Best Southeastern Colleges

There are 836 colleges and universities in the Southeast enrolling 4,959,702 students. Explore the list of top colleges in the Southeast 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 Southeast offers a comprehensive view to the state's higher education options.

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

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Southeast Public Private For-Profit 4 Year 2 Year

List of the Best Southeast Colleges

  • Private 4 Year
  • Arkadelphia, AR
  • | 0 reviews

Ouachita Baptist is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate music, education, and business. Most students live on the residential campus in the small college town of Arkadelphia.

#91 Best Colleges in the Southeast 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1070-1280
  • Avg GPA 3.72
  • Acceptance Rate 68%
  • Net Price $24,532

  • Private 4 Year
  • Tampa, FL
  • 2.5 | 13 reviews

University of Tampa is a private university known for undergraduate business, marine science, and nursing. The urban campus centers on historic Plant Hall along the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa.

#92 Best Colleges in the Southeast 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1070-1240
  • Avg GPA 3.5
  • Acceptance Rate 40%
  • Net Price $35,679

  • Private 4 Year
  • Hattiesburg, MS
  • 4.0 | 1 reviews

William Carey is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and music. The main campus is in Hattiesburg in southern Mississippi.

#93 Best Colleges in the Southeast 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1040-1290
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.46
  • Acceptance Rate 60%
  • Net Price $15,469

  • Public 4 Year
  • Mississippi State, MS
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

Mississippi State is a large public university known for undergraduate agriculture, engineering, and architecture. Starkville is a college town centered on the campus.

#94 Best Colleges in the Southeast 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1100-1350
  • Avg GPA 3.58
  • Acceptance Rate 78%
  • Net Price $18,478

  • Private 4 Year
  • New Orleans, LA
  • | 0 reviews
  • Jul 1 application deadline

Xavier University of Louisiana is a private Catholic HBCU known for undergraduate pharmacy, biology, and chemistry. The urban campus sits in New Orleans.

#95 Best Colleges in the Southeast 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 950-1113
  • Avg GPA 3.7
  • Acceptance Rate 69%
  • Net Price $17,162

  • Public 4 Year
  • Cookeville, TN
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

Tennessee Tech is a public university known for undergraduate engineering and technology. The campus sits in the college town of Cookeville on the Cumberland Plateau.

#96 Best Colleges in the Southeast 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1048-1310
  • Avg GPA 3.63
  • Acceptance Rate 76%
  • Net Price $15,336

  • Public 4 Year
  • Radford, VA
  • 3.5 | 2 reviews

Radford is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The campus sits in a small college town in southwestern Virginia's New River Valley.

#97 Best Colleges in the Southeast 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 940-1160
  • Avg GPA 3.31
  • Acceptance Rate 90%
  • Net Price $16,749

  • Private 4 Year
  • Ashland, VA
  • | 0 reviews
  • Mar 1 application deadline

Randolph-Macon is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate biology, psychology, and business. Most undergrads live on a historic campus in the small college town of Ashland.

#98 Best Colleges in the Southeast 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 980-1220
  • Avg GPA 3.7
  • Acceptance Rate 87%
  • Net Price $28,912
Christian Brothers University Campus
 

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

Christian Brothers is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate engineering and business. The urban campus sits in midtown Memphis.

#99 Best Colleges in the Southeast 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1020-1380
  • Avg GPA 3.67
  • Acceptance Rate 87%
  • Net Price $16,754

  • Private 4 Year
  • Winchester, VA
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

Shenandoah is a private university known for undergraduate music, theater, and dance through the Shenandoah Conservatory. The campus is in Winchester in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley.

#100 Best Colleges in the Southeast 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1010-1230
  • Avg GPA 3.7
  • Acceptance Rate 77%
  • Net Price $27,181

  • Public 4 Year
  • Charlotte, NC
  • | 0 reviews
  • Jun 1 application deadline

UNC Charlotte is a large public university known for undergraduate business, engineering, and architecture. The suburban campus sits in North Carolina's largest city.

#101 Best Colleges in the Southeast 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1140-1330
  • Avg GPA 3.57
  • Acceptance Rate 80%
  • Net Price $15,045

  • Private 4 Year
  • Clinton, MS
  • | 0 reviews

Mississippi College is a private Baptist college known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The suburban campus sits in Clinton just west of Jackson.

#102 Best Colleges in the Southeast 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1140-1260
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.56
  • Acceptance Rate 29%
  • Net Price $28,559

  • Public 4 Year
  • Jacksonville, FL
  • | 0 reviews

UNF is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and coastal biology. The suburban Jacksonville campus includes lakes and a large nature preserve with trails.

#103 Best Colleges in the Southeast 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1070-1270
  • Avg GPA 3.89
  • Acceptance Rate 53%
  • Net Price $11,135

  • Private 4 Year
  • Salisbury, NC
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 15 application deadline

Catawba is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate environmental science and ecology. The residential campus sits in Salisbury in North Carolina's Piedmont region.

#104 Best Colleges in the Southeast 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1030-1300
  • Avg GPA 3.64
  • Acceptance Rate 75%
  • Net Price $18,447

  • Private 4 Year
  • Lynchburg, VA
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • Sep 1 application deadline

University of Lynchburg is a private university known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences. Students live on a residential campus in Lynchburg near the Blue Ridge Mountains.

#105 Best Colleges in the Southeast 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 980-1230
  • Avg GPA 3.53
  • Acceptance Rate 43%
  • Net Price $23,845

  • Private 4 Year
  • Nashville, TN
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

Fisk is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate natural sciences and music. The historic urban campus sits in Nashville and is closely tied to the Fisk Jubilee Singers.

#106 Best Colleges in the Southeast 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1140-1510
  • Avg GPA 3.1
  • Acceptance Rate 37%
  • Net Price $18,595

  • Private 4 Year
  • Nashville, TN
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

Trevecca is a private Nazarene university known for undergraduate education, business, and ministry programs. Most students live on the urban Nashville campus.

#107 Best Colleges in the Southeast 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 980-1235
  • Avg GPA 3.43
  • Acceptance Rate 69%
  • Net Price $18,035

  • Private 4 Year
  • Arlington, VA
  • | 0 reviews

Marymount is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and interior design. The Arlington campus sits just outside Washington, D.C.

#108 Best Colleges in the Southeast 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 970-1170
  • Avg GPA 3.38
  • Acceptance Rate 93%
  • Net Price $31,989