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.
Alcorn State University
- Public 4 Year
- Alcorn State, MS
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1.0 | 1 reviews
- 2,995 total enrollment
Alcorn State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate agriculture, nursing, and biology. The rural campus sits in southwestern Mississippi.
- SAT Range 670-998
- Avg GPA 3.2
- Acceptance Rate 45%
- Net Price $12,376
Mississippi Valley State University
- Public 4 Year
- Itta Bena, MS
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,205 total enrollment
Mississippi Valley State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate education and business. The rural campus sits in the Mississippi Delta near Greenwood.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 2.9
- Acceptance Rate 92%
- Net Price $10,232
Fort Valley State University
- Public 4 Year
- Fort Valley, GA
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5.0 | 2 reviews
- 2,897 total enrollment
Fort Valley State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate agriculture and animal science. The residential campus is in the small city of Fort Valley in central Georgia.
- SAT Range 930-1070
- Avg GPA 2.87
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $10,047
Bethune Cookman University
- Private 4 Year
- Daytona Beach, FL
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,853 total enrollment
Bethune-Cookman is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The campus sits in Daytona Beach near Florida's Atlantic coast.
- SAT Range 830-990
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $12,476
Brewton Parker College
- Private 4 Year
- Mount Vernon, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,338 total enrollment
Brewton-Parker is a small private Baptist college with undergraduate programs in education, business, and Christian studies. The rural campus is located in the small town of Mount Vernon in southeast Georgia.
- SAT Range 880-1010
- Avg GPA 3.0
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $25,613
Kentucky State University
- Public 4 Year
- Frankfort, KY
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| 0 reviews
- 2,020 total enrollment
Kentucky State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate aquaculture and agriculture. Students attend a small campus in Kentucky's capital city.
- SAT Range 820-1010
- Avg GPA 2.72
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $9,397
Benedict College
- Private 4 Year
- Columbia, SC
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3.0 | 2 reviews
- 1,691 total enrollment
Benedict is a private historically Black college known for undergraduate business and criminal justice. The urban campus sits in South Carolina's capital city of Columbia.
- SAT Range 820-1010
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $18,665
Virginia Union University
- Private 4 Year
- Richmond, VA
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| 0 reviews
- 1,646 total enrollment
Virginia Union is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate programs in business, education, and social work. The historic urban campus sits on Richmond's North Side.
- SAT Range 850-885
- Avg GPA 2.71
- Acceptance Rate 98%
- Net Price $11,483
Henderson State University
- Public 4 Year
- Arkadelphia, AR
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,055 total enrollment
Henderson State is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The campus sits in the small college town of Arkadelphia.
- SAT Range 903-1073
- Avg GPA 3.23
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $20,444
AdventHealth University
- Private 4 Year
- Orlando, FL
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| 0 reviews
- 1,861 total enrollment
AdventHealth University is a private university known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences. The urban Orlando campus is closely tied to the AdventHealth hospital system.
- SAT Range 1010-1140
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $29,658
Delta State University
- Public 4 Year
- Cleveland, MS
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5.0 | 2 reviews
- 2,654 total enrollment
Delta State is a public university known for undergraduate commercial aviation and teacher education. The campus is in the Mississippi Delta town of Cleveland.
- SAT Range 925-1210
- Avg GPA 3.37
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $14,021
King University
- Private 4 Year
- Bristol, TN
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,157 total enrollment
King is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing and business. The campus is in Bristol on the Tennessee-Virginia border.
- SAT Range 1000-1160
- Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $22,748
Our Lady of the Lake University
- Private 4 Year
- San Antonio, TX
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| 0 reviews
- 1,968 total enrollment
Our Lady of the Lake is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate social work and education. The urban San Antonio campus is a Hispanic-Serving Institution.
- SAT Range 890-1070
- Avg GPA 3.55
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $16,999
Eastern Mennonite University
- Private 4 Year
- Harrisonburg, VA
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| 0 reviews
- 1,154 total enrollment
Eastern Mennonite is a private Mennonite university known for undergraduate peacebuilding and nursing. Students attend a residential campus in Harrisonburg in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley.
- SAT Range 1040-1590
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $25,021
Mary Baldwin University
- Private 4 Year
- Staunton, VA
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,772 total enrollment
Mary Baldwin is a private university known for undergraduate liberal arts programs and the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership. The residential campus is in the historic Shenandoah Valley city of Staunton.
- SAT Range 940-1120
- Avg GPA 3.57
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $17,810