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Salem, VA
Roanoke College is a private liberal arts college located in Salem, Virginia. Founded in 1842, it is one of the oldest colleges in Virginia. With a strong emphasis on the liberal arts, Roanoke College offers a wide range of academic programs and majors in fields such as arts, sciences, business, and education. The college is known for its small class sizes, allowing for more personalized attention from professors, and its commitment to providing a well-rounded education that prepares students for success in various careers and graduate schools.
One of the defining features of Roanoke College is its picturesque campus situated in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The college's stunning location not only provides a tranquil environment conducive to learning, but it also offers ample opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, and exploring natural landscapes. The campus itself features a mix of historic and modern buildings, state-of-the-art facilities, and numerous recreational amenities including athletic fields, fitness centers, and a performing arts center.
Roanoke College also provides a vibrant and inclusive community for its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 13:1, students at Roanoke College benefit from close relationships with faculty members who are not only dedicated to their academic success but also offer mentorship and guidance in their personal development. The college is also home to various student organizations, clubs, and athletic teams, fostering a sense of community and offering opportunities for students to engage in extracurricular activities and leadership roles. Overall, Roanoke College provides an education that combines intellectual growth, personal development, and a strong sense of community, preparing students to become well-rounded individuals ready to make a positive impact in the world.
Roanoke College is a private four-year college located in Salem, VA and set in a suburban environment. This academic institution uses a semester-based calendar. It has an acceptance rate of 80%. The freshman retention rate at Roanoke College is 73.5% and the six-year graduation rate is 71%.
Learn more about what Roanoke College has to offer based on the most recent data this institution has reported.
Quick Facts
1,826
Total Number of Undergraduate Students
$34,820
Tuition
11:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
71%
Graduation Rate
Admissions
You need to find out as much as you can about the entrance requirements of the university in order to improve your chances of being accepted. Learn some vital facts about admission at Roanoke College.
According to the most recent information reported, this school uses standardized test scores for admission and it admitted 4,103 in 2023. Roanoke College has an official test-optional admission policy but considers standardized test scores if the applicant decides to submit them. Looking at entrance difficulty level for all or most incoming freshmen, based on data self-reported by the institution this school is moderately difficult to get into.
Test Scores
Out of the number of students who submitted test scores, the percentage of first-time, first-year degree-seeking students who submitted SAT scores was 38% and ACT scores 10%. 0.52% of the enrolled students submitted SAT composite scores between 1,400 and 1,600, 39.58% between 1,200 and 1,399, 51.04% between 1,000 and 1,199, and 8.85% of the students between 800 and 999. The percent of incoming freshmen who submitted ACT Composite scores in the range between 30-36 was 16.33, 46.94 between 24-29, 34.69 in the range between 18-23, and 2.04 between 12-17.
The ACT composite average score for all the admitted students in 2023 was 25 and the average GPA was 3.41. That means that you need a GPA that's above average in order to get into Roanoke College; the same goes for your ACT score.
The new students had an average SAT Critical Reading score of 600 and an average SAT Math score of 560.
Retention Rate
The freshman retention rate is the percentage of college or university freshmen who return for their sophomore year. This piece of data is important as it can reveal to the prospective students how many freshmen liked the school enough to return to it as sophomores.
The freshman retention rate for Roanoke College was 73.5% in 2023, demonstrating the exceptional quality of the educational experience at this institution.
The graduation rate is another indicator to take into account. It reflects the proportion of students who obtain their degrees within the expected timeframe. At this academic institution, the proportion of students graduating in six years is 71%, which is considered an above-average graduation rate.
Student Body
Figuring out which school is the right fit for you is not a task you should take lightly. Gaining a better insight into a school's student body helps you learn more about its culture and life.
Main Student Body
The total number of students enrolled at Roanoke College in 2023 was 1,826.
That year, the school had 44% of students coming from another state. The total number of undergraduate students enrolled at the school was 1,826, 49 of which were foreign students. 56 students were accepted as transfer students.
Student Population Gender Ratio
With a coeducational student body, the school had 802 male and 957 female full-time students in 2023.
Student Population Diversity
When it comes to improving a sense of inclusion and belonging among students, there is no denying the importance of student diversity. Diversity promotes critical thinking, challenges preconceived notions, and encourages intellectual growth, so it helps students develop empathy and a broader understanding of the world. Discover more about the many ethnic communities that go to this school.
This school had 34 Asian students and 94 Afro-American students in 2023. 117 students at this school declared as Hispanic/Latino and 61 identified with more than one race. The school also had 3 students who declared as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, as well as 8 American Indian or Alaska Native students. There were also 4 students whose ethnicity is unknown.
Cost
Financial planning for school is one of the most important things to think about before you apply. Here are some details you should know about the cost of attendance for Roanoke College.
Tuition and Fees
Wondering about tuition at Roanoke College? Here is what you need to know.
As a full-time domestic student, you were required to pay tuition of $34,820 in 2023. Roanoke College is a private institution, so tuition is the same for all the accepted students. Fees per academic year required of full-time students totaled $1,690 in 2023.
