Randolph College

Student Profile

Fall 2015 Enrollment
665 undergraduate students
99% of undergrad students are full time
34% male — 66% female
30% of students are from out of state

Faculty Profile

2015-2016 Academic Year
68 full-time faculty
4 part-time faculty
10 to 1 student/faculty ratio

Residence Life

Fall 2015
90% of first year students live on campus
84% of all students live on campus

School Location

Randolph College sits on a 100-acre campus at the foot of the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains and comprises 18 buildings, including stately Main Hall, recognized by the National Register of Historic Places. Lynchburg, Virginia is a buzzing college town with small-town charm- a metropolitan area that is home to five colleges and 16,000 students. Minutes away from scenic hiking and biking trails of Blue Ridge Mountains, Lynchburg is a short drive from Washington D.C., Virginia Beach, Raleigh-Durham or Richmond.

Retention Fall 2015

77.5% of students began in Fall 2014 and returned in Fall 2015 (full time, first time freshmen)

6 Year Graduation Rate 2015

69% of students graduated in 6 years

ENROLLMENT BY RACIAL/ETHNIC CATEGORY - FALL 2015

Athletics

Randolph offers 16 NCAA Division III athletic teams and a riding program. Additionally, the College will introduce swimming in the fall of 2017. The College offers excellent athletic facilities, including WildCat Stadium, newly renovated tennis courts, a softball field, and a 100-acre equestrian center. The mascot is the WildCat, and the school colors are black and yellow.

Other Information

Founded in 1891 as Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, Randolph is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, however, people of all faiths are welcome.

Randolph College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award degrees at the baccalaureate and master’s levels. Randolph College’s chemistry curriculum and facilities are fully accredited by the American Chemical Society, and the Randolph College Teacher Education Program holds approval from the Virginia Department of Education. It therefore offers reciprocal licensure opportunities with 50 states, the District of Columbia, British Columbia, and Guam through the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification.

Academic Programs

A Randolph education is global, individualized and career-oriented.
Randolph College offers 50 majors and minors including; Seven pre-professional programs in law , medicine , education , physical education and health , and business. Global, Honors and Experiential Learning environments  bring world focus to every major and requires significant independent research. Cooperative career programs in engineering and. Unique opportunities like the American Culture Program , the Randolph College: World in Britain study abroad program, the Symposium of Artists & Scholars , and the Summer Research Program. Graduate coursework toward a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) or the Master of Education (M.Ed.)

More Distinctions

• Randolph was the first women’s college south of Washington, D.C. to receive a Phi Beta Kappa charter.

• 100% job placement rate for 2015 Master of Arts in Teaching graduates.

• Randolph was recognized as top-value by CollegeFactual.org, which ranked the College #11 in the nation and first in Virginia for “Best Colleges for the Money” in 2015.

• Randolph was named one of the top 50 “Green Colleges” in the nation in 2015

• Ranked #7 on Best College Value’s list of the “Most Amazing Student Centers.”

• #20 in the nation for “Professors get High Marks” and #16 in the nation for “Best College Theater” from The Princeton Review

• #3 on Cappex’s “Best College for Clubs and Activities” list.

SUPER Program

Randolph first-year students are involved in a program that encourages learning communities. One residence hall hosts a dedicated space to house students involved in this program. Another program for first-years is the SUPER program. Created in 2010, SUPER is a four-year program that provides scholarships to a select number of students each year. The program includes academic services, tutoring, special mentoring opportunities, and career guidance support for those interested in the sciences. The program is designed to help the students excel in demanding undergraduate courses while preparing them for graduate studies and their future careers.

The SUPER program includes a two-week college transition program, which is held just before classes start in August. Participants earn three credits for completing the intensive program, all of which give them a head start on their coursework.

Collaborative Assignments and Projects

Randolph students are actively engaged in their education thanks to Randolph’s dynamic classroom discussions and integrative internship programs. In fact, 62 percent of Randolph students complete internships before graduating, an impressive statistic compared to the nationwide average of 40 percent.

The College’s unique advising plan, the Randolph Plan, puts students in control of their education by providing integrative, co-curricular experiences into their academic programs.

Undergraduate Research

One of the hallmarks of a Randolph College education is the ability to participate in real-world research and creative work. Students can conduct their own experiments, pen original novels, curate art exhibitions, and work closely with faculty on research projects of all kinds. These experiences prepare students for the kind of research and problem-solving that takes place in the postgraduate world.

