Top Rated South Public Colleges
These are the top ranked public four-year colleges in the South as ranked by CollegeSimply. Leading the rankings for 2027 as the best public college in the South is University of Virginia Main Campus. Learn how the Best Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page.
The University of Texas at Tyler
- Public 4 Year
- Tyler, TX
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 24 application deadline
UT Tyler is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and engineering. The campus is in the East Texas city of Tyler.
- SAT Range 1010-1200
- Avg GPA 3.44
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $14,476
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
- Public 4 Year
- Charlotte, NC
-
| 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
University of North Florida
- Public 4 Year
- Jacksonville, FL
-
| 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
West Virginia University
- Public 4 Year
- Morgantown, WV
-
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
-
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
Florida International University
- Public 4 Year
- Miami, FL
-
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
Appalachian State University
- Public 4 Year
- Boone, NC
-
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
-
5.0 | 1 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
Louisiana Tech University
- Public 4 Year
- Ruston, LA
-
3.3 | 3 reviews
Louisiana Tech is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and architecture. Ruston is a college town in northern Louisiana built around the campus.
- SAT Range 1100-1310
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $12,325
Longwood University
- Public 4 Year
- Farmville, VA
-
| 0 reviews
Longwood is a public university known for undergraduate education, business, and nursing. The residential campus sits in the small college town of Farmville.
- SAT Range 1030-1210
- Avg GPA 3.59
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $20,847
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- Public 4 Year
- Greensboro, NC
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
UNCG is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and the performing arts. The urban campus is located in Greensboro.
- SAT Range 1150-1355
- Avg GPA 3.59
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $11,404
East Tennessee State University
- Public 4 Year
- Johnson City, TN
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
ETSU is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and bluegrass music. The campus sits in the Appalachian Highlands of northeastern Tennessee.
- SAT Range 980-1200
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.33
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $16,286
Florida Atlantic University
- Public 4 Year
- Boca Raton, FL
-
4.2 | 4 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
FAU is a large public university known for undergraduate ocean engineering and marine science. The Boca Raton campus sits near the Atlantic coast in South Florida.
- SAT Range 1040-1200
- Avg GPA 3.74
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $10,225
Middle Tennessee State University
- Public 4 Year
- Murfreesboro, TN
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
MTSU is a large public university known for undergraduate recording industry, aerospace, and music business programs. The campus is in Murfreesboro, a growing city about a half hour southeast of Nashville.
- SAT Range 1010-1230
- Avg GPA 3.64
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $13,859
University of North Texas
- Public 4 Year
- Denton, TX
-
4.3 | 3 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
UNT is a large public university known for undergraduate music and jazz studies. Denton is a college town north of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
- SAT Range 980-1230
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $15,965
University of New Mexico Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Albuquerque, NM
-
| 0 reviews
UNM is a large public university known for undergraduate Latin American studies, anthropology, and photography. The urban Albuquerque campus features Pueblo Revival architecture.
- SAT Range 890-1170
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $6,347
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
- Public 4 Year
- Lafayette, LA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
UL Lafayette is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, engineering, and architecture. The campus is set in Lafayette, a hub of Cajun and Acadiana culture in southern Louisiana.
- SAT Range 1120-1240
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $13,017
The University of Texas at Arlington
- Public 4 Year
- Arlington, TX
-
4.7 | 3 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
UT Arlington is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, engineering, and architecture. The suburban campus sits in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex between the two cities.
- SAT Range 1010-1240
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.43
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $13,755