Best Southern Colleges

There are 1097 colleges and universities in the South enrolling 7,307,736 students. Explore the list of top colleges in the South below to begin your college search. The CollegeSimply rankings are objective and data-driven in order to help you find good matches for you. Learn how the Best Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page. Whether you're searching for a good public, private or community college, this guide to universities in South offers a comprehensive view to the state's higher education options.

The  South is home to nationally ranked institutions like Duke University, Rice University, Johns Hopkins University and Vanderbilt University. The highest ranked college in the South is Duke University and the top rated public state college is University of Virginia Main Campus.

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List of the Best South Colleges

Loyola University Maryland Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Baltimore, MD
  • 4.0 | 1 reviews
  • Jan 15 application deadline

Loyola Maryland is a private Jesuit university known for undergraduate business and communications. The wooded residential campus sits in a northern Baltimore neighborhood.

#37 Best Colleges in the South 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1200-1370
  • Avg GPA 3.65
  • Acceptance Rate 75%
  • Net Price $32,846
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Florida State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Tallahassee, FL
  • 5.0 | 6 reviews
  • Mar 1 application deadline

FSU is a large public university known for undergraduate film, criminology, and music. The campus is in Tallahassee, Florida's capital city.

#38 Best Colleges in the South 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1270-1410
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.7
  • Acceptance Rate 24%
  • Net Price $15,815
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Union University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Jackson, TN
  • | 0 reviews

Union is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and Christian studies. The residential campus sits in Jackson in West Tennessee.

#39 Best Colleges in the South 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1160-1390
  • Avg GPA 3.8
  • Acceptance Rate 60%
  • Net Price $28,452
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New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Socorro, NM
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

New Mexico Tech is a small public technological university known for undergraduate engineering, earth sciences, and physics. The campus is in the small town of Socorro in central New Mexico.

#40 Best Colleges in the South 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1080-1310
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.63
  • Acceptance Rate 44%
  • Net Price $11,551
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Southwestern University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Georgetown, TX
  • 4.5 | 2 reviews
  • Feb 1 application deadline

Southwestern is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate study in the arts and sciences. Most students live on the residential campus in historic Georgetown, north of Austin.

#41 Best Colleges in the South 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1130-1300
  • Avg GPA 3.5
  • Acceptance Rate 43%
  • Net Price $32,228
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Austin College Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Sherman, TX
  • | 0 reviews
  • Jul 31 application deadline

Austin College is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate sciences and international studies. Most undergrads live on the residential campus in Sherman, north of Dallas.

#42 Best Colleges in the South 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1100-1310
  • Avg GPA 3.63
  • Acceptance Rate 48%
  • Net Price $23,462
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Mercer University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Macon, GA
  • | 0 reviews
  • Jul 1 application deadline

Mercer is a private university known for undergraduate engineering, business, and music. Most undergrads study on the historic main campus in Macon.

#43 Best Colleges in the South 8/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1160-1350
  • Avg GPA 3.98
  • Acceptance Rate 69%
  • Net Price $24,364
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University of Dallas Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Irving, TX
  • 4.2 | 5 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

University of Dallas is a private Catholic university known for a Great Books core curriculum and undergraduate work in philosophy, politics, and the humanities. The suburban campus sits in Irving just outside Dallas.

#44 Best Colleges in the South 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1120-1370
  • Avg GPA 3.9
  • Acceptance Rate 53%
  • Net Price $29,209
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Rollins College Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Winter Park, FL
  • | 0 reviews
  • Feb 1 application deadline

Rollins is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate business and international studies. Most undergrads live on a lakeside campus along Lake Virginia in Winter Park.

#45 Best Colleges in the South 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1160-1370
  • Avg GPA 3.5
  • Acceptance Rate 48%
  • Net Price $39,201
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University of South Carolina Columbia Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Columbia, SC
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • Dec 1 application deadline

South Carolina is a large public university known for undergraduate international business and hospitality management. The historic Horseshoe anchors the campus in downtown Columbia.

#46 Best Colleges in the South 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1180-1360
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.69
  • Acceptance Rate 60%
  • Net Price $24,488
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The University of Tennessee Knoxville Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Knoxville, TN
  • 4.8 | 5 reviews

Tennessee is a large public university known for undergraduate supply chain management, business, and nuclear engineering. The campus borders the Tennessee River in Knoxville.

#47 Best Colleges in the South 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1200-1370
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.66
  • Acceptance Rate 42%
  • Net Price $21,648
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Citadel Military College of South Carolina Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Charleston, SC
  • | 0 reviews

The Citadel is a public military college known for undergraduate engineering, business, and criminal justice. Most undergrads join the Corps of Cadets and live in barracks under a structured military system on the historic Charleston campus.

#48 Best Colleges in the South 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1085-1285
  • Avg GPA 3.8
  • Acceptance Rate 23%
  • Net Price $22,124
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The University of Texas at Dallas Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Richardson, TX
  • 4.3 | 3 reviews
  • May 1 application deadline

UT Dallas is a public university known for undergraduate computer science, engineering, and business. The suburban Richardson campus sits in the Dallas area's tech corridor.

#49 Best Colleges in the South 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1160-1410
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.78
  • Acceptance Rate 65%
  • Net Price $14,916
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George Mason University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Fairfax, VA
  • 3.7 | 3 reviews
  • Feb 1 application deadline

George Mason is a large public university known for undergraduate economics, public policy, and computer science. The suburban Fairfax campus sits near Washington, D.C.

#50 Best Colleges in the South 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1160-1360
  • Avg GPA 3.68
  • Acceptance Rate 87%
  • Net Price $18,823
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University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Norman, OK
  • 4.0 | 2 reviews
  • Feb 1 application deadline

OU is a large public university known for undergraduate meteorology and petroleum engineering. Norman is a classic college town built around the campus.

#51 Best Colleges in the South 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1140-1330
  • Avg GPA 3.66
  • Acceptance Rate 77%
  • Net Price $18,574
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James Madison University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Harrisonburg, VA
  • 5.0 | 3 reviews
  • Jan 15 application deadline

JMU is a large public university known for undergraduate business, nursing, and education. Harrisonburg is a college town in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley.

#52 Best Colleges in the South 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1170-1340
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.57
  • Acceptance Rate 72%
  • Net Price $18,856
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Samford University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Birmingham, AL
  • | 0 reviews
  • May 1 application deadline

Samford is a private Christian university known for undergraduate pharmacy, nursing, and business. The Georgian-style campus sits in the Birmingham suburb of Homewood.

#53 Best Colleges in the South 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1070-1250
  • Avg GPA 3.84
  • Acceptance Rate 82%
  • Net Price $34,926
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University of Maryland Baltimore County Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Baltimore, MD
  • 3.5 | 2 reviews
  • Feb 1 application deadline

UMBC is a public university known for undergraduate computer science, information systems, and engineering. The suburban campus sits in Baltimore County just outside the city.

#54 Best Colleges in the South 7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1240-1420
  • Avg GPA 3.97
  • Acceptance Rate 72%
  • Net Price $18,770
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