The Center for Student Research administers many research programs that are available at Randolph. The College celebrates student ingenuity and creativity through such innovative initiatives as the intensive, 8-week, paid, Summer Research Program, the Symposium of Artists and Scholars, and the RISE Award, which grants funding to every student for a project of their choice. A new program, Jolley Mini-Grants, provides funding for students for expenses related to internships.

Summer Research

Randolph’s Summer Research Program is an intensive 8-week, paid, program that pairs students with faculty members to conduct research on a variety of topics and disciplines. The program allows students to work side-by-side with faculty, gaining important experience in research, writing, and presentation.

Global Learning

A global perspective permeates the Randolph educational experience. Nearly 45 percent of students participate in one of the College’s many study-abroad programs. Randolph’s flagship study abroad program, Randolph@Reading, allows students to live and study in Reading, England for a year or semester. Students can also choose from six affiliated programs in either Denmark, Mexico, Italy, Spain, France, or Greece. Professors and Randolph even lead the College’s International Study Seminars, which allow students to spend their academic breaks exploring a variety of issues to prepare them for their journeys abroad. Recent seminars have included the Chinese Society in the Global Economy and Art and Drama in Greece.

The College’s American Culture Program recognizes that understanding one’s own culture is fundamental to understanding the cultures of others. The program combines classroom lecture and discussion with a series of guest speakers and trips. It is designed to help students to examine the ways Americans see their values and contributions to the world, and therefore their role in the world today.

Diversity

Randolph’s students come from 35 states and 20 countries. The College’s rich diversity creates experiences that allow students to appreciate others for who they are and, in the process, learn a great deal about themselves.

Randolph has an amazingly diverse student body that represents different races, religions, and nationalities, all of whose perspectives greatly enrich the classroom and student life alike.

Activities Offered

Invested Professors

With a 94 percent faculty makeup of Ph.D.-holding professionals and a 10:1 student/faculty ratio, the College offers its students an individualized educational experience that is enhanced by excellent student-faculty interaction. This close-knit community provides many opportunities for collaborative learning and research. No classes are taught by teaching assistants; Randolph professors are fully invested in their students and work closely with them to help them succeed.

Many professors allow their students to co-publish and work collaboratively on research with them. This interest and support provide tangible dividends for students.

Randolph educates the whole person with the goal of helping students build their own sense of ethics and values. The student-run Honor Code is more than a set of rules at Randolph. It is a way of life. Dating back to the 1890s, Randolph’s Honor Code provides a framework of integrity, honesty, and trust on campus.

Academic Programs

A rich academic program offers students a choice from more than 29 majors and 43 minors. Popular majors include biology, psychology, English, sport and exercise studies, environmental studies, politics/global studies, business, and communication studies.

The College offers many popular pre-professional programs in engineering, nursing, law, medicine, and veterinary studies. The College’s teacher licensure program is enhanced by two graduate degree programs in education.

The College’s world-class art collection offers students a unique opportunity to study works by outstanding American artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. Housed in the Maier Museum of Art on campus, the collection consists of several thousand paintings, prints, drawings, and photographs.

An emphasis is placed on providing students with outlets and venues for their creativity. Randolph’s partnership with the National Gallery, London, is the only one of its kind among educational institutions in the United States, and Randolph students enjoy special internship opportunities at the National Gallery in London. Students also have access to theatre professionals involved with Randolph’s theatre-in-residence, Endstation Theatre Company.

Randolph College is home to 18 academic honor societies, including one of the oldest charters of Phi Beta Kappa in the nation and the fifth chapter granted in the state of Virginia. The College also offers the specialized Davenport Leadership Program and ample opportunities for involvement. In fact, more than 90 percent of students hold leadership positions before they graduate.

First-Year Experiences

Randolph’s Passport Program is designed to introduce first-year students to the Randolph Experience. Students attend twelve Passport Events during their first year as part of their First-Year Experience. More than 35 events are offered in the program, including guest lectures, theatrical performances, cultural exhibits, and sporting events.

Writing-Intensive Courses

The College-wide Writing Program offers four full years of support and resources to students for the development of their writing skills at every ability level. Faculty in all departments formally evaluate student writing skills at the end of every semester and in every course. Each semester, the Writing Board submits to the Dean a list of students judged by two or more faculty members. These students, having proved to demonstrate excellent writing skills, are awarded annual prizes for excellence in writing.

