Roanoke College

Roanoke College was founded in 1842 in the town of Salem, Virginia, USA. The college was founded by Lutheran pastors in Augusta County near Staunton and was originally known as Virginia Institute. In 1847 the school moved to the city of Salem, taking all its possessions in a single covered wagon. In 1853 the college received a charter from the state and change its name to Roanoke College. Students from the college took part in the civil war, fighting against the Union Army near Salem in 1863. The college’s cadets were forced to surrender but the commander of the Union forces allowed them to return to their studies.

The college has a long history of internationalisation. Julius Dreher, Roanoke’s third president recruited students from the Choctaw Native Americans in the 1870s and the first Mexican student arrived in 1876, the first Japanese student in 1888. The first Korean students to graduate from an American university did so from Roanoke in 1898 and 1903. The college has continued to grow in terms of student numbers and facilities as well as its curriculum.

Today Roanoke is a thriving private, coeducational, four-year liberal arts college. It is home to around 2,000 students who study a wide range of undergraduate degrees. The university offers in the region of 35 majors and 60 minors and awards bachelor’s degrees. There are also a number of pre-professional programs in areas such as engineering, law and medicine as well as a dual degree in engineering in conjunction with Virginia Tech.

The college campus is organised around three quadrangles where most of the academic, residential and administrative buildings are grouped. The site is recognised for its beautiful landscaping, brick pathways and gorgeous views.