Best Southeastern Colleges

There are 283 ranked four-year colleges in the Southeast, 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 Southeast. The top rated public university is University of Virginia Main Campus. Also highly ranked: Johns Hopkins University, Vanderbilt University and Emory 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.

283 Results
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Southeast Public Private 4 Year
Columbia International University Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Columbia, SC
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

CIU is a private Christian university known for undergraduate biblical studies and intercultural studies. Most undergrads live on the residential campus in Columbia.

#7 Best Private Colleges in South Carolina 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 990-1195
  • Avg GPA 3.5
  • Acceptance Rate 94%
  • Net Price $26,056
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Louisiana State University Shreveport Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Shreveport, LA
  • | 0 reviews

LSU Shreveport is a public university in the LSU system with undergraduate programs in business, education, and the sciences. The campus serves students across the Shreveport-Bossier region of northwest Louisiana.

#6 Best Public Universities in Louisiana 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1000-1195
  • Avg GPA 3.38
  • Acceptance Rate 51%
  • Net Price $7,287
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Liberty University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Lynchburg, VA
  • 4.8 | 4 reviews

Liberty is a private Christian university known for undergraduate aviation, nursing, and business. The Lynchburg campus sits in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

#13 Best Private Colleges in Virginia
  • SAT Range 1040-1250
  • Avg GPA 3.56
  • Acceptance Rate 99%
  • Net Price $29,532
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Northern Kentucky University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Highland Heights, KY
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 15 application deadline

NKU is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The suburban campus in Highland Heights sits just south of Cincinnati.

#4 Best Public Universities in Kentucky 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 953-1150
  • Avg GPA 3.42
  • Acceptance Rate 68%
  • Net Price $9,211
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Belmont Abbey College Campus

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

Belmont Abbey is a private Benedictine Catholic college known for undergraduate business and the liberal arts. The historic campus adjoins Belmont Abbey monastery in the Charlotte metro area.

#14 Best Private Colleges in North Carolina 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 960-1200
  • Avg GPA 3.32
  • Acceptance Rate 75%
  • Net Price $24,726
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Francis Marion University Campus

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

Francis Marion is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The wooded campus sits on the edge of Florence.

#9 Best Public Universities in South Carolina 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 870-1115
  • Avg GPA 3.89
  • Acceptance Rate 86%
  • Net Price $11,727
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Marshall University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Huntington, WV
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • Aug 10 application deadline

Marshall is a public university known for undergraduate forensic science, nursing, and business. The urban campus borders the Ohio River in Huntington.

#3 Best Public Universities in West Virginia 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 910-1150
  • Avg GPA 3.68
  • Acceptance Rate 96%
  • Net Price $8,076
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Faulkner University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Montgomery, AL
  • | 0 reviews

Faulkner is a private Christian university known for undergraduate biblical studies, ministry, and business. The Montgomery campus is affiliated with the Churches of Christ and keeps a residential college focus.

#3 Best Private Colleges in Alabama 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 886-1135
  • Avg GPA 3.36
  • Acceptance Rate 73%
  • Net Price $19,920
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Regent University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Virginia Beach, VA
  • | 0 reviews
  • Aug 1 application deadline

Regent is a private Christian university known for undergraduate communication, government, and the arts. The suburban campus is in Virginia Beach near the Atlantic coast.

#14 Best Private Colleges in Virginia 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 990-1250
  • Avg GPA 3.34
  • Acceptance Rate 38%
  • Net Price $20,512
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University of Memphis Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Memphis, TN
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • Jul 1 application deadline

University of Memphis is a large public university known for undergraduate music, business, and journalism. The urban campus is in Midtown Memphis.

#7 Best Public Universities in Tennessee 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 915-1180
  • Avg GPA 3.48
  • Acceptance Rate 72%
  • Net Price $12,756
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Eastern Kentucky University Campus

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

EKU is a public university known for undergraduate criminal justice, fire protection, and safety programs. The campus sits in the college town of Richmond in central Kentucky.

#5 Best Public Universities in Kentucky 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 880-1080
  • Avg GPA 3.39
  • Acceptance Rate 78%
  • Net Price $12,279
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Jacksonville State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Jacksonville, AL
  • | 0 reviews

Jacksonville State is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The campus sits in a small college town in the Appalachian foothills of northeast Alabama.

#7 Best Public Universities in Alabama 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1000-1290
  • Avg GPA 3.43
  • Acceptance Rate 78%
  • Net Price $14,221
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Shepherd University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Shepherdstown, WV
  • | 0 reviews

Shepherd is a public university known for undergraduate nursing and teacher education. The campus sits in historic Shepherdstown along the Potomac River.

#4 Best Public Universities in West Virginia 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 878-1140
  • Avg GPA 3.6
  • Acceptance Rate 97%
  • Net Price $11,744
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Bowie State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Bowie, MD
  • 3.0 | 1 reviews
  • May 15 application deadline

Bowie State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate education and nursing. The suburban campus sits between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

#8 Best Public Universities in Maryland 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 796-1083
  • Avg GPA 3.12
  • Acceptance Rate 72%
  • Net Price $17,287
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McNeese State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Lake Charles, LA
  • | 0 reviews

McNeese is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, engineering, and business. The campus sits in Lake Charles in southwest Louisiana.

#7 Best Public Universities in Louisiana 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 940-1198
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.36
  • Acceptance Rate 78%
  • Net Price $12,430
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Nicholls State University Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Thibodaux, LA
  • | 0 reviews

Nicholls State is a public university known for undergraduate culinary arts and nursing. The campus is in Thibodaux, a small bayou city in south Louisiana.

#8 Best Public Universities in Louisiana 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 934-1196
  • Avg GPA 3.34
  • Acceptance Rate 91%
  • Net Price $12,298
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University of Southern Mississippi Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Hattiesburg, MS
  • 5.0 | 2 reviews

Southern Miss is a public university known for undergraduate polymer science and music. The main campus sits in the college town of Hattiesburg in southern Mississippi.

#4 Best Public Universities in Mississippi 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA 3.5
  • Acceptance Rate 99%
  • Net Price $15,095
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University of West Georgia Campus
 

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

West Georgia is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The residential campus is in Carrollton, a small city about an hour west of Atlanta.

#5 Best Public Universities in Georgia 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 950-1140
  • Avg GPA 3.31
  • Acceptance Rate 52%
  • Net Price $12,913
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