The academic environment at Rhodes centers around small classes, faculty mentorship, and an emphasis on student research and writing. The average class size is 14, and the college has a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio. In 2017, "The Princeton Review" ranked Rhodes #9 for Most Accessible Professors. Rhodes is featured perennially on the "US News" and "Forbes" lists of the Top 55 Liberal Arts Universities and has been hailed by "Forbes" as one of the Top 20 Colleges in the South. In US News 2020 edition, Rhodes is ranked No. 53 on its National Liberal Arts College Ranking and 28th college in the south on Forbes 2019 edition.