Non-Profit Private
Accredited · Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Ashland, Virginia
83.4% Acceptance Rate
Randolph-Macon College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
83.4%Acceptance Rate
3.7Avg GPA
1148Avg SAT
26Avg ACT
$61,174Annual Cost
$58,448Grad Salary
20.2%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
83.4%
Avg GPA
3.7
Avg SAT
1148
Avg ACT
26
Selectivity
Inclusive
Institution Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
SAT Middle 50%
1040–1210
ACT Middle 50%
22–29
Need-Based Aid
20.2% receive Pell
Randolph-Macon College is a private, liberal arts college in Virginia known for its commitment to academic excellence, faculty-student collaboration, and student success. With a strong emphasis on personalized education, the college fosters an intellectual environment that prepares students for graduate study and leadership roles through rigorous research and mentorship.
Randolph-Macon College Acceptance Rate
Randolph-Macon College (Randolph-Macon) runs an open-access admission policy. With a 83.4% acceptance rate, the focus is on getting qualified students in, not filtering them out.
What to Expect
- Eligibility First: A high school diploma or GED typically clears the main bar.
- Plan Ahead for Placement: Placement tests can shape which courses you start in. They are worth preparing for.
Selectivity at a Glance
Inclusive
Selectivity scale: Inclusive — 83.4% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.70 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.50 – 3.69
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 3.25
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Randolph-Macon College Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
The application deadline for Randolph-Macon College is November 15 for Early Decision I applicants, with additional plans listed below. Admission decisions are typically released by December 15.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 97 days left — Early Decision I
Early Decision I
November 15
Decision by: December 15
Early Decision II
January 15
Decision by: February 15
Regular Decision
February 1
Decision by: March 15
💡 The scholarship deadline (2025/12/01 (Merit scholarship priority)) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
Randolph-Macon GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at Randolph-Macon is 3.7. That makes admissions here highly selective. Most admitted students carry mostly A's with the occasional B.
Between 3.40 and 3.7? A strong standardized test score is worth prioritizing.
Most schools report GPA on a weighted or unweighted 4.0 scale differently. For an unweighted profile like this, students with AP/IB coursework typically carry a weighted GPA of 3.90–4.10.Randolph-Macon GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Highly selective; GPA is within the typical admitted range.
Recommended Strategy: Standardized Test Scores (SAT/ACT) in the top 5th percentile.
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.70 – 4.00
Competitive Reach
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.50 – 3.69
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
3.30 – 3.49
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 3.29
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Test-optional via Common App or RMC's own application; Regular Decision deadline March 1; no favor or disfavor given for submitting SAT/ACT scores
- 4-1-4 academic calendar (fall term, January Term, spring term); every student completes a required capstone (internship, research project, or field study)
- Offers a Four-Year Degree Guarantee (tuition waived for required courses needed beyond year four, conditions apply) and the named A. Purnell Bailey Pre-Ministerial Program scholarship for students pursuing ordained ministry
- Direct-admit Bachelor of Nursing and a newer ABET-accredited engineering program; genuinely distinct from both Randolph College (Lynchburg) and Randolph-Macon Academy (Front Royal)
- Rigor Over Raw Number: A slightly lower GPA (say 3.8) paired with multiple AP or IB courses often outweighs a flat 4.0 from a standard curriculum.
- Trajectory Matters: A lower start in 9th or 10th grade, followed by a clear upward trend senior year, reads as academic resilience rather than a weakness.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at Randolph-Macon
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on Randolph-Macon College's verified institutional data
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Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Randolph-Macon College (Randolph-Macon) Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if Randolph-Macon is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into Randolph-Macon Without SAT or ACT?
Randolph-Macon considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt. Most applicants test 2–3 times.
Randolph-Macon College Average SAT Score: 1148
The average SAT score of admitted students at Randolph-Macon College is 1148 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1148 — Less Competitive
This average is slightly below the national mean SAT score.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1210 SAT or 29 ACT) to stand out. Below average? Randolph-Macon College allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
If your score is below 1040, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at Randolph-Macon. Retaking multiple times is completely normal. Most competitive applicants sit for it two or three times. There's no official limit on attempts.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 545 | 510 | 580 |
| SAT Reading | 580 | 530 | 630 |
| SAT Composite | 1148 | 1040 | 1210 |
Below 1040, you're behind most admitted students; at 1210 or above, you're ahead of 75% of them. (25th/75th percentile = the score below which that share of admitted students fall.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1150
Can I get into Randolph-Macon College (Randolph-Macon) with a 1200 SAT?
A 1200 SAT puts you ahead of most of Randolph-Macon's admitted class, but admissions still weighs GPA, course rigor, and essays alongside it. A strong score opens the door; the rest of your profile decides what happens next.
Randolph-Macon College (Randolph-Macon) ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at Randolph-Macon is 26.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 26 — Competitive
This average is solidly above the national mean without being elite-tier.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 23 | 17 | 28 |
| ACT English | 26 | 20 | 32 |
| ACT Composite | 26 | 22 | 29 |
Can I get into Randolph-Macon College with a 29 ACT?
A 29 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of Randolph-Macon's admitted students. That's a strong position, though the ACT is only one benchmark among several that admissions weighs.
Unlike the SAT, the ACT scores four separate sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science, each on a 1–36 scale. A noticeably weak section, especially Science at STEM-focused schools, stands out to reviewers, so it's worth checking your section breakdown for outliers before applying.
Your ACT score clears the first filter, but GPA, course rigor, extracurricular depth, recommendations, and essays are what carry an application the rest of the way at Randolph-Macon.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for Randolph-Macon
Accessible Strategy: Academic Foundation
Randolph-Macon is accessible to students who show core competency. Focus on proving readiness for college-level work and locking in financial aid.
