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.
Georgia Southern University
- Public 4 Year
- Statesboro, GA
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| 0 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Georgia Southern is a large public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and logistics. The main campus anchors the college town of Statesboro in southeast Georgia.
- SAT Range 986-1133
- Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $15,971
Arkansas Tech University
- Public 4 Year
- Russellville, AR
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Arkansas Tech is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, education, and emergency management. The campus is in Russellville, a small city in the Arkansas River Valley.
- SAT Range 880-1100
- Avg GPA 3.37
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $12,626
Elizabeth City State University
- Public 4 Year
- Elizabeth City, NC
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- Jun 30 application deadline
ECSU is a public HBCU known for undergraduate aviation and teacher education. The campus is in the small coastal city of Elizabeth City in northeastern North Carolina.
- SAT Range 920-1080
- Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 64%
- Net Price $6,483
Valdosta State University
- Public 4 Year
- Valdosta, GA
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jun 15 application deadline
Valdosta State is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. The campus is in the south Georgia city of Valdosta.
- SAT Range 920-1100
- Avg GPA 3.23
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $11,144
University of South Carolina Beaufort
- Public 4 Year
- Bluffton, SC
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A public university known for undergraduate nursing, hospitality management, and biology. The Bluffton campus sits in South Carolina's Lowcountry near Hilton Head Island.
- SAT Range 940-1110
- Avg GPA 3.82
- Acceptance Rate 73%
- Net Price $15,363
Bluefield State University
- Public 4 Year
- Bluefield, WV
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Bluefield State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate nursing, engineering technology, and education. The campus is in Bluefield, a small city in the Appalachian mountains of southern West Virginia.
- SAT Range 870-1080
- Avg GPA 3.41
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $15,814
Western Kentucky University
- Public 4 Year
- Bowling Green, KY
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- Aug 1 application deadline
WKU is a public university known for undergraduate journalism, photojournalism, and broadcasting. The hilltop campus overlooks Bowling Green in south-central Kentucky.
- SAT Range 840-1050
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $12,548
Fairmont State University
- Public 4 Year
- Fairmont, WV
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4.0 | 1 reviews
Fairmont State is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education, nursing, and business. The hilltop campus overlooks the small city of Fairmont in north-central West Virginia.
- SAT Range 810-1070
- Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $11,328
Tennessee State University
- Public 4 Year
- Nashville, TN
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Tennessee State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate nursing, business, and engineering. The urban campus is in Nashville.
- SAT Range 880-1050
- Avg GPA 3.22
- Acceptance Rate 70%
- Net Price $14,586
Concord University
- Public 4 Year
- Athens, WV
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Concord is a small public university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The residential campus sits in the college town of Athens in southern West Virginia.
- SAT Range 830-1090
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $11,379
Southeastern Louisiana University
- Public 4 Year
- Hammond, LA
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Southeastern Louisiana is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The residential campus is in Hammond, a smaller city between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $13,116
Georgia Southwestern State University
- Public 4 Year
- Americus, GA
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| 0 reviews
- Jul 21 application deadline
Georgia Southwestern is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The residential campus sits in the small city of Americus in southwest Georgia.
- SAT Range 890-1110
- Avg GPA 3.17
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $11,769
Louisiana State University Alexandria
- Public 4 Year
- Alexandria, LA
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| 0 reviews
LSUA is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The campus sits in Alexandria in central Louisiana.
- SAT Range 970-1220
- Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 92%
- Net Price $8,296
Norfolk State University
- Public 4 Year
- Norfolk, VA
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| 0 reviews
- May 31 application deadline
Norfolk State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, social work, and communications. The urban campus sits in Norfolk near downtown and the Elizabeth River.
- SAT Range 823-1030
- Avg GPA 2.9
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $9,124
North Carolina Central University
- Public 4 Year
- Durham, NC
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
NCCU is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and criminal justice. The campus sits in Durham within North Carolina's Research Triangle.
- SAT Range 980-1100
- Avg GPA 3.27
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $14,475
University of West Alabama
- Public 4 Year
- Livingston, AL
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 10 application deadline
West Alabama is a public university known for undergraduate education and business programs. The campus sits in the small town of Livingston in western Alabama.
- SAT Range 860-1120
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 43%
- Net Price $13,954
Fayetteville State University
- Public 4 Year
- Fayetteville, NC
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4.3 | 3 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Fayetteville State is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. It is a historically Black university in the University of North Carolina system.
- SAT Range 890-1090
- Avg GPA 3.11
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $7,811
Jackson State University
- Public 4 Year
- Jackson, MS
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| 0 reviews
- Jul 15 application deadline
Jackson State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate business, education, and public health. The urban campus sits in Mississippi's capital city.
- SAT Range 820-1070
- Avg GPA 3.1
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $23,450