private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Salem, Virginia, U.S. It is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is also a member of Oak Ridge Associated Universities. Roanoke College offers bachelor's degree programs in such areas as business administration, psychology, social sciences, and humanities. Research facilities include the Center for Community Research and the Center for Church and Society. Total enrollment is approximately 1,700.

Founded in 1842 by Lutheran pastors David Bittle and Christopher Baughman, the school was originally named the Virginia Institute and located near the town of Staunton. The school was renamed Virginia Collegiate Institute in 1845, and two years later Bittle and Baughman moved the institute to Salem. The Virginia legislature chartered it as Roanoke College in 1853.