2026 College Rankings

Best Colleges in the Southeast US

About

The South is known for delicious southern food, heart-warming southern hospitality, and quality southern education. It's also home to some of the oldest colleges in the country, dating back to the Civil War and even before in many cases. Some of the very best colleges in the US are found in the southeast region. The best Southeast college rankings include schools from: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Methodology

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.

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School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.

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