Economics at Oberlin College

Oberlin's economics program produces graduates earning $61,713 in their first year—nearly $10,000 above Ohio's median for econ programs and $10,000 above the national median. That performance, combined with below-average debt of $25,000, creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.41, meaning graduates typically owe less than half their first year's salary. Among Ohio's 42 economics programs, Oberlin holds its own against larger state universities, trailing only a handful of schools like John Carroll and Cincinnati.

The catch here is sample size—with fewer than 30 graduates in this dataset, these numbers could swing significantly year to year. That said, the fundamentals look sound: the 79th national percentile ranking suggests consistent strength, and modest 5% earnings growth to $64,495 by year four indicates stable career progression rather than a boom-and-bust pattern. For a selective liberal arts college (33% admission rate, 1440 average SAT), these outcomes align with the institution's academic profile.

For families who can manage Oberlin's full cost of attendance, this program delivers competitive economics training with manageable debt levels. The small cohort size means you're betting on the college's broader reputation and alumni network rather than program-specific scale, but the earnings data suggests that bet has been paying off for recent graduates.