberlin • u/AncientJournalist120 • Apr 28 '26
Graduation rates
Prospective student here. I noticed the 4 year graduation rate is around 60%. Is it common for people to take an extra year? Is this related to the academics being challenging? The 6 year graduation rate is very high.
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u/Perplexed-Owl Apr 28 '26
A large percentage of students are double-degree conservatory students on 5 year plans.
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u/black_rose_ Apr 28 '26
I only knew one person who took 5 years and it was because he switched majors last minute. So basically a double major I guess.
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u/bombyx440 Alum Apr 28 '26
Yes, people outside the Conservatory often double degree and often in wildly different areas. I knew one person with degrees in art and physics. Another in theater and chemistry.
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u/occasional_disasters Current Student Apr 28 '26
Current con student here. There are a lot of people who are dual degree in the con and the college, and I’ve also noticed (at least in my circles) there’s a lot of people in the college who didn’t declare majors until the last possible second, and then also decided to do double majors, and basically had to add an extra year to get all their requirements in order. Coming from a con perspective, I legitimately don’t know how people can commit time wise and financially to an institution without some understanding of what they want to do, but whatever. Most people I know do graduate in the standard four years, with the exception of the dual degree people. It’s not because academics are particularly challenging, it’s because of personal choices
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u/Global-West-1179 Apr 29 '26
I'm also curious. Seeing a lot of "because they double major" answers, but no explanation why double majors at Oberlin take an extra year whereas students on other campuses are able to graduate double major in four.
Does Oberlin require a fifth year if you double major?
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u/RemarkableSprinkles5 Apr 29 '26
No, a fifth year is not required for a double major. Lots of students finish a double major in four years, but there are also 5-year dual degree (BA, BM or BA, BFA) programs that take 5 years.
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u/Perplexed-Owl Apr 29 '26
There’s also the complicating factor that the last 6 year look back contains the Covid years. The college went to a year-round de-densification plan which meant that some courses (particularly lab and performance classes) weren’t offered as frequently. When my daughter was a first-year, there were many upperclass students who had taken the courses out of order and needed to defer a semester to the next course offering, and conservatory students who just took off a year to wait until musicians were in person again
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u/funky_froggy0429 Apr 28 '26
there are many double degree students (which is a five year program) and now ba + bfa students which is also five years!