Reed vs. Olin College

Should I go to Reed College or Olin College of Engineering? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Reed or Olin College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Reed College vs. Olin College of Engineering comparison
Reed College Olin College of Engineering College 3 College 4
Reed College Olin College of Engineering
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Overview

Reed Olin College
Location Portland, OR Needham, MA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,458 402
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #80
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website reed.edu olin.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Reed Olin College
Tuition (In State) $66,710 $59,972
Tuition (Out of State) $66,710 $59,972
Room & Board $16,820 $19,820
Avg Net Price $36,993 $40,370
Avg Grant Aid $46,317 $41,116
% Receiving Grant Aid 55% 100%

Admission

Reed Olin College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,045 928
Admitted 2,728 201
Acceptance Rate 27.2% 21.7%
Enrolled % 12.9% 48.8%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 3.9
Typical High School Grades A/A+ A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition High Very High
ACT Range 29/34 34/35
SAT Range 1300/1510 1480/1560
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 1, 2026

Academics

Reed Olin College
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Foreign Languages (15%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Engineering (100%)

Outcomes

Reed Olin College
Graduation Rate 80% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,200 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 84% -
Median Student Loan Debt $16,000 $14,710
Median Loan Payment $165 $152

Diversity

Reed Olin College
% Men 1% 4%
% Women 1% 3%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 60% 53%
% Black 2% 0%
% Hispanic 11% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 7%
% International 7% 8%
% Unknown Race 5% 11%

Students

Reed Olin College
% In-State 10% 12%
% Out-of-State 83% 79%

Campus

Reed Olin College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Reed College is larger than than Olin College based on total student enrollment (1,458 students vs. 402 students)

Reed vs. Olin College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Reed or Olin College?

  • Reed College is 11.2% more expensive to attend than Olin College for in-state tuition ($66,710.00 vs. $59,972.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 11.2% higher at Reed than Olin College of Engineering ($66,710.00 vs. $59,972.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Reed College than Olin College ($36,993 vs. $40,370)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Reed College are 17.8% lower than costs at Olin College of Engineering ($16,820 vs. $19,820)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Olin College of Engineering than Reed College (100% vs. 55%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Reed College students is 12.6% larger than aid received Olin College of Engineering ($46,317 vs. $41,116)

Reed vs. Olin College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Reed or Olin College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Olin College or Reed .

  • The average SAT score at Olin College of Engineering (1506) is 123 points higher than at Reed (1383)
  • Incoming Olin College students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Reed (31)
  • Accepted freshman Reed students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Olin College (3.9)
  • Reed has a higher acceptance rate (27.2%) than Olin College (21.7%)

Reed vs. Olin College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Reed or Olin College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Olin College and Reed.

  • The graduation rate at Olin College is higher than Reed College (96% vs. 80%)
  • Olin College of Engineering students graduate with a $1,290 lower median federal student loan debt than Reed graduates. ($14,710 vs. $16,000)
  • Olin College graduates are paying $13 less per month on federal student loans than Reed graduates. ($152 vs. $165)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/