Books and Supplies
When you try to estimate the cost of attendance for a college or university, you need to take into account the cost of books and supplies you're going to need. The cost of books and supplies for full-time students of this school is estimated at about $1,000.
Boarding
When choosing a college, you should factor in the price of a dorm room and meals at the school cafeteria. How much do room and board fees average around at schools?
In 2023, room and board cost at Roanoke College amounted to $15,366 a year. If you only needed a dormitory room, you had to pay $7,176 for the 2023 academic year.
Tuition | $ 34,820 |
Room and Board | $ 15,366 |
Book and Supplies | $ 1,000 |
Total Expense | $ 51,186 |
Financial Aid
There are different types of financial aid: grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study programs. Check out some recent data to get the info about need-based and non-need-based monetary aid students could get at Roanoke College.
According to the most recent data, 377 freshmen were awarded financial aid. The average financial aid package awarded to students reached $29,692.
Need-based
If you need help with paying for your studies and you meet some eligibility requirements, you may be eligible for need-based aid.
1,183 students gained some form of need-based financial aid. The total number of students (including freshmen) who were determined to have financial need came to be 1,198. The amount of federal need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the students at this institution reached $2,396,172, and state $2,954,150. The students of Roanoke College received the -institutional need-based aid in the amount of $22,022,490, and external in the amount of $1,432,835.
$13,787
Average Amount of Aid Received
Non-Need Based
Non-need-based financial aid is any type of financial aid provided to a student who does not meet the criteria for need-based aid. The most popular forms of non-need-based financial aid for students are loans and grants, like Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and the Teacher Education Access for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant.
1,170 students, including freshmen, obtained institutional non-need-based scholarship or grant aid at this school in 2023. Institutional help in the form of non-need-based scholarships or grants was given to 369 full-time freshmen. The total amount of institutional scholarships and awards that were not based on financial need was $7,209,517. This includes endowment, alumni, other institutional awards, and also external funds awarded by the institution, but doesn't include athletic aid and tuition waivers. $665,053 was the amount that the students at this institution got from external sources (like Kiwanis and National Merit).
Open Applications
Find open programs by choosing your preferred academic interest from the list below, and select your desired term start. Get started with your application process and find more information using the Apply button.
The Common Application for Transfer (Common App for transfer)
-
Undergraduate Program Application for Fall 2025
Undergraduate Program Application for Fall 2025
ApplyStart Year: 2025
Start Term: Rolling
Application Deadline: 2025-07-29
Majors
Faculty
11:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
The student-to-faculty ratio can tell you a lot about the teaching resources a school provides for its students.
In 2023, this ratio at Roanoke College was 11:1. That means that there were 11 times more students than teachers at this school. This school has recently reported to have 143 faculty members. This number included 90 male and 98 female faculty members. The fact that female faculty members outnumber the male ones at this school speaks volumes for gender equality at Roanoke College.
Student Population Diversity Graph
Campus Life
Not everything at Roanoke College is about learning and grades: campus life is an essential part of your educational experience. Find out some information about students' life at Roanoke College.
Its campus spans 80 acres.
Student Organizations
A student organization is run by students at a university or a college institution, whose membership typically consists only of current students and/or alumni.
There are 140 student organizations and groups with open membership at this school. This number includes sororities and fraternities. At this school, 19% of male students are members of social organizations, while that percentage is 17 for female students. The student organization that is most favored by students is Board Game Club, followed by International Club and RC Pride. Other popular organizations at Roanoke College are Catholic Campus Ministry and Habitat for Humanity.
For students with a talent for acting, there is a drama club. Interested in media and communication? Roanoke College publishes its own newspaper and has its own radio station.
Student Services
At Roanoke College, there are many amenities that make life on campus comfortable and safe.
There are emergency phone and alarm devices available around the clock. The school's dormitory entrances are operated electronically. There is a 24-hour security patrol. The after-hours transportation/escort service is available.
This school has a health clinic with personal/psychological counseling. All in all, campus life at Roanoke College is rich and vibrant and provides all you need for a comfortable stay.
Career Services
Having career services at a college or university can mean a great deal for your career planning, so find out what you can expect at Roanoke College.
Career Counselling
At Roanoke College, there is both group career counseling for all students and individual career counseling for all students. There are a library, a job bank, and job fairs. Job interviews are also available to students through the career center. There is campus employer recruitment for all the students. This school offers alumni networking opportunities, which could be a great asset for your future career. Individual job placement is available to all students at this school.
Job Placement
Being aware of the projected salary upon finishing your studies can be important in determining if a specific school is in line with your career ambitions.
The average annual salary for graduates employed six months after graduation from this institution is 45,000 USD.
$45,000
Average Starting Salary After 6 Months of Graduation
FAQ
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Roanoke College is located in Salem, VA.
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The overall full-time tuition per academic year for Roanoke College is 34,820 USD, based on the most recent data.
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This school uses standardized test scores for admission.
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The most recent reported acceptance rate for Roanoke College is 80%.
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The most recent data indicate that the freshman retention rate for Roanoke College is 73.5%.
Contact Information
Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved. Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
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Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved.
Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.