As classes began for the 2025-2026 academic year on Monday, Sept. 1, Randolph-Macon College welcomed more than 600 new students to campus, the largest incoming class in RMC’s history.

This cohort includes 536 first-year students and 67 transfers, as well as 4 exchange students, building on a three-year trend of enrollment growth at the College. In 2023, RMC enrolled one of its largest-ever classes, only to be surpassed in 2024 with the first class to exceed 600 students. The 2025 class has broken that record again and together, these cohorts have lifted Randolph-Macon’s total enrollment past 1,800 students for the first time.

The newest crop of Yellow Jackets hails from across the globe, the country, and especially the Commonwealth of Virginia, coming to Ashland from 24 different U.S. states and as far away as Japan. The top intended majors for the new class include Business, Nursing, Biology, Psychology, and Criminology, with a high percentage still exploring as “Undecided.”

Bringing a strong academic foundation to the College, the average weighted high school GPA across the incoming Class of 2029 is 3.77. Additionally, 31.4% of the incoming class are students of color and 32% are first-generation college students, aligning with the College’s continued efforts to expand its academic mission to historically underserved communities.

The Class of 2029 moved onto campus on Thursday, Aug. 28, kicking off a Welcome Week full of programming designed to acclimate them to the RMC Community. These activities are led by Captains, student leaders who serve as year-long sources of support for new students during the transition to college. 

Between silent discos, late night pizza, friendly competitions between ‘crews’ and Yellow Jacket Success Strategies (YJSS) seminars, students have ample opportunity to bond with their classmates and prepare for the new, exciting chapter in their lives.