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.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
- Public 4 Year
- Charlotte, NC
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| 0 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
UNC Charlotte is a large public university known for undergraduate business, engineering, and architecture. The suburban campus sits in North Carolina's largest city.
- SAT Range 1140-1330
- Avg GPA 3.57
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $15,045
Mississippi College
- Private 4 Year
- Clinton, MS
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| 0 reviews
Mississippi College is a private Baptist college known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The suburban campus sits in Clinton just west of Jackson.
- SAT Range 1140-1260
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.56
- Acceptance Rate 29%
- Net Price $28,559
University of North Florida
- Public 4 Year
- Jacksonville, FL
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| 0 reviews
UNF is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and coastal biology. The suburban Jacksonville campus includes lakes and a large nature preserve with trails.
- SAT Range 1070-1270
- Avg GPA 3.89
- Acceptance Rate 53%
- Net Price $11,135
Dallas Baptist University
- Private 4 Year
- Dallas, TX
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5.0 | 1 reviews
Dallas Baptist is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate business, education, and biblical studies. The hilltop campus overlooks Mountain Creek Lake in southwest Dallas.
- SAT Range 960-1213
- Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $30,057
Wayland Baptist University
- Private 4 Year
- Plainview, TX
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2.5 | 2 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Wayland Baptist is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate education, business, and Christian studies. The campus is in the small city of Plainview on the Texas High Plains.
- SAT Range 900-1090
- Avg GPA 3.14
- Acceptance Rate 56%
- Net Price $20,446
Catawba College
- Private 4 Year
- Salisbury, NC
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
Catawba is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate environmental science and ecology. The residential campus sits in Salisbury in North Carolina's Piedmont region.
- SAT Range 1030-1300
- Avg GPA 3.64
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $18,447
University of Lynchburg
- Private 4 Year
- Lynchburg, VA
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- Sep 1 application deadline
University of Lynchburg is a private university known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences. Students live on a residential campus in Lynchburg near the Blue Ridge Mountains.
- SAT Range 980-1230
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 43%
- Net Price $23,845
Fisk University
- Private 4 Year
- Nashville, TN
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Fisk is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate natural sciences and music. The historic urban campus sits in Nashville and is closely tied to the Fisk Jubilee Singers.
- SAT Range 1140-1510
- Avg GPA 3.1
- Acceptance Rate 37%
- Net Price $18,595
Trevecca Nazarene University
- Private 4 Year
- Nashville, TN
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Trevecca is a private Nazarene university known for undergraduate education, business, and ministry programs. Most students live on the urban Nashville campus.
- SAT Range 980-1235
- Avg GPA 3.43
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $18,035
Marymount University
- Private 4 Year
- Arlington, VA
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| 0 reviews
Marymount is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and interior design. The Arlington campus sits just outside Washington, D.C.
- SAT Range 970-1170
- Avg GPA 3.38
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $31,989
West Virginia University
- Public 4 Year
- Morgantown, WV
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4.0 | 4 reviews
WVU is a large public university known for undergraduate forensic science, engineering, and journalism. The campus spreads across a hilly college town in Morgantown along the Monongahela River.
- SAT Range 1010-1220
- Avg GPA 3.45
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $15,169
East Carolina University
- Public 4 Year
- Greenville, NC
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4.2 | 4 reviews
East Carolina is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and education. The main campus is in Greenville, a college town in eastern North Carolina.
- SAT Range 1070-1240
- Avg GPA 3.33
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $13,755
Lubbock Christian University
- Private 4 Year
- Lubbock, TX
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
Lubbock Christian is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The residential campus in Lubbock is affiliated with the Churches of Christ.
- SAT Range 950-1190
- Avg GPA 3.71
- Acceptance Rate 73%
- Net Price $24,544
Florida International University
- Public 4 Year
- Miami, FL
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4.1 | 7 reviews
- Apr 1 application deadline
FIU is a large public university known for undergraduate hospitality management and international business. The urban campus in Miami has a large Hispanic student population and strong Latin American ties.
- SAT Range 1070-1260
- Avg GPA 4.0
- Acceptance Rate 55%
- Net Price $11,178
Southern Adventist University
- Private 4 Year
- Collegedale, TN
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| 0 reviews
Southern Adventist is a private Seventh-day Adventist university known for undergraduate nursing and theology. Most students live on the residential campus in Collegedale near Chattanooga.
- SAT Range 1020-1300
- Avg GPA 3.59
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $25,753
Appalachian State University
- Public 4 Year
- Boone, NC
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4.3 | 10 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Appalachian State is a large public university known for undergraduate teacher education, business, and sustainable development. Boone is a mountain college town in North Carolina's Blue Ridge range.
- SAT Range 1120-1280
- Avg GPA 3.96
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $14,978
University of Montevallo
- Public 4 Year
- Montevallo, AL
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5.0 | 2 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
Montevallo is a public liberal arts university known for undergraduate education, fine arts, and the performing arts. The historic campus sits in a small college town in central Alabama.
- SAT Range 970-1200
- Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 54%
- Net Price $17,890
University of St Thomas
- Private 4 Year
- Houston, TX
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
University of St. Thomas is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate business, nursing, and the liberal arts. The urban campus sits in Houston's Museum District.
- SAT Range 980-1210
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $20,599