Mission
Olin College prepares students to become exemplary engineering innovators who recognize needs, design solutions, and engage in creative enterprises for the good of the world.
Aspiration
Olin College seeks to redefine engineering as a profession of innovation encompassing
1) the consideration of human and societal needs; 2) the creative design of engineering systems; and
3) the creation of value through entrepreneurial effort and philanthropy.
The College is dedicated to the discovery and development of the most effective educational approaches and aspires to serve as a model for others.
The History of Olin
Olin has a short history, but the vision of the school has been evolving for years.
To learn more about Olin's evolution, please check out some of our key speeches and documents.
Olin at a Glance
- Official opening:
- Fall 2002
- Current Enrollment:
- 304 Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors
- Location:
- Needham, Massachusetts (14 miles west of Boston)
- Programs:
- Undergraduate Engineering - Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Engineering.
- Curriculum:
- Interdisciplinary, project-based approach emphasizing entrepreneurship, liberal arts, and rigorous science and engineering fundamentals
- Facilities:
- Five buildings comprising 377,000 sq. ft. of academic, residential and administrative space on a 70-acre site adjacent to Babson College
- Accreditation:
- Accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. through its Commission on Institutions of Higher Education; the college’s three degree programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
- Student-to-Faculty Ratio:
- 9 to 1
- Faculty:
- Acclaimed scholars and researchers with a commitment to teaching excellence
- Admission:
- Highly selective; Outstanding achievement in coursework and testing; Special attention given to creativity, passion and enterprise
- Rankings:
- US News: #6 (Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs); Princeton Review: among the top 20 institutions in the nation in eleven categories, including # 2 for "students never stop studying" and # 2 for "professors get high marks."
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- Scholarship Policy:
- Every admitted student receives a four-year, full tuition scholarship valued at approximately $130,000
- Funding:
- The F. W. Olin Foundation has made a commitment to the college in excess of $400 million, one of the largest grants in the history of American higher education
- Affiliation:
- Independent nonprofit
- Chartered:
- 1997, Commonwealth of Massachusetts