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

Transylvania University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Lexington, KY
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

Transylvania is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate pre-medicine and the sciences. The historic campus occupies several blocks in downtown Lexington.

#91 Best Colleges in the South 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1120-1380
  • Avg GPA 3.77
  • Acceptance Rate 87%
  • Net Price $25,442
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University of Louisville Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Louisville, KY
  • 5.0 | 2 reviews
  • Feb 15 application deadline

UofL is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering and business. Most undergraduates study on the urban Belknap Campus in Louisville.

#92 Best Colleges in the South 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1040-1270
  • Avg GPA 3.64
  • Acceptance Rate 79%
  • Net Price $19,785
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University of South Florida Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Tampa, FL
  • 4.0 | 4 reviews
  • May 1 application deadline

USF is a large public university known for undergraduate public health, business, and engineering. The main campus is a large urban site in Tampa near Tampa Bay.

#93 Best Colleges in the South 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1130-1320
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.64
  • Acceptance Rate 43%
  • Net Price $11,579
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University of Central Florida Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Orlando, FL
  • 4.2 | 6 reviews
  • May 1 application deadline

UCF is a large public university known for undergraduate hospitality management, aerospace engineering, and digital media. The large suburban campus sits in east Orlando near the region's tourism industry.

#94 Best Colleges in the South 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1200-1350
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.64
  • Acceptance Rate 40%
  • Net Price $13,351
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The University of Alabama Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Tuscaloosa, AL
  • 5.0 | 7 reviews
  • May 1 application deadline

Alabama is a large public university known for undergraduate business and communications. Tuscaloosa is a classic college town built around the historic campus.

#95 Best Colleges in the South 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1170-1400
  • Avg GPA 3.76
  • Acceptance Rate 77%
  • Net Price $22,559
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University of Alabama at Birmingham Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Birmingham, AL
  • | 0 reviews
  • Jun 1 application deadline

UAB is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and biomedical programs. The urban campus is anchored by a major academic medical center in Birmingham.

#96 Best Colleges in the South 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1210-1450
  • Avg GPA 3.82
  • Acceptance Rate 88%
  • Net Price $17,997
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Presbyterian College Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Clinton, SC
  • 4.2 | 5 reviews
  • Sep 21 application deadline

Presbyterian College is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and known for undergraduate business and the sciences. Most students live on the residential campus in the small town of Clinton.

#97 Best Colleges in the South 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 980-1200
  • Avg GPA 3.6
  • Acceptance Rate 68%
  • Net Price $20,840
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Nova Southeastern University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Fort Lauderdale, FL
  • 4.5 | 2 reviews

Nova Southeastern is a private university known for undergraduate marine science, health sciences, and psychology. The suburban campus sits in the Fort Lauderdale area of South Florida.

#98 Best Colleges in the South 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1030-1300
  • Avg GPA 3.99
  • Acceptance Rate 73%
  • Net Price $31,858
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Oklahoma State University Main Campus Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Stillwater, OK
  • 3.0 | 1 reviews

Oklahoma State is a large public university known for undergraduate agriculture, engineering, and business. Stillwater is a classic college town built around the campus.

#99 Best Colleges in the South 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1040-1250
  • Avg GPA 3.63
  • Acceptance Rate 75%
  • Net Price $19,561
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University of Kentucky Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Lexington, KY
  • 4.5 | 2 reviews
  • Feb 15 application deadline

Kentucky is a large public university known for undergraduate agriculture, engineering, and business. Lexington is a midsize city in the state's Bluegrass horse country.

#100 Best Colleges in the South 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1070-1290
  • Avg GPA 3.59
  • Acceptance Rate 93%
  • Net Price $21,958
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University of North Carolina Asheville Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Asheville, NC
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

UNC Asheville is a public liberal arts university known for undergraduate environmental studies and the arts. The campus sits in the mountain city of Asheville in the Blue Ridge.

#101 Best Colleges in the South 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1170-1360
  • Avg GPA 3.49
  • Acceptance Rate 92%
  • Net Price $13,798
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Abilene Christian University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Abilene, TX
  • 3.7 | 6 reviews
  • Feb 15 application deadline

ACU is a private Christian university known for undergraduate biblical studies, nursing, and business. Most undergrads live on its residential campus in Abilene, a city in West Texas.

#102 Best Colleges in the South 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1070-1270
  • Avg GPA 3.65
  • Acceptance Rate 66%
  • Net Price $28,760
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Texas Tech University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Lubbock, TX
  • 3.9 | 10 reviews

Texas Tech is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, agriculture, and business. The Lubbock campus is marked by Spanish Renaissance architecture on the South Plains of West Texas.

#103 Best Colleges in the South 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1090-1280
  • Avg GPA 3.76
  • Acceptance Rate 73%
  • Net Price $16,919
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University of Houston Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Houston, TX
  • 4.0 | 7 reviews
  • May 31 application deadline

University of Houston is a large public university known for undergraduate hospitality management, business, and engineering. The urban campus sits in southeast Houston.

#104 Best Colleges in the South 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1160-1340
  • Avg GPA 3.46
  • Acceptance Rate 74%
  • Net Price $14,309
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University of Arkansas Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Fayetteville, AR
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

Arkansas is a large public university known for undergraduate business and architecture. The campus sits in the college town of Fayetteville in the Ozark Mountains.

#105 Best Colleges in the South 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1030-1220
  • Avg GPA 3.74
  • Acceptance Rate 74%
  • Net Price $18,408
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Lincoln Memorial University Campus

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

Lincoln Memorial is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and pre-veterinary studies. The rural campus sits near Cumberland Gap in the Appalachian Mountains.

#106 Best Colleges in the South 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1000-1210
  • Avg GPA 3.29
  • Acceptance Rate 63%
  • Net Price $21,447
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Covenant College Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Lookout Mountain, GA
  • | 0 reviews
  • Mar 1 application deadline

Covenant is a private Christian liberal arts college known for undergraduate programs taught from a Reformed theological perspective. The mountaintop campus on Lookout Mountain overlooks the Chattanooga valley.

#107 Best Colleges in the South 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1160-1380
  • Avg GPA 3.7
  • Acceptance Rate 87%
  • Net Price $27,926
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Virginia Commonwealth University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Richmond, VA
  • 3.0 | 1 reviews
  • Jan 18 application deadline

VCU is a large public university known for undergraduate fine arts, design, and health professions. The urban campus stretches across downtown Richmond.

#108 Best Colleges in the South 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1010-1270
  • Avg GPA 3.75
  • Acceptance Rate 93%
  • Net Price $26,836
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