Oberlin College
Oberlin College reported $363.0 million in revenue and $344.4 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $93.26 went to program services, $5.11 to management and general costs and $1.63 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 70.6% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $879,781 (PRESIDENT). 173 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 19% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $344MFor context, the median across 5,499 covered education charities: $85.56 programs, $13.59 management, $0.85 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $363MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 93.3% | 84.4% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 5.1% | 13.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 1.6% | 0.8% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.18 | $0.04 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 8.8% | 19.1% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 70.6% | 69.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $879,781 | $331,578 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.26% | 1.28% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 173 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 62.0 | 13.3 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 30 of 31 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseOberlin College is a liberal arts institution made up of the College of Arts & Sciences and the Conservatory of Music. The College served 2,886 full-time equivalent undergraduate students, awarding scholarships to 2,957 of them. The average student received $37,555 in financial aid. The College is essentially residential. The balance of the student body is housed in private off campus housing within the City of Oberlin, Ohio
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRESIDENT Director/trustee, officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $592,962 | $0 | $286,819 | $879,781 |
| CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER Key employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $755,043 | $0 | $87,625 | $842,668 |
| Vice President and Dean of Students Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $252,243 | $0 | $125,945 | $378,188 |
| DEAN OF ARTS & SCIENCES Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $262,184 | $0 | $112,697 | $374,881 |
| Vice President for Finance and Administration Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $287,608 | $0 | $75,093 | $362,701 |
| Vice President, Gen Counsel & Secretary Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $281,689 | $0 | $74,037 | $355,726 |
| Vice President, Advancement Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $268,315 | $0 | $64,170 | $332,485 |
| DEAN OF CONSERVATORY Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $257,742 | $0 | $64,737 | $322,479 |
173 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Oberlin College (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $5.8M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b31 · 30 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 52,985
- Volunteers Part I, line 6431
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| M A Mortenson Company Construction services | $43,954,249 |
| GILBANE BUILDING COMPANY Construction services | $34,760,638 |
| AVI Foodsystems Inc Dining services | $14,008,042 |
| Encore One LLC Cleaning services | $4,408,711 |
| EG Services Construction | $2,009,057 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 56 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
62 private foundations reported grants to Oberlin College totaling $1.8M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Oberlin College's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Oberlin College, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Oberlin College spent in FY2025, $93.26 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- The Trustees of Grinnell CollegeGrinnell, IA · revenue $362M · programs 90.2% · FY2025
- Pratt InstituteBrooklyn, NY · revenue $365M · programs 86.3% · FY2025
- Babson CollegeBabson Park, MA · revenue $360M · programs 86.6% · FY2025
- Butler UniversityIndianapolis, IN · revenue $365M · programs 84.7% · FY2025
- Suffolk UniversityBoston, MA · revenue $359M · programs 85.0% · FY2025
Questions people ask
How much of Oberlin College's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Oberlin College reported that 93.3% of its $344.4 million in expenses went to program services, 5.1% to management and general and 1.6% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Oberlin College pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Oberlin College reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $879,781, for the role of PRESIDENT (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Oberlin College get its money?
Of $363.0 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 8.8% came from contributions and grants (including 1.4% from government grants) and 70.6% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Oberlin College a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 34-0714363 as a 501(c)(3) organization (school), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202600799349300015 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202540979349300224 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202441369349312414 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202341339349301804 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202211369349311431 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202141319349303834 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 34-0714363: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.