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.
Francis Marion University
- Public 4 Year
- Florence, SC
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| 0 reviews
Francis Marion is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The wooded campus sits on the edge of Florence.
- SAT Range 870-1115
- Avg GPA 3.89
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $11,727
Texas A&M University Kingsville
- Public 4 Year
- Kingsville, TX
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Texas A&M-Kingsville is a public university known for undergraduate petroleum engineering, agriculture, and wildlife science. Students attend a campus in the small South Texas city of Kingsville.
- SAT Range 990-1110
- Avg GPA 3.45
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $12,812
Marshall University
- Public 4 Year
- Huntington, WV
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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.
- SAT Range 910-1150
- Avg GPA 3.68
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $8,076
Midwestern State University
- Public 4 Year
- Wichita Falls, TX
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| 0 reviews
Midwestern State is a public liberal arts university known for undergraduate nursing and business. The campus sits in the city of Wichita Falls in North Texas.
- SAT Range 910-1100
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.2
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $11,215
Stephen F Austin State University
- Public 4 Year
- Nacogdoches, TX
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3.8 | 8 reviews
SFA is a public university known for undergraduate forestry, education, and nursing. The residential campus sits in the historic East Texas college town of Nacogdoches.
- SAT Range 970-1170
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.26
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $14,959
University of Memphis
- Public 4 Year
- Memphis, TN
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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.
- SAT Range 915-1180
- Avg GPA 3.48
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $12,756
Eastern Kentucky University
- Public 4 Year
- Richmond, KY
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| 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.
- SAT Range 880-1080
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $12,279
Jacksonville State University
- Public 4 Year
- Jacksonville, AL
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| 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.
- SAT Range 1000-1290
- Avg GPA 3.43
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $14,221
Shepherd University
- Public 4 Year
- Shepherdstown, WV
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| 0 reviews
Shepherd is a public university known for undergraduate nursing and teacher education. The campus sits in historic Shepherdstown along the Potomac River.
- SAT Range 878-1140
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $11,744
Bowie State University
- Public 4 Year
- Bowie, MD
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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.
- SAT Range 796-1083
- Avg GPA 3.12
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $17,287
McNeese State University
- Public 4 Year
- Lake Charles, LA
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| 0 reviews
McNeese is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, engineering, and business. The campus sits in Lake Charles in southwest Louisiana.
- SAT Range 940-1198
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $12,430
Nicholls State University
- Public 4 Year
- Thibodaux, LA
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| 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.
- SAT Range 934-1196
- Avg GPA 3.34
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $12,298
University of Southern Mississippi
- Public 4 Year
- Hattiesburg, MS
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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.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $15,095
University of West Georgia
- Public 4 Year
- Carrollton, GA
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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.
- SAT Range 950-1140
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 52%
- Net Price $12,913
West Liberty University
- Public 4 Year
- West Liberty, WV
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| 0 reviews
West Liberty is a small public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. The residential campus is set in a small town in West Virginia's Northern Panhandle.
- SAT Range 890-1123
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $13,655
Auburn University at Montgomery
- Public 4 Year
- Montgomery, AL
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
AUM is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The campus is located in Montgomery, Alabama's capital city.
- SAT Range 1036-1203
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 92%
- Net Price $13,945
East Texas A&M University
- Public 4 Year
- Commerce, TX
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
East Texas A&M is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education, business, and agricultural sciences. The residential campus sits in the small college town of Commerce in Northeast Texas.
- SAT Range 910-1150
- Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 92%
- Net Price $12,327
Tarleton State University
- Public 4 Year
- Stephenville, TX
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4.5 | 2 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Tarleton State is a public university known for undergraduate agriculture, animal science, and nursing. The main campus anchors the college town of Stephenville in north-central Texas.
- SAT Range 980-1160
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.21
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $16,159