Private nonprofit · College

Roanoke College

Salem, Virginia · Midsize suburb

83.1%
Admit rate
$24,503
Avg net price
67%
Graduation rate
$58,047
Median earnings

Roanoke College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Salem, Virginia (midsize suburb setting), enrolling 1,767 undergraduates. It has a Evangelical Lutheran Church religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,767 undergradsMidsize suburbAccessible · 83% admitNCAA Division III without footballCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Roanoke College's admitted students.

Admit rate
83.1%
SAT (mid 50%)
1090–1300
Avg GPA (est.)
3.45

Enter a test score to see where you land against Roanoke College's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Roanoke College's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Salem, Virginia

Salem is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Europeans first explored the area of Salem in 1671, when the Siouan-speaking Totero people had a village nearby. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
6 miles to Roanoke, VA
To the ocean
153 miles
Nearest airport
5 miles to Roanoke–Blacksburg (ROA)

How Roanoke College compares

Selectivity83.1%

More selective than 39% · #22 most selective of 43 in Virginia

SAT average1211

Higher than 61%

Graduation rate67%

Higher than 73% · #13 of 49 in Virginia

First-year retention76%

Higher than 48%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$58,047

Higher than 62% · #21 of 51 in Virginia

Average net price$24,503

Cheaper than 30% · #32 cheapest of 47 in Virginia

Median debt at graduation$27,000

Lower than 11%

Student–faculty ratio11 : 1

Lower than 68%

Undergraduate enrollment1,767

Larger than 54%

Percentiles compare Roanoke College with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Virginia.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

1,778students
  • Undergraduate1,76799%
  • Graduate111%

Undergraduates by gender

1,767undergrads
  • Women1,05560%
  • Men71240%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White76%
  • Black7.1%
  • Hispanic7.0%
  • Asian1.6%
  • Other or multiracial8.2%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,767
Graduate enrollment
11
Student–faculty ratio
11 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
24%
First-generation students
21%
Students over 25
3%
Median family income
$82,238
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$67,977
Endowment
$185,244,775

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
83.1%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1090–1300
SAT average
1211
SAT reading
560–660
SAT math
530–640
ACT composite
24–31
Average GPA (estimated)
3.45

Cost

In-state tuition
$38,068
Room & board
$15,366
Books & supplies
$1,000
Total cost of attendance
$54,283
Average net price
$24,503

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
67%
Graduated on time (4 years)
60%
First-year retention
76%
Transferred to another college
9%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$45,330
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$58,047
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Students with federal loans
80%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
71%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
60%
Low-income (Pell)
53%
First-generation
56%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
1,540
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
87%
Housing charge (year)
$7,176
Meal plan (year)
$8,190
Application fee
$30
Athletics
NCAA Division III without football
Varsity athletes
646 (377 men · 269 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (14)

Lacrosse88
Track and Field (Indoor)77
Track and Field (Outdoor)77
Soccer59
Wrestling55
Swimming43
Volleyball42
Baseball39
Basketball36
Cross Country33
Softball28
Field Hockey26
Tennis25
Golf18

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
3.7 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
19
Property offenses (2022–2024)
1

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,804 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

6.7reported offenses a year
6.3 violent a year0.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
3.3
Fondling
3.0
Burglary
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$15,204
$30–48k
$17,410
$48–75k
$18,638
$75–110k
$15,902
$110k+
$30,087

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$77,648

$18,638/year × about 4.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$21,601
average award, among those who get one

Roanoke College discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $21,601. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 502 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$58,047
Typical debt at graduation
$27,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
47%
Out-earn a HS grad
69%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.7 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$55,497
Men
$60,665

Men out-earn women by $5,168 (9%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
88°F
Winter low
29°F
Annual rain
42.8″
Annual snow
14.8″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.44.7JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Roanoke Rgnl AP, VA US station (4.7 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Roanoke College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Roanoke College side by side →

Colleges near Roanoke College

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.