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.
Tennessee State University
- Public 4 Year
- Nashville, TN
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| 0 reviews
Tennessee State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate nursing, business, and engineering. The urban campus is in Nashville.
- SAT Range 880-1050
- Avg GPA 3.22
- Acceptance Rate 70%
- Net Price $14,586
Arizona Christian University
- Private 4 Year
- Glendale, AZ
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| 0 reviews
Arizona Christian is a private Christian university known for undergraduate biblical studies and education. The suburban campus sits in Glendale in the Phoenix metro area.
- SAT Range 960-1170
- Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $32,514
Clark Atlanta University
- Private 4 Year
- Atlanta, GA
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| 0 reviews
- Apr 1 application deadline
Clark Atlanta is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate social work, business, and mass media arts. The urban Atlanta campus is part of the Atlanta University Center consortium with neighboring HBCUs.
- SAT Range 880-1120
- Avg GPA 3.28
- Acceptance Rate 64%
- Net Price $31,223
Dillard University
- Private 4 Year
- New Orleans, LA
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| 0 reviews
Dillard is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, public health, and the sciences. The urban campus sits in New Orleans's Gentilly neighborhood.
- SAT Range 968-1202
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 42%
- Net Price $21,842
Claflin University
- Private 4 Year
- Orangeburg, SC
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| 0 reviews
Claflin is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate biology, business, and education. The residential campus is located in Orangeburg in central South Carolina.
- SAT Range 840-1040
- Avg GPA 3.28
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $17,272
Concord University
- Public 4 Year
- Athens, WV
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| 0 reviews
Concord is a small public university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The residential campus sits in the college town of Athens in southern West Virginia.
- SAT Range 830-1090
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $11,379
Southeastern Louisiana University
- Public 4 Year
- Hammond, LA
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Southeastern Louisiana is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The residential campus is in Hammond, a smaller city between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $13,116
Georgia Southwestern State University
- Public 4 Year
- Americus, GA
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| 0 reviews
- Jul 21 application deadline
Georgia Southwestern is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The residential campus sits in the small city of Americus in southwest Georgia.
- SAT Range 890-1110
- Avg GPA 3.17
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $11,769
Louisiana State University Alexandria
- Public 4 Year
- Alexandria, LA
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| 0 reviews
LSUA is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The campus sits in Alexandria in central Louisiana.
- SAT Range 970-1220
- Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 92%
- Net Price $8,296
Newberry College
- Private 4 Year
- Newberry, SC
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3.0 | 2 reviews
Newberry is a private liberal arts college with undergraduate programs in education and business. The residential campus sits in the small town of Newberry and has long ties to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
- SAT Range 820-1060
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $21,943
Norfolk State University
- Public 4 Year
- Norfolk, VA
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| 0 reviews
- May 31 application deadline
Norfolk State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, social work, and communications. The urban campus sits in Norfolk near downtown and the Elizabeth River.
- SAT Range 823-1030
- Avg GPA 2.9
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $9,124
Union Commonwealth University
- Private 4 Year
- Barbourville, KY
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4.5 | 2 reviews
Union Commonwealth is a small private university with undergraduate programs in education, business, and nursing. The residential campus sits in the Appalachian college town of Barbourville.
- SAT Range 920-1105
- Avg GPA 3.15
- Acceptance Rate 63%
- Net Price $17,124
University of the Cumberlands
- Private 4 Year
- Williamsburg, KY
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 31 application deadline
University of the Cumberlands is a private Christian university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. Students live on a residential campus in the small Appalachian town of Williamsburg.
- SAT Range 960-1160
- Avg GPA 3.47
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $14,743
North Carolina Central University
- Public 4 Year
- Durham, NC
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
NCCU is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and criminal justice. The campus sits in Durham within North Carolina's Research Triangle.
- SAT Range 980-1100
- Avg GPA 3.27
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $14,475
University of West Alabama
- Public 4 Year
- Livingston, AL
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 10 application deadline
West Alabama is a public university known for undergraduate education and business programs. The campus sits in the small town of Livingston in western Alabama.
- SAT Range 860-1120
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 43%
- Net Price $13,954
Eastern New Mexico University Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Portales, NM
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 24 application deadline
ENMU is a public university known for undergraduate aviation and teacher education. The campus is in the small college town of Portales on New Mexico's eastern plains.
- SAT Range 830-1060
- Avg GPA 3.23
- Acceptance Rate 92%
- Net Price $6,416
Nelson University
- Private 4 Year
- Waxahachie, TX
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| 0 reviews
Nelson is a private Assemblies of God university known for undergraduate ministry and education programs. The campus is in Waxahachie, a small city south of Dallas.
- SAT Range 890-1090
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.19
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $22,359
Fayetteville State University
- Public 4 Year
- Fayetteville, NC
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4.3 | 3 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Fayetteville State is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. It is a historically Black university in the University of North Carolina system.
- SAT Range 890-1090
- Avg GPA 3.11
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $7,811