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.
Truett McConnell University
- Private 4 Year
- Cleveland, GA
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Truett McConnell is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate Christian studies and education. The campus is in the North Georgia mountains near Cleveland.
- SAT Range 1000-1190
- Avg GPA 3.49
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $22,179
Jackson State University
- Public 4 Year
- Jackson, MS
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| 0 reviews
- Jul 15 application deadline
Jackson State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate business, education, and public health. The urban campus sits in Mississippi's capital city.
- SAT Range 820-1070
- Avg GPA 3.1
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $23,450
Lander University
- Public 4 Year
- Greenwood, SC
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| 0 reviews
Lander is a public university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The campus is in the small city of Greenwood in South Carolina's Upstate.
- SAT Range 950-1178
- Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $15,520
Tusculum University
- Private 4 Year
- Greeneville, TN
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| 0 reviews
Tusculum is a small private university with undergraduate programs in business, education, and nursing. The historic Greeneville campus is Tennessee's oldest college and retains a Presbyterian affiliation.
- SAT Range 910-1110
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.18
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $20,355
Alcorn State University
- Public 4 Year
- Alcorn State, MS
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1.0 | 1 reviews
Alcorn State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate agriculture, nursing, and biology. The rural campus sits in southwestern Mississippi.
- SAT Range 670-998
- Avg GPA 3.2
- Acceptance Rate 45%
- Net Price $12,376
Prairie View A & M University
- Public 4 Year
- Prairie View, TX
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4.0 | 1 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Prairie View A&M is a public HBCU known for undergraduate engineering, nursing, and agriculture. The small-town campus sits northwest of Houston in Prairie View.
- SAT Range 860-1080
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 79%
- Net Price $14,448
Clayton State University
- Public 4 Year
- Morrow, GA
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jul 17 application deadline
Clayton State is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and business. The suburban Morrow campus sits beside a lake south of Atlanta.
- SAT Range 860-1078
- Avg GPA 3.0
- Acceptance Rate 68%
- Net Price $8,192
Mississippi Valley State University
- Public 4 Year
- Itta Bena, MS
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| 0 reviews
Mississippi Valley State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate education and business. The rural campus sits in the Mississippi Delta near Greenwood.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 2.9
- Acceptance Rate 92%
- Net Price $10,232
Fort Valley State University
- Public 4 Year
- Fort Valley, GA
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5.0 | 2 reviews
- Jun 15 application deadline
Fort Valley State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate agriculture and animal science. The residential campus is in the small city of Fort Valley in central Georgia.
- SAT Range 930-1070
- Avg GPA 2.87
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $10,047
Columbus State University
- Public 4 Year
- Columbus, GA
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| 0 reviews
- Jun 30 application deadline
Columbus State is a public university known for undergraduate music through the Schwob School of Music, plus nursing and theater. Arts programs also use a downtown RiverPark campus along the Chattahoochee River.
- SAT Range 800-1060
- Avg GPA 3.07
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $12,420
Bethune Cookman University
- Private 4 Year
- Daytona Beach, FL
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| 0 reviews
Bethune-Cookman is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The campus sits in Daytona Beach near Florida's Atlantic coast.
- SAT Range 830-990
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $12,476
Morgan State University
- Public 4 Year
- Baltimore, MD
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4.2 | 5 reviews
- Apr 15 application deadline
Morgan State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate engineering, architecture, and business. The urban campus is in northeast Baltimore.
- SAT Range 840-1070
- Avg GPA 3.1
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $15,476
West Virginia State University
- Public 4 Year
- Institute, WV
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| 0 reviews
West Virginia State is a public historically Black university with undergraduate programs in business, education, and the sciences. The campus is in Institute, near Charleston.
- SAT Range 760-1040
- Avg GPA 3.24
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $11,055
Alabama A & M University
- Public 4 Year
- Normal, AL
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| 0 reviews
Alabama A&M is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate agriculture, engineering, and education. The Normal campus lies just north of Huntsville.
- SAT Range 810-1040
- Avg GPA 3.02
- Acceptance Rate 58%
- Net Price $17,152
Brewton Parker College
- Private 4 Year
- Mount Vernon, GA
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Brewton-Parker is a small private Baptist college with undergraduate programs in education, business, and Christian studies. The rural campus is located in the small town of Mount Vernon in southeast Georgia.
- SAT Range 880-1010
- Avg GPA 3.0
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $25,613
Alabama State University
- Public 4 Year
- Montgomery, AL
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4.5 | 2 reviews
- Jul 31 application deadline
Alabama State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate education, business, and health sciences. The urban campus is in Montgomery, the state capital.
- SAT Range 749-967
- Avg GPA 2.95
- Acceptance Rate 98%
- Net Price $13,138
Kentucky State University
- Public 4 Year
- Frankfort, KY
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| 0 reviews
Kentucky State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate aquaculture and agriculture. Students attend a small campus in Kentucky's capital city.
- SAT Range 820-1010
- Avg GPA 2.72
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $9,397
Southern University and A & M College
- Public 4 Year
- Baton Rouge, LA
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Southern is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, engineering, and agriculture. The Baton Rouge campus sits on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River.
- SAT Range 790-1020
- Avg GPA 3.1
- Acceptance Rate 35%
- Net Price $18,353