Established in 1848 in Clarksville, TN, Rhodes College moved to its current location in 1925 under the leadership of then president Dr. Charles E. Diehl. The college (then named Southwestern) opened for classes on Sept. 24, 1925. Four hundred and six students and 16 faculty walked into a Collegiate Gothic building, now known as Southwestern Hall, that laid the foundation for the beautiful campus we see today.

Rhodes College rose four spots in U.S. News & World Report’s recently released 2026 Best Colleges rankings, to No. 55 for National Liberal Arts Colleges. The annual rankings evaluate four-year bachelor's degree-granting institutions across the nation. Rhodes also achieved top 50 recognition in several other key rankings areas.

Rhodes College today announced a $2 million gift from The Rhodes Family Foundation to name the director’s position for the college’s Center for Career and Professional Development. This will be the college’s first endowed staff position. The gift supports the center’s vision of “ensuring all students graduate from Rhodes College prepared, engaged, self-aware, and confident in their abilities both to lead and to fulfill professional, academic, and personal goals.”

Rhodes College once again has caught the eye of lifestyle magazine Southern Living and is featured in its updated listing of “The 45 Most Beautiful College Campuses in The South.” Rhodes is celebrating its 100th anniversary in Memphis this year, and, as the campus has grown, the college has stayed true to the Gothic-style architecture championed by President Charles Diehl.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is targeting Sunday, Sept. 14, to launch a four-inch, cube-shaped satellite named RHOK-SAT into space. RHOK-SAT is a collaboration between Rhodes College and the University of Oklahoma.

The Meeman Center for Lifelong Learning at Rhodes College offers non-credit courses designed for learners of all ages and ranging from single sessions to multiple meetings. As part of the college celebrating its 100th anniversary in Memphis this year, the Meeman Center is presenting various courses taught by Rhodes faculty and staff.

Rhodes College has earned a spot on America’s Top Colleges List 2026 recently released by Forbes. The list features 500 schools that demonstrate career readiness, strong post-graduation employment rates, and impressive alumni earnings.

Rhodes College students and alumni with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher will receive automatic admission to the Master of Public Service program at the University of Arkansas’ Clinton School of Public Service for the 2026-27 academic year, thanks to a new agreement between the schools.

The Spence Wilson Center for Interdisciplinary Humanities at Rhodes College will present a free public lecture on Sept. 18 by Dr. Danielle Allen, the James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University and director of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation.

A former men's head golf coach who established Rhodes as one of the top men’s golf programs in NCAA Division III and six outstanding alumni will be inducted into the Rhodes Athletic Hall of Fame this fall.