Science and the Liberal Arts

When one hears liberal arts college, one might not think science. But at Randolph College, Science Matters. It matters across disciplines, whether a student is a classics major utilizing Randolph’s 3-D printer to create special masks or an art major taking advantage of biology courses to create a series of pencil drawings. For those planning to enter the sciences, a liberal arts degree from Randolph means that they are prepared for whatever career they choose—from technology to medicine to chemistry. Randolph students are often engaged in real, hands-on research, often co-publishing the results with their professors. In fact, 100 percent of physics and engineering majors complete at least one internship or research experience by the time they graduate. Over the last 10 years, 98 percent of Randolph’s physics and engineering majors had secured employment or graduate school placement by the time they graduated. And Randolph ranks in the top 15 percent nationally in terms of percentage of students who go on to earn a Ph.D.

Whether a student is pursuing pre-medicine, biology, engineering, or any of a number of science-related fields, Randolph’s strong liberal arts curriculum creates the perfect foundation for a career in the sciences. Randolph was recently the recipient of a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation for the Step Up To Physics and Engineering at Randolph (SUPER) Program. The Society of Physics Students has won Outstanding Chapter award from the national Society of Physics Students seven years in a row, and the College hosted 2016 United States Association for Young Physicists’ Tournament (USAYPT).

Randolph offers many programs for those interested in science, including extensive research opportunities. In addition, the Winfree Observatory allows students to study astronomy. Students gain valuable volunteer experience through the annual Science Festival and Science Day events. These science-based programs provide free science-related programing to our local community.

Common Core

Other: gender, diversity, global issues, physical education

Class Size Breakdown

Student Organizations

At the heart of Randolph College’s community is its student-run Honor System, which sets the standard for academic and social life alike. This unique system adds to a sense of family, creating a campus-wide culture of trust and respect.

With more than 50 student clubs and organizations, Randolph College offers ample opportunity for involvement and leadership. Students are encouraged to pursue and develop their passions. They can serve as student-docents at the College’s Maier Museum of Art, perform in the many theatre, dance, or music programs, or even work for Student Government. Other students choose to volunteer in the College’s student-run Organic Garden, serve as deejays for the student-run radio station, or work on the student newspaper.

A Green Campus

At Randolph, caring about the environment had been a priority long before it became the popular thing to do. In the 1990s, the College was one of the first in the United States to sign the Talloires Declaration, the first official statement made by university administrators to declare a commitment to environmental sustainability in higher education.

Sustainability is a way of life at Randolph. Students learn and teach sustainable agricultural practices in the Organic Garden, make their own laundry detergent, and engage in campus-wide recycling efforts. The Sustainability Council leads efforts to encourage the emphasis on sustainability in all aspects of campus, from the dining hall to technology. Renovations and improvements on campus keep energy efficiency at the forefront. Even alumnae and alumni frequently return to campus to share how their educational experiences at Randolph have helped them succeed in the environmental science field.

Campus of Possibility

There’s no shortage of inspiration at Randolph College. One can find joy just by looking around at the rolling green lawns of front campus, the rich, red brick of the historic Main Hall, and the unique, shaded Mabel K. Whiteside Greek Theatre in The Dell. The beauty of campus is not limited to scenery. At Randolph, students are encouraged to develop their original self through their creative passions, whether that be through dance, theatre, musical performance, creative writing, or art.

There is no shortage of ways for students to share their art. Students have many outlets for their creativity, including the long-running Greek Play, the Maier Museum of Art, and the many theatrical and dance performances presented throughout the year.

At Randolph, students, faculty, and staff are able to experience The Creative Campus, an environment that values and encourages the creative talents of the individuals who call it home.   

CAMPUS HOUSING OPTIONS FOR UNDERGRADUATES

Randolph’s individualized educational experience prepares students for success in any field or endeavor. Randolph is a close-knit community in which a classic liberal arts education intersects with practical preparation for a rapidly changing world. A liberal arts education encompasses all that is needed for a student to be an informed and valuable citizen of the world. Liberal arts graduates communicate effectively, think critically, solve problems, and work well with people who are not like them. These are the same characteristics that CEOs are most likely to say employees need to be successful. Randolph excels at providing these characteristics, for according to recent NSSE results, 100 percent of Randolph students reported that the College helped them think critically and analytically. Additionally, 100 percent also said that the College helped them speak and write clearly and effectively. 93 percent said Randolph helped them understand people of different backgrounds.

