JBHE: Latest News for 10/14/10

Oberlin College Has a Banner Year in Attracting Black Students

Oberlin College, the selective liberal arts college in Ohio with a long history of educating African Americans, reports a major increase in incoming black students this fall. There are 67 black freshman students on the Oberlin campus this semester. This is a 71.8 percent increase from a year ago. Blacks are 9.5 percent of this year’s freshman class, up from 5.6 percent a year ago. Black student yield (the percentage of students who accept a college’s offer of admission) increased from 21.9 percent in 2009 to 36.4 percent this year.

Debra Chermonte, dean of admissions and financial aid at Oberlin College, offered the following reasons for the college’s success this year: “A variety of initiatives have been under way in recent years including the advancement of agency partnerships, increased opportunities for black students to visit campus, and a strong financial commitment to access.”