Apply Directly Into the Direct-Admit Health Programs
Randolph-Macon offers a direct-admit Bachelor of Nursing and a newer ABET-accredited engineering program. Both are best entered as a freshman applicant declaring the intent up front, not as a sophomore-year internal transfer - direct-admit health and engineering tracks at small liberal arts colleges like this typically have tighter capacity and want to see the strongest possible academic profile at the initial application stage, not after a semester of general coursework.
Name the A. Purnell Bailey Pre-Ministerial Scholarship if Relevant
For a student pursuing a career in Christian ministry, this is a specific, named RMC scholarship guaranteeing half tuition for the first two years and free tuition for years three and four. It's easy to miss because it isn't marketed alongside general merit aid - a student or family with any interest in ordained ministry should ask admissions about it by name rather than relying on the general financial aid conversation to surface it.
Reference the Actual 4-1-4 Structure and Capstone in Your Essay
Randolph-Macon runs a 4-1-4 calendar (fall term, a compressed January Term, spring term) and requires every student to complete a capstone - an internship, research project, or field study - before graduating. An applicant who names a specific January Term interest or a plausible capstone direction (tied to their intended major) signals genuine understanding of RMC's actual academic structure, which reads very differently from generic "small class sizes" language admissions readers see constantly.
Use the Four-Year Degree Guarantee as a Real Financial Safety Net
RMC offers a Four-Year Degree Guarantee that waives tuition for any required courses needed beyond the fourth year, provided the student meets specific conditions (timely major declaration, advising check-ins, credit-load benchmarks). Have the family ask admissions exactly what maintains eligibility for this guarantee at orientation - it's a genuine, quantifiable financial protection that most peer private colleges don't offer this explicitly, but only if the conditions are tracked from day one.
Expert Insight:
Families frequently confuse Randolph-Macon College (Ashland, VA, coeducational since 1971) with two similarly named but entirely separate institutions: Randolph College in Lynchburg, VA (formerly Randolph-Macon Woman's College, a historically separate women's college that shares only an original 1893 charter connection) and Randolph-Macon Academy in Front Royal, VA (an unrelated K-12 military boarding school). Sending applications, transcripts, or deposit checks to the wrong "Randolph" is a real, recurring, and entirely avoidable mistake - double-check the mailing address and school code on every form.
Randolph-Macon Profile
Full Name
Randolph-Macon College (Randolph-Macon)
City
Ashland
State
Virginia
ZIP Code
23005-5505
Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC)
Is a Randolph-Macon Degree Worth It?
At $61,174/year against a $58,448 median graduate salary, Randolph-Macon is worth weighing against your specific program and financial situation. The numbers below give you a real basis for that decision.
The average household income among admitted students is $76,300, with a graduate unemployment rate of 2.33%.
How much does a degree from Randolph-Macon Cost?
The sticker price is $61,174/year, but the average net price students actually pay, after Pell and federal grants, is typically much lower.
20.2% of students receive a Pell Grant and 58.2% take federal loans at Randolph-Macon. File your FAFSA early and list Randolph-Macon as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a Randolph-Macon Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $58,448. That's about 44% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than Randolph-Macon College. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of South Alabama | Mobile, AL | 1119 | 23 |
| Tuskegee University | Tuskegee, AL | 1121 | 22 |
| Arkansas State University | Jonesboro, AR | 1119 | 22 |
| University of Central Arkansas | Conway, AR | 1117 | 22 |
| University of La Verne | La Verne, CA | 1116 | 22 |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | Denver, CO | 1119 | 24 |
| Western Colorado University | Gunnison, CO | 1130 | 25 |
| University of Saint Joseph | West Hartford, CT | 1100 | NA |
| Lynn University | Boca Raton, FL | 1136 | 25 |
| Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University | Tallahassee, FL | 1100 | 22 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Randolph-Macon College. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntingdon College | Montgomery, AL | 1148 | 23 |
| Azusa Pacific University | Azusa, CA | 1155 | 22 |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs, CO | 1140 | 25 |
| Florida International University | Miami, FL | 1154 | 23 |
| Georgia College & State University | Milledgeville, GA | 1150 | 24 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than Randolph-Macon College. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham-Southern College | Birmingham, AL | 1197 | 24 |
| University of Mobile | Mobile, AL | 1220 | 24 |
| Samford University | Birmingham, AL | 1203 | 26 |
| Harding University | Searcy, AR | 1187 | 25 |
| John Brown University | Siloam Springs, AR | 1222 | 26 |
Degree Programs at Randolph-Macon
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About Randolph-Macon Admissions
Median graduate earnings at Randolph-Macon College run about $58,448 a year.
At about $61,174 a year, Randolph-Macon College's cost is on the higher end; look closely at aid options.
Randolph-Macon College's Pell Grant rate of 20.2% sits below the national average. Merit-based aid is worth checking regardless of income.
At 83.4%, Randolph-Macon College's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at Randolph-Macon College average a 3.7 GPA.
Randolph-Macon College doesn't publish a hard GPA floor, but landing at or above 3.4 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 3.3, Randolph-Macon College becomes a harder reach, though a strong test score, meaningful activities, and AP/IB coursework can still make a real case.
A strong SAT score matters at Randolph-Macon College — aim above 1148, ideally within the 1040–1210 range admitted students typically fall in.
The application deadline for Randolph-Macon College is November 15 for Early Decision I applicants. Admission decisions are released by December 15.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is 2025/12/01 (Merit scholarship priority). Submit FAFSA before then for maximum consideration.
Yes, transfers are common. Have transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement ready to make your case.
Strong academics, a focused extracurricular profile, and standout essays move the needle most, along with a competitive SAT/ACT score where relevant.
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