Fitz - I would not attend Oberlin and think it’s administrators are misguided as reflected in the recent defamation case. And there is a degree of indoctrination in their instruction, no doubt. But they do have some excellent instructors and many graduates finish with solid computational and communication skills. Again, not my cup of tea, although a bit of a soft spot for hiring Tommie Smith and Mike Muska as AD’s years ago.
What Oberlin is today for most is an extremely poor value. It is very expensive, and accordingly is being pushed into the discounting game, with its essential economic engine being a cadre of full pay Northeastern progressive families. While rankings are often not that relevant, this is a school considered in the top 5 of liberal arts colleges in the 70’s now perched at 50 or so. It was unthinkable that Ohio State in the 70’s and 80’s would preferred to Oberlin, but that is often the case today. The worst statistic is that of social mobility, where Oberlin ranks at the very bottom in the nation. Hardly a good look for a school with a stated mission of diversity. The conservatory which is indeed excellent likely doesn’t help in terms of social mobility. They are shrinking the conservatory. While not a positive event, it makes sense.
I understand discussions of value are boring when compared to discussions over the social issues of the day. But value is essential to today’s higher education environment. They are in an odd place- that billion dollar endowment gives them a cushion for a small school but not enough to abandon reliance on hefty tuition. A focus on improving value is not easy for the school because they fear - I think wrongly so - those efforts could compromise their social justice mission. Good luck to them.