The Southeast region hosts some of the nation's oldest and most distinguished educational institutions, as well as several highly ranked Hidden Gem colleges. This list highlights exceptional schools located in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Each of these rankings is based on an analysis of data about the school's selectivity, financial health, graduation rates, student success, and more. We've outlined our full methodology here.
| Rank | Institution | Acceptance Rate | SAT Score | Your Est. Net Price Avg. Net Price | Median Starting Salary | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Centre College | 55.53 | 1,240 – 1,430 | 23780 | 50073 |
#1
Centre College
|
| 2 | The University of the South | 56.9 | 1,230 – 1,400 | 33616 | 53456 |
#2
The University of the South
|
| 3 | Patrick Henry College | 77.44 | 1,260 – 1,440 | 25128 | 63721 |
#3
Patrick Henry College
|
| 4 | Wofford College | 51.94 | 1,240 – 1,370 | 31061 | 52076 |
#4
Wofford College
|
| 5 | Samford University | 82.36 | 1,100 – 1,300 | 32176 | 49466 |
#5
Samford University
|
| 6 | Milligan University | 70.27 | 1,080 – 1,340 | 21463 | 43168 |
#6
Milligan University
|
| 7 | Transylvania University | 86.55 | 1,180 – 1,380 | 25634 | 40447 |
#7
Transylvania University
|
| 8 | Citadel Military College of South Carolina | 92.81 | 1,100 – 1,290 | 21041 | 60168 |
#8
Citadel Military College of South Carolina
|
| 9 | Agnes Scott College | 62.15 | 1,180 – 1,370 | 25609 | 41382 |
#9
Agnes Scott College
|
| 10 | Virginia Military Institute | 71.25 | 1,110 – 1,330 | 17229 | 63545 |
#10
Virginia Military Institute
|
| 11 | Covenant College | 86.51 | 1,150 – 1,380 | 25471 | 39570 |
#11
Covenant College
|
| 12 | Lipscomb University | 67.74 | 1,090 – 1,350 | 27386 | 50454 |
#12
Lipscomb University
|
| 13 | Hendrix College | 55.63 | 1,240 – 1,400 | 24236 | 39913 |
#13
Hendrix College
|
| 14 | Union University | 60.16 | 1,120 – 1,380 | 27191 | 45505 |
#14
Union University
|
| 15 | Berea College | 19.34 | 1,150 – 1,320 | 4379 | 35676 |
#15
Berea College
|
| 16 | Randolph-Macon College | 86.61 | 1,050 – 1,230 | 29058 | 48067 |
#16
Randolph-Macon College
|
| 17 | Meredith College | 74.18 | 1,130 – 1,350 | 23405 | 45293 |
#17
Meredith College
|
| 18 | Bob Jones University | 87.29 | 1,030 – 1,270 | 19773 | 40892 |
#18
Bob Jones University
|
| 19 | Hampden-Sydney College | 40.92 | 1,080 – 1,280 | 29578 | 55846 |
#19
Hampden-Sydney College
|
| 20 | John Brown University | 67.64 | 1,110 – 1,350 | 21464 | 46114 |
#20
John Brown University
|
| 21 | Ouachita Baptist University | 67.52 | 1,110 – 1,310 | 22087 | 41697 |
#21
Ouachita Baptist University
|
| 22 | Asbury University | 95.4 | 1,030 – 1,290 | 21375 | 35563 |
#22
Asbury University
|
| 23 | Harding University | 39.42 | 1,080 – 1,310 | 21069 | 43555 |
#23
Harding University
|
| 24 | Anderson University | 54.71 | 1,110 – 1,310 | 22222 | 42073 |
#24
Anderson University
|
| 25 | Millsaps College | 43.12 | 1,080 – 1,300 | 26739 | 46137 |
#25
Millsaps College
|
| 26 | Freed-Hardeman University | 90.61 | 1,080 – 1,280 | 18267 | 40086 |
#26
Freed-Hardeman University
|
| 27 | Bellarmine University | 86.11 | 1,020 – 1,240 | 24432 | 49819 |
#27
Bellarmine University
|
| 28 | Hollins University | 67.95 | 1,230 – 1,340 | 23444 | 29863 |
#28
Hollins University
|
| 29 | Shenandoah University | 76.95 | 990 – 1,270 | 26400 | 48167 |
#29
Shenandoah University
|
| 30 | Bridgewater College | 91.72 | 1,020 – 1,360 | 19660 | 45620 |
#30
Bridgewater College
|
| 31 | Mississippi College | 49.28 | 1,010 – 1,210 | 21135 | 42011 |
#31
Mississippi College
|
| 32 | Salem College | 78.9 | 980 – 1,180 | 19000 | 38496 |
#32
Salem College
|
| 33 | Ave Maria University | 44.81 | 1,080 – 1,310 | 23515 | 43572 |
#33
Ave Maria University
|
| 34 | Johnson University | 53.77 | 1,010 – 1,180 | 20713 | 35649 |
#34
Johnson University
|
| 35 | Centenary College of Louisiana | 55.74 | 1,050 – 1,210 | 25427 | 42821 |
#35
Centenary College of Louisiana
|
| 36 | Marymount University | 80.21 | 990 – 1,200 | 28147 | 57801 |
#36
Marymount University
|
| 37 | Presbyterian College | 68.37 | 990 – 1,220 | 20058 | 44387 |
#37
Presbyterian College
|
| 38 | Lee University | 70.52 | 1,040 – 1,270 | 20222 | 38082 |
#38
Lee University
|
| 39 | Catawba College | 75.21 | 960 – 1,240 | 18319 | 36912 | |
| 40 | Bryan College-Dayton | 97.17 | 980 – 1,190 | 17105 | 45559 |
#40
Bryan College-Dayton
|
| 41 | Christian Brothers University | 86.7 | 1,020 – 1,200 | 17068 | 48592 |
#41
Christian Brothers University
|
| 42 | Eastern Mennonite University | 100 | 1,140 – 1,540 | 24710 | 48158 |
#42
Eastern Mennonite University
|
| 43 | Oglethorpe University | 88.6 | 1,100 – 1,340 | 22251 | 42691 | |
| 44 | William Carey University | 57.97 | 1,080 – 1,310 | 17192 | 37639 |
#44
William Carey University
|
| 45 | Randolph College | 93.71 | 1,050 – 1,230 | 20856 | 39122 |
#45
Randolph College
|
| 46 | Sweet Briar College | 71.74 | 1,020 – 1,360 | 25598 | 35533 | |
| 47 | Midway University | 95.14 | 1,050 – 1,210 | 24739 | 40738 |
#47
Midway University
|
| 48 | Carson-Newman University | 90.45 | 1,010 – 1,210 | 19755 | 39324 | |
| 49 | Wesleyan College | 62.07 | 1,060 – 1,210 | 15621 | 35630 |
#49
Wesleyan College
|
| 50 | Southern Virginia University | 99.73 | 900 – 1,250 | 25440 | 36988 |
#50
Southern Virginia University
|
| 51 | Georgetown College | 91.06 | 970 – 1,150 | 14878 | 40393 |
#51
Georgetown College
|
| 52 | Maryville College | 60.92 | 1,040 – 1,300 | 20990 | 39305 |
#52
Maryville College
|
School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
Join thousands of students and parents learning about finding the right college, admissions secrets, scholarships, financial aid, and more.