Olin College Applicant Pool Continues Upward Trend for Class of 2030
Olin’s Office of Admission and Financial Aid (OAFA) has reported a significant increase in domestic applications for admittance to the Class of 2030. Applications for admission to Olin have grown by 33% over the last four years.
The College received 1,133 applications for fall 2026 enrollment. This figure includes the second highest number of domestic applications in Olin’s history, which comprises a 5% increase over last year’s admission cycle.
This applicant pool contains the second-most female applications ever. Other areas of growth are domestic underrepresented students of color and first-generation college students.
“Demand for an Olin education remains at historically high levels” says Salvadore Liberto, dean of admission and financial aid.
“This is because of the brilliant and caring people who have built Olin into the global leader it is today. Our faculty, staff, current students and alumni have made our application and enrollment growth possible and the Admission and Financial Aid team is fortunate to have this community support.”
A student sits at a table during a recent Quantitative Engineering Analysis (QEA) class. Photo by Leise Jones (April 2025).
About 310 candidates will attend one of three in-person Candidates’ Weekends in February and March as part of Olin’s unique 2-step admission process. 35 students living outside the continental U.S. will also participate virtually. Candidates’ Weekends are designed to be fun, informal and informational opportunities for candidates to get to know Olin, and for Olin to get to know the candidates.
Final decisions for the Class of 2030 will be made in March. The OAFA team is looking to fill 85-90 spots in Olin’s next class of first years.
“Olin consistently attracts a strong and diverse applicant pool and this year is no exception,” says Susan Hartley Brisson, director of admission. “Applicants to Olin are artists, climate activists, entrepreneurs, community builders and so much more, plus they boast strong academic records by many measures. It is thrilling and humbling to witness the stories that applicants share with us, and I am so eager to meet them at Candidates' Weekends.”
OAFA has continued to enhance the fall open house in recent years (the event boasts a 130% increase in attendance since 2022), has increased domestic travel, and continues to run Olin’s fly-in program to broaden the applicant pool.
"Applicants to Olin are artists, climate activists, entrepreneurs, community builders and so much more, plus they boast strong academic records by many measures. It is thrilling and humbling to witness the stories that applicants share with us..." - Susan Hartley Brisson, director of admission.
The fall of 2025 marked Olin’s ninth Mix & Mingle Fly-in event, which brings first-generation and low-income students to campus. In the fall, 30 students visited Olin to attend Olin classes, learn about campus life and meet students, faculty and staff.
OAFA staff traveled to New York, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, New Hampshire, California, Illinois, Texas, Washington, Oregon, Massachusetts and New Jersey to carry out a variety of recruitment events, including panels, college fairs, regional information sessions, high school visits and meetings with Community Based Organizations.
Olin graduates again contributed to the College’s virtual interviewing program, helping to expand Olin’s reach internationally and throughout the U.S.; 32 alumni conducted over 154 virtual interviews.