The Best Southern Small Colleges
These are the top ranked small, public and private, four-year colleges in the South as ranked by CollegeSimply. These schools all have total enrollment under 3,000. Small colleges allow students a more intimate and personalized experience where it's more likely you will get to know your professors. Leading the list for 2027 is Washington and Lee University. Learn how the Best Small Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page.
Carson Newman University
- Private 4 Year
- Jefferson City, TN
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4.0 | 1 reviews
- 2,669 total enrollment
Carson-Newman is a private Baptist university with undergraduate strengths in nursing, education, and the liberal arts. Students live on a residential campus in the small East Tennessee town of Jefferson City.
- SAT Range 955-1215
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $20,895
Columbia International University
- Private 4 Year
- Columbia, SC
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,914 total enrollment
CIU is a private Christian university known for undergraduate biblical studies and intercultural studies. Most undergrads live on the residential campus in Columbia.
- SAT Range 990-1195
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $26,056
Northwestern Oklahoma State University
- Public 4 Year
- Alva, OK
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,079 total enrollment
Northwestern Oklahoma State is a small public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. The residential campus sits in the small college town of Alva in northwestern Oklahoma.
- SAT Range 803-1036
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $10,492
Belmont Abbey College
- Private 4 Year
- Belmont, NC
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- 1,388 total enrollment
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.
- SAT Range 960-1200
- Avg GPA 3.32
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $24,726
Schreiner University
- Private 4 Year
- Kerrville, TX
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| 0 reviews
- 1,326 total enrollment
Schreiner is a small private university with undergraduate programs in nursing and education. The campus sits in Kerrville in the Texas Hill Country.
- SAT Range 970-1160
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $22,884
Oklahoma Christian University
- Private 4 Year
- Edmond, OK
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| 0 reviews
- 2,851 total enrollment
Oklahoma Christian is a private university affiliated with the Churches of Christ and known for undergraduate engineering, nursing, and business. The campus is in the Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond.
- SAT Range 1010-1270
- Avg GPA 3.62
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $22,391
West Liberty University
- Public 4 Year
- West Liberty, WV
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| 0 reviews
- 2,299 total enrollment
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
The University of Tennessee Southern
- Private 4 Year
- Pulaski, TN
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,046 total enrollment
UT Southern is a small public university with undergraduate programs in nursing, education, and business. The campus sits in the small town of Pulaski in southern Tennessee.
- SAT Range 905-1110
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.17
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $14,546
West Virginia Wesleyan College
- Private 4 Year
- Buckhannon, WV
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,055 total enrollment
West Virginia Wesleyan is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate nursing and education. Most students live on a residential campus in the college town of Buckhannon.
- SAT Range 892-1160
- Avg GPA 3.52
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $19,218
Georgetown College
- Private 4 Year
- Georgetown, KY
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- 1,345 total enrollment
Georgetown College is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate education and business. Most undergrads live on its residential campus in a small Kentucky college town.
- SAT Range 960-1160
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $15,160
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
- Public 4 Year
- Pine Bluff, AR
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| 0 reviews
- 2,005 total enrollment
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
Limestone University
- Private 4 Year
- Gaffney, SC
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,807 total enrollment
Limestone is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The campus is in the small town of Gaffney in upstate South Carolina.
- SAT Range 980-1160
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $19,369
Shorter University
- Private 4 Year
- Rome, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,318 total enrollment
Shorter is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, music, and education. The campus sits in the small city of Rome in northwest Georgia.
- SAT Range 1040-1200
- Avg GPA 3.25
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $16,821
Columbia College
- Private 4 Year
- Columbia, SC
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,725 total enrollment
Columbia College is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate education and nursing. Students study on an urban campus in South Carolina's capital.
- SAT Range 850-1140
- Avg GPA 3.56
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $18,790
Midway University
- Private 4 Year
- Midway, KY
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,003 total enrollment
Midway is a private university known for undergraduate equestrian studies, nursing, and teacher education. The residential campus is in the small town of Midway in central Kentucky.
- SAT Range 1100-1170
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $30,679
Concordia University Texas
- Private 4 Year
- Austin, TX
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4.0 | 2 reviews
- 1,396 total enrollment
Concordia Texas is a private Lutheran university with undergraduate programs in nursing, business, and education. The campus is in northwest Austin.
- SAT Range 860-1100
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $24,723
Tougaloo College
- Private 4 Year
- Tougaloo, MS
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,301 total enrollment
Tougaloo is a private historically Black liberal arts college known for undergraduate programs in the sciences and social sciences. The historic campus just outside Jackson was a key site in the Civil Rights Movement.
- SAT Range 790-1090
- Avg GPA 2.8
- Acceptance Rate 60%
- Net Price $14,328
University of Mount Olive
- Private 4 Year
- Mount Olive, NC
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,109 total enrollment
Mount Olive is a private Christian university known for undergraduate agriculture and business. The residential campus is in the small town of Mount Olive in eastern North Carolina.
- SAT Range 990-1150
- Avg GPA 2.85
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $18,853