Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Hillsdale College, William Jewell College, Oberlin College. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | HillsdaleHillsdale, MI | William JewellLiberty, MO | OberlinOberlin, OH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 20.7% | 38.4% | 34.2% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1320–1490 | 1080–1270 | 1360–1520 |
| Average net price | Not reportedHillsdale College does not participate in federal student aid programs, so the Department of Education does not calculate an average net price for it. Compare its published cost of attendance against other schools' net prices with care: they are not the same measure. | $17,56231.6% on Pell grants | $38,6459.6% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $33,189Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $20,610Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $67,366Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 89.7% | 67.7% | 80.9% |
| First-year retention | 96.6% | 73.8% | 91.0% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | Not reportedThis share is calculated from federal student aid applications, which Hillsdale College does not participate in. | 31.6% | 9.6% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | Not reportedScorecard earnings are derived from federal student aid records, which Hillsdale College students do not appear in. No federal earnings figure exists for this college. | $59,268 | $58,343 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | Not reportedHillsdale College students cannot borrow federal student loans, because the college does not participate in federal student aid programs. Its reported federal loan debt is therefore zero by construction rather than by outcome. | $24,498 | $26,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 8:1 | 10:1 | 9:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,573 | 924 | 2,887 |
| Consensus percentile | 41Lower is better | 41Lower is better | 44Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 34 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 72 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 81 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Hillsdale | William Jewell | Oberlin |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #50 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 | #9 of 94Regional colleges (Midwest)Regional Colleges (Midwest) · 2026 | #55 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | #409 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #199 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | Not ranked by this source | #647 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #691 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #477 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #1501 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #737 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #383 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Hillsdale College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing William Jewell College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Oberlin College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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