Roanoke College has earned its highest ranking ever among the nation’s liberal arts colleges, reaching No. 116 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 Best Colleges rankings.
The new mark is more than a number. It offers national recognition of a college moving forward with purpose — investing in the student experience, expanding access to a Roanoke education and creating new academic pathways that respond to the needs of students, employers and the region.
Roanoke also was recognized by U.S. News as a Top Private School at No. 110 and a Top Performer in Social Mobility at No. 155. Additionally, its psychology program joined the publication’s new list of Best Undergraduate Psychology Programs, earning a place alongside programs at leading research universities and Ivy League institutions.
“This historic result is an encouraging sign that others are seeing the momentum our community is creating,” said Roanoke College President Frank Shushok Jr. “We are building on the strengths that have always defined Roanoke — close relationships, rigorous learning and a deep commitment to helping students discover their purpose — while moving boldly to meet the needs of a changing world.”
Investing in how students learn
That momentum is visible across campus. This fall, students became the first to learn in the new McConnon Discovery Center, a $60 million investment in science education, research and collaboration. The 32,000-square-foot facility includes cutting-edge classrooms and laboratories, houses several of Roanoke’s most popular majors and supports more than half of all student research projects. Because every Roanoke student takes science courses as part of the college’s liberal arts curriculum, the center will touch the experience of every Maroon.
The college also reopened Crawford Hall following an extensive renovation that brought new interiors, expanded community space and state-of-the-art HVAC to one of its largest residence halls. In athletics, The Princeton Review ranked Roanoke No. 10 in the nation for Best Athletic Facilities, recognizing a campus experience that includes the Cregger Center, Kerr Stadium and the new 8,500-square-foot Athletic Performance Center.
Roanoke remains one of The Princeton Review’s Best 391 Colleges — a group representing only about 15% of four-year colleges and universities nationwide — and continues to be recognized as a Great School for Business and Finance Majors and a Great School for Psychology Majors. The psychology distinction has now been earned for 12 consecutive years.
"This historic result is an encouraging sign that others are seeing the momentum our community is creating."
President Frank Shushok Jr.
Opening new pathways
Roanoke is pairing its investments with new ways for students to access education and prepare for successful careers. The college has announced plans to establish a School of Health Sciences and Health Innovation, an initiative designed to add clinical and allied health offerings while helping strengthen the region’s health care workforce pipeline.
New graduate and flexible-learning options have also come online. Roanoke welcomed the first cohort in its two-year master’s degree in psychology this fall, launched its first fully online MBA and introduced accelerated three-year online bachelor’s degrees in public administration and cannabis studies for working professionals. Roanoke is also offering free training in AI fundamentals, data analytics, project management and other career-ready skills through a partnership with Google.
Preparing students for lives of purpose
The work is guided by "Imagine Roanoke," the college’s strategic plan, which calls on Roanoke to serve learners of all kinds, create an inspiring and innovative campus experience, and distinguish itself as a national leader in character education.
A new, grant-supported character education initiative is bringing that vision to life through resources for students, faculty, staff and alumni mentors. Its aim is practical as well as aspirational: to prepare graduates who can navigate rapid change, make sound decisions, work across differences and lead with integrity and compassion throughout their careers.
That blend of enduring strengths and forward-looking action is what the new U.S. News ranking captures. Roanoke’s rise reflects work happening across the institution — in classrooms and labs, on athletic fields, through community partnerships and in new programs designed for the students and workforce of tomorrow.
The ranking may be Roanoke’s highest ever, but the larger story is where the college is headed next.