Best Value Southern Colleges
There are 359 colleges in the South ranked by value using the same methodology as our national list. Rankings balance academic quality with the net price students typically pay.
University of Tulsa leads South value rankings for 2027 with a 10 out of 10 academic rating and an average net price of $13,095. The top value public university is New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. Also high value: Duke University, Johns Hopkins University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Compare net price, aid, and academic ratings across the colleges below. See how value scores are calculated on our methodology page. Explore the regional list below or browse individual states.
Mississippi State University
- Public 4 Year
- Mississippi State, MS
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| 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.
- SAT Range 1100-1350
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $18,478
Meredith College
- Private 4 Year
- Raleigh, NC
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| 0 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Meredith is a private women's college known for undergraduate business, education, and design. The residential campus sits in Raleigh near the state's government district.
- SAT Range 1098-1348
- Avg GPA 3.52
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $24,323
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Norman, OK
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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.
- SAT Range 1140-1330
- Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $18,574
University of Houston
- Public 4 Year
- Houston, TX
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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.
- SAT Range 1160-1340
- Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $14,309
University of Arizona
- Public 4 Year
- Tucson, AZ
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| 0 reviews
Arizona is a large public university known for undergraduate astronomy, optical sciences, and planetary science. The main campus sits in the Sonoran Desert in Tucson.
- SAT Range 1150-1420
- Avg GPA 3.48
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $19,055
Agnes Scott College
- Private 4 Year
- Decatur, GA
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Agnes Scott is a private women's liberal arts college known for undergraduate sciences, writing, and global learning. The residential campus sits in historic Decatur, just outside Atlanta.
- SAT Range 1160-1330
- Avg GPA 3.77
- Acceptance Rate 62%
- Net Price $27,499
Berry College
- Private 4 Year
- Mount Berry, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 15 application deadline
Berry is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate animal science, business, and education. Most students join a campus work program on the college's 27,000-acre grounds of forests and farmland near Rome.
- SAT Range 1125-1330
- Avg GPA 3.84
- Acceptance Rate 64%
- Net Price $25,363
Transylvania University
- 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.
- SAT Range 1120-1380
- Avg GPA 3.77
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $25,442
St. Mary's College of Maryland
- Public 4 Year
- St. Mary's City, MD
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| 0 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
St. Mary's College of Maryland is a public honors college known for undergraduate liberal arts. The historic campus sits on the St. Mary's River in southern Maryland.
- SAT Range 1143-1340
- Avg GPA 3.45
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $21,071
Citadel Military College of South Carolina
- 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.
- SAT Range 1085-1285
- Avg GPA 3.8
- Acceptance Rate 23%
- Net Price $22,124
Southwestern University
- 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.
- SAT Range 1130-1300
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 43%
- Net Price $32,228
University of Central Florida
- 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.
- SAT Range 1200-1350
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.64
- Acceptance Rate 40%
- Net Price $13,351
Campbell University
- Private 4 Year
- Buies Creek, NC
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Campbell is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate health sciences, business, and PGA golf management. The rural campus anchors the small town of Buies Creek.
- SAT Range 1030-1230
- Avg GPA 3.52
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $25,736
Oklahoma City University
- Private 4 Year
- Oklahoma City, OK
-
| 0 reviews
Oklahoma City University is a private university known for undergraduate dance, music, and theater. The urban campus is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
- SAT Range 1050-1260
- Avg GPA 3.77
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $24,051
Clemson University
- Public 4 Year
- Clemson, SC
-
4.4 | 10 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Clemson is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering and business. The lakeside campus sits in the Blue Ridge foothills beside Lake Hartwell.
- SAT Range 1240-1410
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.75
- Acceptance Rate 38%
- Net Price $25,003
Lipscomb University
- Private 4 Year
- Nashville, TN
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3.0 | 1 reviews
Lipscomb is a private Christian university known for undergraduate business, education, and nursing. The residential campus sits in Nashville's Green Hills neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1160-1380
- Avg GPA 3.73
- Acceptance Rate 68%
- Net Price $27,695
The University of Tennessee Knoxville
- 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.
- SAT Range 1200-1370
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 42%
- Net Price $21,648
Trevecca Nazarene University
- 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.
- SAT Range 980-1235
- Avg GPA 3.43
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $18,035