Community Service

At Randolph, community service means more than spending a day cleaning up a park or working at a food bank. Those are all worthy endeavors, but the College believes true improvement comes from the development of long-term meaningful relationships with local partners who have sustainable effects. And so, rather than spending one day staffing a Girls on the Run race, Randolph students might spend a semester mentoring and forging friendships with students at a local grade school. Randolph offers numerous opportunities for students both to get involved and to make a difference. These experiences help them come to understand the world’s problems by introducing them to those who face them daily. Randolph has established relationships with numerous local organizations, ranging from the Anne Spencer House and Gardens to Amazement Square Children’s Museum to the local food bank. In addition, community service is often an important part of coursework. For example, recent survey data reports that 71 percent of students took courses with a community service component, and 91 percent of students said their Randolph education enabled them to solve real-world problems.

Internships

Internships are an important part of the Randolph College experience. Internships provide real-world experiences that prepare students for life after college. The College offers students numerous opportunities for these experiences through established partnerships with local employers and organizations. The College’s theatre-in-residence, Endstation Theatre Company, offers Randolph students special internship opportunities, and the College’s one-of-a-kind partnership with the National Gallery, London provides Randolph students with an exclusive internship program at the London museum. In addition, a new program helps students pay for expenses related to unpaid internships. Through the Jolley Mini-Grant program, students are eligible to receive up to $4,000 to offset housing and other costs.

Senior Capstone

The senior capstone program is the culmination of a student’s undergraduate studies in his or her major. The well integrated and unified body of intellectual work permits a worthy summarization of a student’s initiative and independence in organizing, relating, and applying significant ideas within a major field.

Career Services

The Academic Services Center (ASC) offers students tools, support, and services designed to ensure their academic success. The ASC provides free tutoring in any subject as well as interactive workshops in note taking, exam prep, and time management to help students polish study skills. Peer Tutors are available to provide tips on classes, goal setting, and study strategies. The Career Development Center provides valuable help with career assessment, job search strategies, and career-related workshops such as résumé and cover letter writing.

Graduates

Randolph’s graduates are prepared to succeed in the both graduate school and the workforce. The employment rate of Randolph’s graduates exceeds the national average, and the College ranks in the top 15 percent of all colleges and universities nationwide whose graduates go on to earn PhDs. Within five years of graduation, 60 percent of graduates (twice the national average) move on to graduate school. Randolph’s graduates are accepted into top graduate and professional programs. Examples from the most recent class include Stanford, Cornell, Yale, Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, Oxford University (UK), Medical University of South Carolina, and the law programs at Boston University and George Washington University.

Notable graduates from the College include Pearl S. Buck ’14 (first American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature), Candy Crowley ’70 (senior political correspondent for CNN), Emily Squires ’61 (award-winning director of Sesame Street), and Blanche Lambert Lincoln ’82 (the youngest woman elected to Congress). More recent graduates have worked for companies such as Google, the Coca-Cola Company, the Environmental Protection Agency, Bloomberg, Pfizer, Inc., and The World Bank.

ADMISSIONS

Admissions Fall 2015

1,207 Total Applicants
972 Total Admissions
184 Total Freshmen Enrollment

Selectivity
80.53% of applicants admitted

Admissions Deadlines for 2016-17 Admission

Rolling Admission? No

Application closing date (fall): Aug. 15
Priority date: Feb. 1

Admissions Factors

Very Important
Academic GPA
Standardized test scores
Recommendation(s)

Important
Rigor of secondary school record
Application Essay
Extracurricular activities
Alumni/ae relation
Level of applicant’s interest

Considered
Class rank
Interview
Talent/ability
Character/personal qualities
First generation
Volunteer work
Work experience

Freshmen Profile Fall 2015

TUITION AND COSTS

Net Price Calculator

http://www.collegecostcalculator.org/randolph 

TUITION AND COSTS BEFORE FINANCIAL AID April 2016

FINANCIAL AID

Average Financial Aid Packages 2015-2016 estimated

$28,967 First year students
$24,925 All undergrads

Financial Aid Breakdown 2015-2016 estimated

76.9% on average, the percentage of need that was met
24% of financial need students that had need fully met

$24,925 Average need-based scholarship or grant award
$4,595 Average need-based loan