News >

Earlier this month, The Princeton Review confirmed what generations of Rollins students and graduates have always known: the No. 1 regional university in the South has one of the best classroom environments in the nation.

The venerable education-services company ranked Rollins’ classroom experience among the top 25 in the nation in its 2024 guide to the country’s best colleges. Rollins was also the top-ranked Florida school in the category, which was based on student ratings of their professors, classroom and lab facilities, and the amount of in-class discussion.

We decided to use that ranking as a jumping-off point for a deeper dive into some of the factors that separate a Rollins classroom from the rest. Along the way, you’ll get a sneak peek at how our personalized learning environment is the key to finishing your bachelor’s degree and taking the next step in your life and career.

Small Classes

At Rollins, you’ll find no overflowing auditoriums or detached professors delivering lectures from 100 feet away. After all, our Professional Advancement programs maintain an average class size of just 14 students. This close-knit learning environment yields increased engagement and the individualized support you need to thrive in the classroom and in your career.

“I thought about going to other schools, but a lot of them have classes of 60, 80, maybe 100 people or larger,” says business management major Jonathan Cohen ’23. “Because of the smaller classes at Rollins, you can actually have real discussions and you can engage with your professors one on one, which is one of the things that has helped me get through school and be able to balance everything.”

Personalized Attention from Expert Faculty

Great teachers are the foundation of a great education. At Rollins, you’ll learn from the very best. Just ask U.S. News & World Report, which recently ranked Rollins’ faculty among the top 3 in the South for their commitment to teaching undergraduates. Thanks to Rollins’ 11:1 student-faculty ratio, these experts have the freedom to focus on you, keeping you engaged and ensuring you truly master the material.

“The dynamic of the classroom at Rollins makes learning fun and exciting,” says communication studies major Sheena Jackson ’24. “The professors are very passionate about what they’re teaching, and they’re not going to let you slip. If they think you don’t understand something, they’re going to make sure you get it.”

Surrounded by Support

At Rollins, your professors are far from your only source of support. Our Professional Advancement programs are designed specifically for students like you—working adults and transfer students with busy lives. As a result, you’ll be surrounded by classmates who not only share your aspirations for a better life and career but also understand what it’s like to balance school with other responsibilities.

“In some courses, my classmates have become more like family to me,” says Kim Clayton ’23, a double major in communication studies and health-care management. “We all have other obligations outside of school and we all want to be here, so we help each other and that’s a really good feeling to just be part of a community that is helpful, encouraging, and supportive.”

You Are an Essential Ingredient

In a Rollins classroom, you’re never just a passenger. Instead, you’re an active participant whose perspective and experience enriches the educational experience for everyone. Through these immersive, discussion-based courses, you’ll develop deeper understanding and hone in-demand skills like communication, collaboration, and creative problem solving.

“The program wasn’t just a series of lectures and courses,” says Eric Reichwein ’18, who attended six colleges before finishing his degree at Rollins. “It became a community of classmates and mentors, which is exactly what I needed to finish what I’d started so many years ago. I’d never been in classes where you’d hear so many different perspectives and where we were all appreciated as individuals. That doesn’t happen at other schools, and I speak from a lot of experience.”

• Professional Advancement