Randolph Macon welcomed 565 new students to campus as the 2026-2027 academic year begins, including a high-achieving Class of 2030 whose members will graduate during the College’s bicentennial year. 

The 519 first-year students and 46 transfer students join a Randolph-Macon College community that continues to number more than 1,800 students, following several consecutive years of strong recruitment.

The 519 students in the Class of 2030 also stand out for their strong academic profile with an average weighted high school grade point average of 3.79. Nearly four in 10 students earned above a 4.0 in high school, and the number of incoming students with a GPA greater than 4.3 rose nearly 23 percent from the previous year. 

“This year’s scholars demonstrated enthusiasm and readiness to be Yellow Jackets throughout our admissions cycle, and we are so glad to welcome them home,” reflected Vice President of Enrollment Management Brenda Poggendorf. “Our Admissions team was pleased and impressed, in particular, by the large number of top students who selected RMC at an even greater rate than in years past.”

Students arrive with interests spanning RMC’s rigorous academic program. The top intended majors for this new class are Business, Biology, Engineering, and Psychology, with many students still exploring as “Undecided.”

The new students come from as far away as Vietnam, Costa Rica, China, and 18 different U.S. states. The College’s home state of Virginia is well represented, with students hailing from 73 distinct localities across the Commonwealth.

The College welcomed 161 first-generation students in its new class. A cohort of those students participated in the new Summer Bridge Program, designed to bolster their transition and help students build confidence and familiarity with college life before the start of the semester. Additionally, 29% of the incoming class are students of color and 29% are student-athletes.

The Class of 2030 moved onto campus on Wednesday, Sept. 2, kicking off an Orientation and Welcome Weekend full of programming designed to acclimate students to the RMC community. That evening, the class gathered for a candlelight matriculation ceremony, a reimagination of a time-honored College tradition marking students’ formal entry into the College community. The ceremony emphasized belonging to both a long line of Yellow Jackets that dates back to 1830, and to each other. 

“I am reminded of something I learned long ago: a candle is powerful not because of the light it holds, but because of the light it gives,” explained President Michael Hill in introducing the “candlelight” component of the event. “That is the meaning of this ceremony. The candle you hold tonight is a symbol of the knowledge you will gain here. But it is also a symbol of the character you will develop, the relationships you will build, and the responsibility you will have to one another.”

Classes begin on September 7, along with a robust Welcome Week of activities for all students.