College History

Nestled in the quaint community of Winter Park along the shores of Lake Virginia, Rollins College captures the best of Florida's warmth and sunshine while providing the best education under the sun. 

Founded in 1885 by New England Congregationalists who sought to bring their style of liberal arts education to the Florida frontier, Rollins is the oldest recognized college in the state of Florida.  Today more than 1,700 undergraduate students enjoy small classes, personal interaction with an outstanding faculty, and a lush, 70-acre campus with a range of amenities including the 75,000-square foot Alfond Sports Center, the state-of-the-art Cornell Campus Center and much more.

It's impossible to walk Rollins' tree-lined campus, stroll along the Walk of Fame, or step inside one of its magnificent Spanish Mediterranean style buildings without sensing the College's great history.  While maintaining its links with the past, Rollins always looks to the future striving for continuous innovation in a caring campus community.

Founded in 1885, Rollins College is Florida’s oldest recognized college, and is consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of “America's best colleges.” The College of Arts & Sciences offers full-time undergraduate programs in the liberal arts. The Hamilton Holt School serves the Central Florida community by offering exceptional undergraduate and graduate degree programs, during evenings and weekends, to students diverse in age, experience and professional development. The Crummer Graduate School of Business is consistently ranked by Forbes magazine among the best business schools for return on investment, and Forbes recently ranked the MBA program No. 1 overall in Florida. For more information about Rollins, visit our Web site at www.rollins.edu.

Please click here to read more about Rollins College's heritage.