Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Salem

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
University or college · Private nonprofit

Roanoke College

Salem, VA

Roanoke College is a private nonprofit college in Salem, VA, with about 1,835 students on campus.

Visit www.roanoke.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
1,835
1,824 undergrad · 11 grad
Admission rate
83%
higher than at 61% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$24,503
higher than at 70% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
67%
higher than at 73% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$58,047
higher than at 82% of U.S. colleges
In brief

Roanoke College, in brief

Easy to get into, and most students finish

Roanoke College admits 83% of applicants, yet 67% of students graduate, more than at 73% of 4-year colleges. Outcomes ↓

What you study here makes a big difference to pay

Among Roanoke College’s biggest bachelor’s programs, communication and media studies graduates earn a median $76,198 four years out. History graduates earn $41,210. Majors ↓

Rent in Salem is below the state median

Median rent in Salem is $1,133 a month, 28% below the state median. Living in Salem ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

★ What stands out · Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
67%
within 6 years · Pell students 58%
Come back for year two
76%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$58,047
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$27,000
about $286 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

7.6%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$286 a month against about $3,778 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

74%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 90% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$51k
Middle income$30–75k
$53k
Higher incomeover $75k
$62k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Roanoke College?

83%

of applicants admitted

About 17 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

SAT reading
560–660
SAT math
530–640
ACT
24–31

The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1211.

What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $54,283 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees $38,068Room & board $15,366Books & supplies $1,000

After grants, the average family on aid pays $24,503.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$18,638

About $74,552 over 4 years · 66% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Business 20%Parks, recreation & fitness 14%Psychology 11%Education 8%Social sciences 7%Public safety 6%Everything else 33%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Business Administration, Management and Operations72 graduates a year · typical debt $26,000
$69k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness49 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$65k4 yrs out
Biology, General39 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$55k4 yrs out
Psychology, General39 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$49k4 yrs out
Public Health22 graduates a year
—not reported
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods20 graduates a year
—not reported
Physics20 graduates a year
—not reported
Criminal Justice and Corrections17 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$58k4 yrs out
Who goes there

The students

1,767 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 76%Hispanic 7%Black 7%Asian 2%Two or more 4%International 3%

Women and men

Women 52%Men 48%
11 : 1
students per teacher
24%
get Pell grants (lower income)
80%
take federal loans
3%
undergrads 25 or older
2%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Salem

10% of Salem’s 25,816 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Salem pages.

Salem →
SalemSalem, VA
$1,133/momedian rent · 28% below the state$309Ktypical home value27° / 88°January low / July high · 18" of snowBHealth GradeAll colleges in and near SalemCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Roanoke College; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

American National UniversityUniversity or college · For-profit · Salem · mostly online
1.8 mi194 students
Virginia Western Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Roanoke
5.7 mi4,883 students
Hollins UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Hollins
7.4 mi722 students
Edward Via College of Osteopathic MedicineUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Blacksburg
20.4 mi2,596 students
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Blacksburg
20.8 mi36,796 students
Ferrum CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Ferrum
25.5 mi741 students
Radford UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Radford
29.3 mi5,864 students

Ask around

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.