Rollins Ranks Among Top 100 National Liberal Arts Colleges and No. 1 in Florida

In U.S. News & World Report's 2027 Best Colleges rankings, Rollins is ranked among the nation's top 100 liberal arts colleges and the No. 1 liberal arts college. Rollins elected to move to the National Liberal Arts category this year, debuting at No. 74 after spending three decades atop the Regional Universities in the South category.

For 30 consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Rollins among the top two regional universities in the South. With the 2027 rankings, the College moves onto the national stage, joining a peer group that includes many of the country’s most respected liberal arts institutions. The new classification more closely reflects Rollins’ academic profile and the kind of life-changing liberal arts education the College has long delivered—one designed to prepare graduates to lead meaningful lives and forge productive careers.

For the 2027 Best Colleges rankings, U.S. News & World Report assessed more than 1,700 schools across the country using up to 17 factors of academic quality and graduate success. Within each category, colleges are evaluated against their peers using measures that include graduation and retention rates, student outcomes, faculty resources, financial resources, standardized test scores, and peer assessments.

“Rollins has arrived where we’ve long believed it should be: ranked among the nation’s finest liberal arts colleges,” says President Brooke Barnett. “This recognition is a testament to the transformative power of a Rollins education, which stands with the very best in the nation, not just the region. As the world of work continues to evolve, our students are equipped to think critically, communicate across disciplines, adapt to change, and approach complex challenges with creativity and purpose.”

In addition to being named the No. 1 liberal arts college in Florida, Rollins was also ranked the top liberal arts college for veterans. The College was also ranked among the nation’s best liberal arts colleges for value, social mobility, and commitment to teaching undergraduates. Additionally, Rollins’ undergraduate business and psychology programs were recognized among the nation’s best.

The College’s national recognition for excellence in undergraduate teaching reflects the exceptional quality of its faculty and their commitment to personalized, student-centered learning. And that dedication to teaching translates into the classroom experience students encounter every day. In its recent roundup of the nation’s best colleges, The Princeton Review ranked Rollins in the top 25 for Best Classroom Experience, the only top-ranked Florida school recognized in the category. With an 11:1 student-faculty ratio and average class size of 17, our students receive individualized attention through open dialogue, hands-on experiences, and close mentorship from expert faculty who know their goals and dreams.

“I was really motivated by the environment at Rollins to participate because I knew I was having an active conversation with my professors,” shares Abrielle Mannino ’25, a climate science PhD candidate at Brown University. “They weren’t just talking at me, which went a long way to motivate me to be an active participant in my learning.”

With about 94 percent of Rollins students receiving more than $102 million in financial aid each year, coupled with high-impact experiences, the College’s rankings for value and social mobility further underscore its commitment to providing a transformative liberal arts education and expanding access to that experience.

Rollins’ consistently high rankings across multiple categories underscore the strength of the College’s liberal arts education and its commitment to student success. Since 1885, Rollins has cultivated future leaders through personalized learning, experiential opportunities, and a deeply integrated approach to support and mentorship. These tenets remain central to our mission, equipping Tars with the essential knowledge and skills to thrive in a rapidly changing world and empowering them to build purpose-driven lives and successful careers.