Give Today! Support Randolph College
AboutAdmissionUndergraduateGraduateAcademicsUndergraduateGraduateStudent LifeAthleticsOutcomesAlumnae & AlumniParents & FamiliesInside RandolphAPPLYREQUESTVISITNEWSEVENTSSupport RandolphSearch

About Randolph

Randolph College prepares students to engage the world critically and creatively, live and work honorably, and experience life abundantly.

Randolph College is a nationally recognized, private, coeducational, liberal arts and sciences institution with a career focus located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Founded in 1891 as Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, Randolph is known for its excellent academic program, diverse close-knit community, exceptional faculty, rich traditions, and growing NCAA Division III athletics program.

Rankings

Randolph is consistently recognized by the leading national guidebooks as a quality liberal arts institution. The Princeton Review listed Randolph in The Best 388 Colleges 2023 Edition, ranking our faculty #12 on its Top 20 list of “Most Accessible Professors” and including the College as one of 31 on their “Green Honor Roll .”

Randolph was named one the nation’s “Best and Most Interesting” institutions in the prestigious Fiske Guide to Colleges 2022 and appeared on several other lists as well: “Top Performers in Social Mobility” (U.S. News & World Report), “Cool Schools” (Sierra Club), the “Top 100 Colleges with the Happiest, Most Successful Alumni” (Forbes), and Money magazine’s list of best colleges. Learn more about how Randolph ranks here.

Academics

The College’s rich academic program offers students a choice from 32 majors and 46 minors. The College also offers popular pre-professional programs in engineering, nursing, law, medicine, and veterinary studies. The teacher licensure program is enhanced by two graduate degree programs in education. An Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, the only low-residency program of its kind in Virginia, welcomed its first class in  summer 2018.  The College introduced a Master of Arts in Coaching and Sport Leadership in 2020 and a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre in 2023.

Randolph’s innovative TAKE2 curricular model is specifically designed for the way today’s students learn and live. By allowing students to focus on fewer classes at a time, TAKE2 improves learning and offers greater opportunities inside and outside the classroom.

Randolph’s Center for Student Research facilitates opportunities for students to participate in original and innovative research and scholarship. The Center for Ancient Drama provides a unique student experience associated with the production of the Greek Play.

In addition, Randolph’s competitive and funded Summer Research Program allows students to spend eight intensive weeks collaborating with faculty members. The program includes all disciplines across campus and offers students opportunities to present findings at professional conferences and/or to publish results in professional journals.

In addition to an established and well-respected student-run Honor System that permeates all aspects of campus life, Randolph College is home to 18 academic honor societies, including one of the oldest chapters of Phi Beta Kappa in the nation and only the fifth charter granted in the state of Virginia.

Student Organizations

With more than 40 student clubs and organizations, Randolph College offers ample opportunity for involvement and leadership. Student leadership is in integral part of campus life, and students are offered opportunities for leadership positions as early as their first year.

The competitive Davenport Leadership Program provides students with an opportunity to learn and build attributes that have long been associated with leaders: self-awareness, communication, critical thinking, self-confidence, initiative, motivation, conflict management, goal setting, teamwork, and problem solving.

The program helps students to understand the connections between their academic work, social and co-curricular choices, and their participation in community service.

Gamers can compete against college players from around the country with our esports team.

Whether it is serving as a student-docent at the Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College, performing in the many theatre, dance or music programs, serving in Student Government, working in the College’s student-run Organic Garden, or taking part in one of the many other clubs on campus, students are able to pursue their passions outside of the classroom.

Athletics

The College also offers 18 NCAA Division III athletic teams. Two new sports, women’s STUNT and men’s volleyball, will join the WildCats for the 2024-25 academic year. The College’s athletic facilities include the recently renovated Michels Athletic Center, home to the basketball court, a six-lane swimming indoor swimming pool, and athletics training facilities; the WildCat Stadium field and track facility; tennis courts; and a softball complex.

Outcomes

Randolph’s graduates enter the workforce or graduate school prepared to succeed. Alumnae and alumni have forged successful careers in a variety of fields including law, medicine, journalism, education, engineering, and science, and the College ranks in the top 15 percent of all colleges and universities nationwide for the percentage of graduates who go on to earn PhDs.

Randolph’s graduates are accepted into top graduate and professional programs. Examples include Stanford, Cornell, Yale, Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, Oxford University (UK), Medical University of South Carolina, and law programs at Boston University and George Washington University.

Campus

Located in the heart of Virginia, Randolph’s picturesque 100-acre campus in an historic, residential area of Lynchburg features the best of traditional brick buildings and pathways and exciting facilities such as WildCat Stadium and the newly renovated Student Center. One of the more unique aspects of campus is the Mabel K. Whiteside Greek Theatre. Situated in “The Dell,” the Greek theatre was built to offer classics students the opportunity to produce ancient drama in a realistic setting modeled after the theatres of ancient Greece. In addition to these productions, The Dell is the setting for numerous events throughout the year including Commencement.

Take a virtual tour of Randolph here.

Randolph’s location in the growing city of Lynchburg provides close access to shopping, entertainment, and recreational and cultural opportunities. The College is within easy driving distance of major cities including Washington, D.C., Richmond, and Virginia Beach and easy access is available to public transportation, including an Amtrak station and a regional airport.

  • Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn YouTube RSS Feeds Snapchat