Best Southern Colleges

There are 359 ranked four-year colleges in the South, evaluated with the same methodology used for our national rankings. Only nonprofit, selective four-year schools are included.

Leading our 2027 rankings is Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, topping our list in the South. The top rated public university is University of Virginia Main Campus. Also highly ranked: Rice University, Johns Hopkins University and Vanderbilt University.

Compare tuition, acceptance rates, and enrollment across the colleges below. See how rankings are calculated on our methodology page. Explore the regional list below or browse individual states.

359 Results
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South Public Private 4 Year
Belmont Abbey College Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Belmont, NC
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews

Belmont Abbey is a private Benedictine Catholic college known for undergraduate business and the liberal arts. The historic campus adjoins Belmont Abbey monastery in the Charlotte metro area.

#14 Best Private Colleges in North Carolina 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 960-1200
  • Avg GPA 3.32
  • Acceptance Rate 75%
  • Net Price $24,726
Details
East Central University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Ada, OK
  • | 0 reviews

East Central is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education and nursing. The campus is in the small city of Ada in south-central Oklahoma.

#5 Best Public Universities in Oklahoma 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 900-1120
  • Avg GPA 3.31
  • Acceptance Rate 58%
  • Net Price $8,565
Details
Francis Marion University Campus

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

Francis Marion is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The wooded campus sits on the edge of Florence.

#9 Best Public Universities in South Carolina 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 870-1115
  • Avg GPA 3.89
  • Acceptance Rate 86%
  • Net Price $11,727
Details
Texas A&M University Kingsville Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Kingsville, TX
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

Texas A&M-Kingsville is a public university known for undergraduate petroleum engineering, agriculture, and wildlife science. Students attend a campus in the small South Texas city of Kingsville.

#16 Best Public Universities in Texas 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 990-1110
  • Avg GPA 3.45
  • Acceptance Rate 91%
  • Net Price $12,812
Details
Marshall University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Huntington, WV
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • Aug 10 application deadline

Marshall is a public university known for undergraduate forensic science, nursing, and business. The urban campus borders the Ohio River in Huntington.

#3 Best Public Universities in West Virginia 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 910-1150
  • Avg GPA 3.68
  • Acceptance Rate 96%
  • Net Price $8,076
Details
Oral Roberts University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Tulsa, OK
  • 3.3 | 3 reviews

Oral Roberts is a private Christian university known for undergraduate ministry, nursing, and business. The Tulsa campus centers on the Prayer Tower and a distinctive modernist architectural style.

#4 Best Private Colleges in Oklahoma 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1120-1310
  • Avg GPA 3.5
  • Acceptance Rate 99%
  • Net Price $25,808
Details
Schreiner University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Kerrville, TX
  • | 0 reviews

Schreiner is a small private university with undergraduate programs in nursing and education. The campus sits in Kerrville in the Texas Hill Country.

#23 Best Private Colleges in Texas 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 970-1160
  • Avg GPA 3.3
  • Acceptance Rate 88%
  • Net Price $22,884
Details
Faulkner University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Montgomery, AL
  • | 0 reviews

Faulkner is a private Christian university known for undergraduate biblical studies, ministry, and business. The Montgomery campus is affiliated with the Churches of Christ and keeps a residential college focus.

#3 Best Private Colleges in Alabama 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 886-1135
  • Avg GPA 3.36
  • Acceptance Rate 73%
  • Net Price $19,920
Details
Regent University Campus

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

Regent is a private Christian university known for undergraduate communication, government, and the arts. The suburban campus is in Virginia Beach near the Atlantic coast.

#14 Best Private Colleges in Virginia 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 990-1250
  • Avg GPA 3.34
  • Acceptance Rate 38%
  • Net Price $20,512
Details
McMurry University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Abilene, TX
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • Aug 15 application deadline

McMurry is a private university known for undergraduate business, education, and nursing. The residential campus in Abilene is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

#24 Best Private Colleges in Texas 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 950-1160
  • Avg GPA 3.7
  • Acceptance Rate 57%
  • Net Price $20,723
Details
Midwestern State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Wichita Falls, TX
  • | 0 reviews

Midwestern State is a public liberal arts university known for undergraduate nursing and business. The campus sits in the city of Wichita Falls in North Texas.

#17 Best Public Universities in Texas 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 910-1100
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.2
  • Acceptance Rate 94%
  • Net Price $11,215
Details
Stephen F Austin State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Nacogdoches, TX
  • 3.8 | 8 reviews

SFA is a public university known for undergraduate forestry, education, and nursing. The residential campus sits in the historic East Texas college town of Nacogdoches.

#18 Best Public Universities in Texas 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 970-1170
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.26
  • Acceptance Rate 94%
  • Net Price $14,959
Details
University of Memphis Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Memphis, TN
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • Jul 1 application deadline

University of Memphis is a large public university known for undergraduate music, business, and journalism. The urban campus is in Midtown Memphis.

#7 Best Public Universities in Tennessee 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 915-1180
  • Avg GPA 3.48
  • Acceptance Rate 72%
  • Net Price $12,756
Details
Oklahoma Christian University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Edmond, OK
  • | 0 reviews

Oklahoma Christian is a private university affiliated with the Churches of Christ and known for undergraduate engineering, nursing, and business. The campus is in the Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond.

#5 Best Private Colleges in Oklahoma 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1010-1270
  • Avg GPA 3.62
  • Acceptance Rate 97%
  • Net Price $22,391
Details
Eastern Kentucky University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Richmond, KY
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

EKU is a public university known for undergraduate criminal justice, fire protection, and safety programs. The campus sits in the college town of Richmond in central Kentucky.

#5 Best Public Universities in Kentucky 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 880-1080
  • Avg GPA 3.39
  • Acceptance Rate 78%
  • Net Price $12,279
Details
Jacksonville State University Campus

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

Jacksonville State is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The campus sits in a small college town in the Appalachian foothills of northeast Alabama.

#7 Best Public Universities in Alabama 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1000-1290
  • Avg GPA 3.43
  • Acceptance Rate 78%
  • Net Price $14,221
Details
Shepherd University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Shepherdstown, WV
  • | 0 reviews

Shepherd is a public university known for undergraduate nursing and teacher education. The campus sits in historic Shepherdstown along the Potomac River.

#4 Best Public Universities in West Virginia 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 878-1140
  • Avg GPA 3.6
  • Acceptance Rate 97%
  • Net Price $11,744
Details
Bowie State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Bowie, MD
  • 3.0 | 1 reviews
  • May 15 application deadline

Bowie State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate education and nursing. The suburban campus sits between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

#8 Best Public Universities in Maryland 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 796-1083
  • Avg GPA 3.12
  • Acceptance Rate 72%
  • Net Price $17,287
Details