College Raptor’s Hidden Gem rankings highlight under-the-radar colleges that may not be household names, but they're bringing serious academic heat. Hidden Gems are based on College Raptor’s overall national rankings and must meet the following criteria:
For more information on methodology behind our college rankings, check out our ranking methodology breakdown.
| Rank | Institution | Acceptance Rate | SAT Score | Your Est. Net Price Avg. Net Price | Median Starting Salary | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Centre College | 54.36 | 1,210 – 1,440 | 23860 | 50073 |
#1
Centre College
|
| 2 | The University of the South | 56.9 | 1,280 – 1,400 | 34815 | 53456 |
#2
The University of the South
|
| 3 | Patrick Henry College | 77.44 | 1,260 – 1,440 | 25869 | 63721 |
#3
Patrick Henry College
|
| 4 | Wofford College | 51.94 | 1,240 – 1,370 | 30481 | 52076 |
#4
Wofford College
|
| 5 | Samford University | 82.36 | 1,100 – 1,300 | 34926 | 49466 |
#5
Samford University
|
| 6 | Milligan University | 72.29 | 1,120 – 1,280 | 21165 | 43168 |
#6
Milligan University
|
| 7 | Transylvania University | 86.55 | 1,180 – 1,380 | 25442 | 40447 |
#7
Transylvania University
|
| 8 | Citadel Military College of South Carolina | 22.72 | 1,100 – 1,290 | 22124 | 60168 |
#8
Citadel Military College of South Carolina
|
| 9 | Agnes Scott College | 62.15 | 1,180 – 1,360 | 27499 | 41382 |
#9
Agnes Scott College
|
| 10 | Virginia Military Institute | 71.25 | 1,110 – 1,330 | 18825 | 63545 |
#10
Virginia Military Institute
|
| 11 | Covenant College | 86.51 | 1,150 – 1,380 | 27926 | 39570 |
#11
Covenant College
|
| 12 | Lipscomb University | 67.73 | 1,150 – 1,380 | 27695 | 50454 |
#12
Lipscomb University
|
| 13 | Hendrix College | 55.65 | 1,140 – 1,400 | 24699 | 39913 |
#13
Hendrix College
|
| 14 | Union University | 60.41 | 1,120 – 1,380 | 28452 | 45505 |
#14
Union University
|
| 15 | Berea College | 19.34 | 1,150 – 1,320 | 5888 | 35676 |
#15
Berea College
|
| 16 | Randolph-Macon College | 86.61 | 990 – 1,230 | 28912 | 48067 |
#16
Randolph-Macon College
|
| 17 | Meredith College | 74.18 | 1,130 – 1,350 | 24323 | 45293 |
#17
Meredith College
|
| 18 | Bob Jones University | 86.16 | 1,030 – 1,270 | 19624 | 40892 |
#18
Bob Jones University
|
| 19 | Hampden-Sydney College | 40.92 | 1,080 – 1,280 | 29717 | 55846 |
#19
Hampden-Sydney College
|
| 20 | John Brown University | 76.14 | 1,080 – 1,320 | 21537 | 46114 |
#20
John Brown University
|
| 21 | Ouachita Baptist University | 67.52 | 1,110 – 1,310 | 24532 | 41697 |
#21
Ouachita Baptist University
|
| 22 | Asbury University | 63.4 | 1,080 – 1,320 | 23033 | 35563 |
#22
Asbury University
|
| 23 | Harding University | 70.52 | 1,050 – 1,330 | 22806 | 43555 |
#23
Harding University
|
| 24 | Anderson University | 54.71 | 1,110 – 1,310 | 24434 | 42073 |
#24
Anderson University
|
| 25 | Millsaps College | 43.12 | 1,080 – 1,300 | 27737 | 46137 |
#25
Millsaps College
|
| 26 | Freed-Hardeman University | 59.68 | 1,010 – 1,230 | 20178 | 40086 |
#26
Freed-Hardeman University
|
| 27 | Bellarmine University | 86.11 | 1,130 – 1,310 | 23165 | 49819 |
#27
Bellarmine University
|
| 28 | Hollins University | 67.95 | 1,150 – 1,340 | 22605 | 29863 |
#28
Hollins University
|
| 29 | Shenandoah University | 76.95 | 1,010 – 1,240 | 27181 | 48167 |
#29
Shenandoah University
|
| 30 | Bridgewater College | 91.72 | 1,020 – 1,360 | 11316 | 45620 |
#30
Bridgewater College
|
| 31 | Mississippi College | 29.11 | 1,010 – 1,210 | 28559 | 42011 |
#31
Mississippi College
|
| 32 | Salem College | 76.67 | 980 – 1,180 | 18668 | 38496 |
#32
Salem College
|
| 33 | Ave Maria University | 41.39 | 1,050 – 1,280 | 25294 | 43572 |
#33
Ave Maria University
|
| 34 | Johnson University | 65.11 | 970 – 1,170 | 22615 | 35649 |
#34
Johnson University
|
| 35 | Centenary College of Louisiana | 55.74 | 1,050 – 1,210 | 25953 | 42821 |
#35
Centenary College of Louisiana
|
| 36 | Marymount University | 93.16 | 990 – 1,200 | 31989 | 57801 |
#36
Marymount University
|
| 37 | Presbyterian College | 68.37 | 1,020 – 1,220 | 20840 | 44387 |
#37
Presbyterian College
|
| 38 | Lee University | 70.52 | 1,040 – 1,270 | 20416 | 38082 |
#38
Lee University
|
| 39 | Catawba College | 75.21 | 960 – 1,240 | 18447 | 36912 |
#39
Catawba College
|
| 40 | Bryan College-Dayton | 51.01 | 1,070 – 1,250 | 18159 | 45559 |
#40
Bryan College-Dayton
|
| 41 | Christian Brothers University | 86.7 | 1,020 – 1,200 | 16754 | 48592 |
#41
Christian Brothers University
|
| 42 | Eastern Mennonite University | 100 | 1,140 – 1,540 | 25021 | 48158 |
#42
Eastern Mennonite University
|
| 43 | Oglethorpe University | 88.45 | 1,100 – 1,340 | 20490 | 42691 |
#43
Oglethorpe University
|
| 44 | William Carey University | 60.29 | 1,020 – 1,220 | 15469 | 37639 |
#44
William Carey University
|
| 45 | Randolph College | 93.71 | 1,050 – 1,230 | 21668 | 39122 |
#45
Randolph College
|
| 46 | Sweet Briar College | 75.54 | 1,100 – 1,310 | 21322 | 35533 |
#46
Sweet Briar College
|
| 47 | Midway University | 95.14 | 1,050 – 1,210 | 30679 | 40738 |
#47
Midway University
|
| 48 | Carson-Newman University | 90.45 | 1,010 – 1,210 | 20895 | 39324 |
#48
Carson-Newman University
|
| 49 | Wesleyan College | 59.1 | 990 – 1,140 | 12837 | 35630 |
#49
Wesleyan College
|
| 50 | Southern Virginia University | 96.42 | 970 – 1,220 | 24561 | 36988 |
#50
Southern Virginia University
|
| 51 | Georgetown College | 91.06 | 1,030 – 1,210 | 15160 | 40393 |
#51
Georgetown College
|
| 52 | Maryville College | 60.92 | 1,040 – 1,300 | 21469 | 39305 |
#52
Maryville College
|
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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