The Best Southeastern Small Colleges
These are the top ranked small, public and private, four-year colleges in the Southeast 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.
Thomas University
- Private 4 Year
- Thomasville, GA
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| 0 reviews
- 1,471 total enrollment
Thomas University is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The small campus is located in Thomasville in southern Georgia.
- SAT Range 990-1220
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 38%
- Net Price $17,823
Maryville College
- Private 4 Year
- Maryville, TN
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| 0 reviews
- 1,136 total enrollment
Maryville is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate environmental studies and outdoor programs. The residential campus sits near the Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee.
- SAT Range 1018-1188
- Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 61%
- Net Price $21,469
Emory & Henry University
- Private 4 Year
- Emory, VA
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| 0 reviews
- 1,311 total enrollment
Emory & Henry is a private liberal arts university known for undergraduate teacher education and the social sciences. The rural campus sits in the Appalachian Mountains of southwestern Virginia.
- SAT Range 1051-1223
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $21,446
Flagler College
- Private 4 Year
- Saint Augustine, FL
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0.0 | 1 reviews
- 2,425 total enrollment
Flagler is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate business, education, and communication. The historic campus centers on the former Hotel Ponce de Leon in downtown St. Augustine.
- SAT Range 960-1190
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.38
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $32,395
Piedmont University
- Private 4 Year
- Demorest, GA
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2.0 | 2 reviews
- 1,857 total enrollment
Piedmont is a private university known for undergraduate education and nursing. The campus is set in the small town of Demorest in northeast Georgia's Blue Ridge foothills.
- SAT Range 1038-1245
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $22,252
Freed Hardeman University
- Private 4 Year
- Henderson, TN
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| 0 reviews
- 2,306 total enrollment
Freed-Hardeman is a private Christian university affiliated with the Churches of Christ, known for undergraduate biblical studies, ministry, and education. The residential campus sits in the small town of Henderson in West Tennessee.
- SAT Range 952-1087
- Avg GPA 3.75
- Acceptance Rate 60%
- Net Price $20,178
Guilford College
- Private 4 Year
- Greensboro, NC
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| 0 reviews
- 1,180 total enrollment
Guilford is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate peace and conflict studies. The Quaker-founded residential campus sits in Greensboro.
- SAT Range 1120-1260
- Avg GPA 3.14
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $22,270
Thomas More University
- Private 4 Year
- Crestview Hills, KY
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| 0 reviews
- 2,350 total enrollment
Thomas More is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and business. The suburban campus in Crestview Hills sits just south of Cincinnati.
- SAT Range 1030-1230
- Avg GPA 3.35
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $22,297
North Greenville University
- Private 4 Year
- Tigerville, SC
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| 0 reviews
- 2,304 total enrollment
North Greenville is a private Christian university known for undergraduate programs in Christian studies, education, and business. The residential campus lies in the Blue Ridge foothills of rural Tigerville.
- SAT Range 1060-1240
- Avg GPA 3.84
- Acceptance Rate 67%
- Net Price $21,346
Oglethorpe University
- Private 4 Year
- Atlanta, GA
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| 0 reviews
- 1,425 total enrollment
Oglethorpe is a private liberal arts college known for a required undergraduate core curriculum in the humanities and sciences. The wooded campus sits in Atlanta's Brookhaven neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1090-1310
- Avg GPA 3.73
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $20,490
Virginia Wesleyan University
- Private 4 Year
- Virginia Beach, VA
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| 0 reviews
- 1,853 total enrollment
Virginia Wesleyan is a private liberal arts university known for undergraduate programs in the arts and sciences. The wooded campus sits in suburban Virginia Beach near the Atlantic coast.
- SAT Range 1140-1350
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 73%
- Net Price $21,267
Converse University
- Private 4 Year
- Spartanburg, SC
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- 1,787 total enrollment
Converse is a private university known for undergraduate music and the visual and performing arts. Its historic campus in Spartanburg was long a women's college and is now coeducational.
- SAT Range 1010-1250
- Avg GPA 3.89
- Acceptance Rate 68%
- Net Price $19,061
Methodist University
- Private 4 Year
- Fayetteville, NC
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| 0 reviews
- 1,822 total enrollment
Methodist University is a private university known for undergraduate PGA golf management and business. The campus sits in Fayetteville near Fort Liberty.
- SAT Range 1080-1250
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $26,334
Life University
- Private 4 Year
- Marietta, GA
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| 0 reviews
- 2,714 total enrollment
Life University is a private university known for chiropractic education and undergraduate exercise science and biology. The suburban campus is in Marietta near Atlanta.
- SAT Range 920-1130
- Avg GPA 3.11
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $29,111
Reinhardt University
- Private 4 Year
- Waleska, GA
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- 1,233 total enrollment
Reinhardt is a private university known for undergraduate business, education, and music. The campus is set in the small North Georgia mountain town of Waleska.
- SAT Range 940-1160
- Avg GPA 3.25
- Acceptance Rate 62%
- Net Price $24,550
Mississippi University for Women
- Public 4 Year
- Columbus, MS
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| 0 reviews
- 2,193 total enrollment
Mississippi University for Women is a public university known for undergraduate nursing and education. Historically the first public women's college in the United States, the Columbus campus is now coeducational.
- SAT Range 850-1180
- Avg GPA 3.49
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $12,487
Brenau University
- Private 4 Year
- Gainesville, GA
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| 0 reviews
- 2,436 total enrollment
Brenau is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and the arts. Traditional undergraduates enroll in its residential Women's College on a historic campus in Gainesville.
- SAT Range 930-1200
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $19,743
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University
- Private 4 Year
- Baton Rouge, LA
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| 0 reviews
- 1,191 total enrollment
FranU is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences. The compact Baton Rouge campus is tied to the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady health system.
- SAT Range -
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.23
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $16,432