Top Rated Southeast Public Colleges
These are the top ranked public four-year colleges in the Southeast as ranked by CollegeSimply. Leading the rankings for 2027 as the best public college in the Southeast is University of Virginia Main Campus. Learn how the Best Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page.
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
Southern Arkansas University Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Magnolia, AR
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 27 application deadline
SAU is a public university known for undergraduate business, education, and nursing. The campus is in the small college town of Magnolia.
- SAT Range 875-1105
- Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $13,442
Austin Peay State University
- Public 4 Year
- Clarksville, TN
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 4 application deadline
Austin Peay is a public university known for undergraduate education and nursing. The Clarksville campus is close to Fort Campbell and draws many military-connected students.
- SAT Range 843-1126
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $9,882
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
- Public 4 Year
- Pine Bluff, AR
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| 0 reviews
UAPB is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate aquaculture and agriculture. Students study on a residential campus in Pine Bluff in southeastern Arkansas.
- SAT Range 845-1108
- Avg GPA 2.9
- Acceptance Rate 41%
- Net Price $12,373
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
- Public 4 Year
- Natchitoches, LA
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| 0 reviews
Northwestern State is a public university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The campus is in historic Natchitoches, a small city along the Cane River.
- SAT Range 866-1163
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $13,134
Arkansas State University
- Public 4 Year
- Jonesboro, AR
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| 0 reviews
Arkansas State is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, agriculture, and business. The campus is located in Jonesboro in northeast Arkansas.
- SAT Range 970-1190
- Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $12,410
Winston Salem State University
- Public 4 Year
- Winston-Salem, NC
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| 0 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Winston-Salem State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences. The urban campus is part of the University of North Carolina system.
- SAT Range 830-1020
- Avg GPA 3.01
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $12,989
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
- Public 4 Year
- Pembroke, NC
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4.0 | 1 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
UNC Pembroke is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education and nursing. The campus was founded to serve Native American students and remains closely tied to the Lumbee community.
- SAT Range 970-1200
- Avg GPA 3.44
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $9,723
Troy University
- Public 4 Year
- Troy, AL
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5.0 | 4 reviews
Troy is a public university known for undergraduate business, nursing, and education. The main campus is a residential college-town setting in southeastern Alabama.
- SAT Range 940-1210
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $12,842
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
- Public 4 Year
- Princess Anne, MD
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| 0 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
UMES is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate agriculture, aviation science, and hospitality management. The rural campus is located in the small town of Princess Anne on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
- SAT Range 840-1010
- Avg GPA 3.07
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $13,311
Virginia State University
- Public 4 Year
- Petersburg, VA
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| 0 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Virginia State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate agriculture, education, and business. The historic campus is in Petersburg near Richmond.
- SAT Range 840-1070
- Avg GPA 2.85
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $17,840
Delaware State University
- Public 4 Year
- Dover, DE
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| 0 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Delaware State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate aviation and agriculture. The main campus is in Dover, Delaware's capital city.
- SAT Range 800-1020
- Avg GPA 3.09
- Acceptance Rate 47%
- Net Price $13,953
North Carolina A & T State University
- Public 4 Year
- Greensboro, NC
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4.0 | 1 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
NC A&T is a large public HBCU known for undergraduate engineering and agriculture. The urban campus is in Greensboro.
- SAT Range 1020-1190
- Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 50%
- Net Price $10,097