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.
Angelo State University
- Public 4 Year
- San Angelo, TX
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4.0 | 1 reviews
Angelo State is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and agriculture. The campus is in the West Texas city of San Angelo.
- SAT Range 910-1150
- Avg GPA 3.71
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $14,048
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
- Public 4 Year
- Pine Bluff, AR
-
| 0 reviews
UAPB is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate aquaculture and agriculture. Students study on a residential campus in Pine Bluff in southeastern Arkansas.
- SAT Range 845-1108
- Avg GPA 2.9
- Acceptance Rate 41%
- Net Price $12,373
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
- Public 4 Year
- Natchitoches, LA
-
| 0 reviews
Northwestern State is a public university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The campus is in historic Natchitoches, a small city along the Cane River.
- SAT Range 866-1163
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $13,134
Limestone University
- Private 4 Year
- Gaffney, SC
-
| 0 reviews
Limestone is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The campus is in the small town of Gaffney in upstate South Carolina.
- SAT Range 980-1160
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $19,369
Arkansas State University
- Public 4 Year
- Jonesboro, AR
-
| 0 reviews
Arkansas State is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, agriculture, and business. The campus is located in Jonesboro in northeast Arkansas.
- SAT Range 970-1190
- Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $12,410
Shorter University
- Private 4 Year
- Rome, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 25 application deadline
Shorter is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, music, and education. The campus sits in the small city of Rome in northwest Georgia.
- SAT Range 1040-1200
- Avg GPA 3.25
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $16,821
Lamar University
- Public 4 Year
- Beaumont, TX
-
1.7 | 3 reviews
Lamar is a public university known for undergraduate engineering and nursing. The campus is located in Beaumont in southeast Texas.
- SAT Range 930-1140
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $9,814
Columbia College
- Private 4 Year
- Columbia, SC
-
| 0 reviews
Columbia College is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate education and nursing. Students study on an urban campus in South Carolina's capital.
- SAT Range 850-1140
- Avg GPA 3.56
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $18,790
University of Houston Downtown
- Public 4 Year
- Houston, TX
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
UHD is a public university known for undergraduate business and criminal justice. The urban campus sits in downtown Houston near the city's business district.
- SAT Range 940-1110
- Avg GPA 3.29
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $10,832
Winston Salem State University
- Public 4 Year
- Winston-Salem, NC
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Winston-Salem State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences. The urban campus is part of the University of North Carolina system.
- SAT Range 830-1020
- Avg GPA 3.01
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $12,989
St. Thomas University
- Private 4 Year
- Miami Gardens, FL
-
1.0 | 1 reviews
St. Thomas is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate business, criminal justice, and sports administration. The suburban campus lies in Miami Gardens just north of Miami.
- SAT Range 860-1060
- Avg GPA 3.24
- Acceptance Rate 98%
- Net Price $27,844
Midway University
- Private 4 Year
- Midway, KY
-
| 0 reviews
Midway is a private university known for undergraduate equestrian studies, nursing, and teacher education. The residential campus is in the small town of Midway in central Kentucky.
- SAT Range 1100-1170
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $30,679
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
- Public 4 Year
- Pembroke, NC
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
UNC Pembroke is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education and nursing. The campus was founded to serve Native American students and remains closely tied to the Lumbee community.
- SAT Range 970-1200
- Avg GPA 3.44
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $9,723
Troy University
- Public 4 Year
- Troy, AL
-
5.0 | 4 reviews
Troy is a public university known for undergraduate business, nursing, and education. The main campus is a residential college-town setting in southeastern Alabama.
- SAT Range 940-1210
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $12,842
Concordia University Texas
- Private 4 Year
- Austin, TX
-
4.0 | 2 reviews
Concordia Texas is a private Lutheran university with undergraduate programs in nursing, business, and education. The campus is in northwest Austin.
- SAT Range 860-1100
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $24,723
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
- Public 4 Year
- Princess Anne, MD
-
| 0 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
UMES is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate agriculture, aviation science, and hospitality management. The rural campus is located in the small town of Princess Anne on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
- SAT Range 840-1010
- Avg GPA 3.07
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $13,311
Tougaloo College
- Private 4 Year
- Tougaloo, MS
-
| 0 reviews
Tougaloo is a private historically Black liberal arts college known for undergraduate programs in the sciences and social sciences. The historic campus just outside Jackson was a key site in the Civil Rights Movement.
- SAT Range 790-1090
- Avg GPA 2.8
- Acceptance Rate 60%
- Net Price $14,328
Virginia State University
- Public 4 Year
- Petersburg, VA
-
| 0 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Virginia State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate agriculture, education, and business. The historic campus is in Petersburg near Richmond.
- SAT Range 840-1070
- Avg GPA 2.85
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $17,840