Roanoke College is dedicated to educating men and women in high standards of scholarship and in creativity in the arts and sciences.  It seeks to give students a broad understanding of their own and other cultures and competency in a field of specialization. It also recognizes a responsibility to serve its community.

The college believes that it can serve a free society by developing in students a capacity for responsible leadership.  It seeks to achieve this purpose through the intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and practical aspects of a liberal arts education.  It strives to provide its students with the knowledge, skills, and adaptability needed for the successful pursuit of their careers.