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
University of Mount Olive Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Mount Olive, NC
  • | 0 reviews

Mount Olive is a private Christian university known for undergraduate agriculture and business. The residential campus is in the small town of Mount Olive in eastern North Carolina.

#15 Best Private Colleges in North Carolina 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 990-1150
  • Avg GPA 2.85
  • Acceptance Rate 76%
  • Net Price $18,853
Details
Charleston Southern University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Charleston, SC
  • | 0 reviews

Charleston Southern is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The suburban campus sits in North Charleston in the greater Charleston area.

#10 Best Private Colleges in South Carolina 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 930-1160
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.24
  • Acceptance Rate 96%
  • Net Price $21,080
Details
Delaware State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Dover, DE
  • | 0 reviews
  • Feb 1 application deadline

Delaware State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate aviation and agriculture. The main campus is in Dover, Delaware's capital city.

#2 Best Colleges in Delaware 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 800-1020
  • Avg GPA 3.09
  • Acceptance Rate 47%
  • Net Price $13,953
Details
North Carolina A & T State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Greensboro, NC
  • 4.0 | 1 reviews
  • Jun 1 application deadline

NC A&T is a large public HBCU known for undergraduate engineering and agriculture. The urban campus is in Greensboro.

#13 Best Public Universities in North Carolina 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1020-1190
  • Avg GPA 3.61
  • Acceptance Rate 50%
  • Net Price $10,097
Details
Georgia Southern University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Statesboro, GA
  • | 0 reviews
  • May 1 application deadline

Georgia Southern is a large public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and logistics. The main campus anchors the college town of Statesboro in southeast Georgia.

#6 Best Public Universities in Georgia 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 986-1133
  • Avg GPA 3.36
  • Acceptance Rate 88%
  • Net Price $15,971
Details
Point University Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • West Point, GA
  • | 0 reviews

Point is a small private Christian university known for undergraduate ministry, business, and education. The campus is in the small town of West Point on the Georgia-Alabama border.

#16 Best Private Colleges in Georgia 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 972-1237
  • Avg GPA 3.41
  • Acceptance Rate 44%
  • Net Price $19,545
Details
Barton College Campus
 

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

Barton is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate nursing and education. The residential campus is in the small city of Wilson in eastern North Carolina.

#16 Best Private Colleges in North Carolina 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 970-1150
  • Avg GPA 3.25
  • Acceptance Rate 94%
  • Net Price $23,962
Details
Arkansas Tech University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Russellville, AR
  • | 0 reviews

Arkansas Tech is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, education, and emergency management. The campus is in Russellville, a small city in the Arkansas River Valley.

#7 Best Public Universities in Arkansas 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 880-1100
  • Avg GPA 3.37
  • Acceptance Rate 96%
  • Net Price $12,626
Details
North Carolina Wesleyan University Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Rocky Mount, NC
  • | 0 reviews

North Carolina Wesleyan is a small private university known for undergraduate business, education, and criminal justice. The residential campus is located in Rocky Mount in eastern North Carolina.

#17 Best Private Colleges in North Carolina 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 860-1120
  • Avg GPA 3.2
  • Acceptance Rate 80%
  • Net Price $18,472
Details
Coker University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Hartsville, SC
  • | 0 reviews

Coker is a private university known for undergraduate liberal arts programs and round-table classroom teaching. The historic campus sits in the small town of Hartsville.

#11 Best Private Colleges in South Carolina 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 940-1160
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.1
  • Acceptance Rate 94%
  • Net Price $19,823
Details
Elizabeth City State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Elizabeth City, NC
  • | 0 reviews
  • Jun 30 application deadline

ECSU is a public HBCU known for undergraduate aviation and teacher education. The campus is in the small coastal city of Elizabeth City in northeastern North Carolina.

#14 Best Public Universities in North Carolina 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 920-1080
  • Avg GPA 3.16
  • Acceptance Rate 64%
  • Net Price $6,483
Details
Valdosta State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Valdosta, GA
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • Jun 15 application deadline

Valdosta State is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. The campus is in the south Georgia city of Valdosta.

#7 Best Public Universities in Georgia 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 920-1100
  • Avg GPA 3.23
  • Acceptance Rate 72%
  • Net Price $11,144
Details
University of South Carolina Beaufort Campus

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

A public university known for undergraduate nursing, hospitality management, and biology. The Bluffton campus sits in South Carolina's Lowcountry near Hilton Head Island.

#10 Best Public Universities in South Carolina 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 940-1110
  • Avg GPA 3.82
  • Acceptance Rate 73%
  • Net Price $15,363
Details
Bethel University Campus
 

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

Bethel is a private Christian university affiliated with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, known for undergraduate business and education programs. The campus is set in the small town of McKenzie in western Tennessee.

#18 Best Private Colleges in Tennessee 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 830-1120
  • Avg GPA 3.6
  • Acceptance Rate 60%
  • Net Price $13,112
Details
Johnson C Smith University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Charlotte, NC
  • 4.5 | 2 reviews

Johnson C. Smith is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate business, computer science, and social work. The compact urban campus sits in Charlotte's historic West End.

#18 Best Private Colleges in North Carolina 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 800-980
  • Avg GPA 2.48
  • Acceptance Rate 45%
  • Net Price $19,705
Details
Bluefield State University Campus
 

  • Public 4 Year
  • Bluefield, WV
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

Bluefield State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate nursing, engineering technology, and education. The campus is in Bluefield, a small city in the Appalachian mountains of southern West Virginia.

#3 Best Value Colleges in West Virginia 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 870-1080
  • Avg GPA 3.41
  • Acceptance Rate 97%
  • Net Price $15,814
Details
Western Kentucky University Campus

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

WKU is a public university known for undergraduate journalism, photojournalism, and broadcasting. The hilltop campus overlooks Bowling Green in south-central Kentucky.

#6 Best Public Universities in Kentucky 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 840-1050
  • Avg GPA 3.42
  • Acceptance Rate 94%
  • Net Price $12,548
Details
Fairmont State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Fairmont, WV
  • 4.0 | 1 reviews

Fairmont State is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education, nursing, and business. The hilltop campus overlooks the small city of Fairmont in north-central West Virginia.

#7 Best Public Universities in West Virginia 3/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 810-1070
  • Avg GPA 3.36
  • Acceptance Rate 99%
  • Net Price $11,328
Details