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Top 20 Colleges in the South

The best and most well-known colleges and universities in the Southern United States.

How we ranked these schools

Schools are curated from the most respected and well-known colleges and universities in the South, including flagships, elite privates, and top liberal arts colleges. Ranked by overall reputation and academic quality. Data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (the federal government's education data authority), Princeton Review, Niche, and My School List's own school database. All figures reflect the most recently available data and are updated periodically. Rankings are for informational purposes only.

1

University of Virginia

VA · Acceptance Rate: 19%

State: VA
Acceptance Rate: 19%
Enrollment: 17,500
Tuition: $55,914
2

Duke University

NC · Acceptance Rate: 7%

State: NC
Acceptance Rate: 7%
Enrollment: 16,000
Tuition: $63,054
3

Vanderbilt University

TN · Acceptance Rate: 6%

State: TN
Acceptance Rate: 6%
Enrollment: 7,100
Tuition: $62,194
4

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

NC · Acceptance Rate: 19%

State: NC
Acceptance Rate: 19%
Enrollment: 30,000
Tuition: $36,776
5

Wake Forest University

NC · Acceptance Rate: 22%

State: NC
Acceptance Rate: 22%
Enrollment: 5,500
Tuition: $60,710
6

Emory University

GA · Acceptance Rate: 13%

State: GA
Acceptance Rate: 13%
Enrollment: 7,100
Tuition: $59,052
7

Georgia Institute of Technology

GA · Acceptance Rate: 17%

State: GA
Acceptance Rate: 17%
Enrollment: 40,000
Tuition: $33,964
8

University of Georgia

GA · Acceptance Rate: 43%

State: GA
Acceptance Rate: 43%
Enrollment: 40,000
Tuition: $31,120
9

University of Florida

FL · Acceptance Rate: 25%

State: FL
Acceptance Rate: 25%
Enrollment: 52,000
Tuition: $28,658
10

Florida State University

FL · Acceptance Rate: 25%

State: FL
Acceptance Rate: 25%
Enrollment: 42,000
Tuition: $21,673
11

University of Miami

FL · Acceptance Rate: 19%

State: FL
Acceptance Rate: 19%
Enrollment: 19,000
Tuition: $57,194
12

Tulane University

LA · Acceptance Rate: 15%

State: LA
Acceptance Rate: 15%
Enrollment: 8,500
Tuition: $62,844
13

College of William & Mary

VA · Acceptance Rate: 33%

State: VA
Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 6,800
Tuition: $47,970
14

University of Richmond

VA · Acceptance Rate: 25%

State: VA
Acceptance Rate: 25%
Enrollment: 3,500
Tuition: $60,870
15

Washington and Lee University

VA · Acceptance Rate: 17%

State: VA
Acceptance Rate: 17%
Enrollment: 2,300
Tuition: $59,355
16

Davidson College

NC · Acceptance Rate: 17%

State: NC
Acceptance Rate: 17%
Enrollment: 1,900
Tuition: $58,010
17

Rhodes College

TN · Acceptance Rate: 52%

State: TN
Acceptance Rate: 52%
Enrollment: 2,000
Tuition: $54,040
18

Furman University

SC · Acceptance Rate: 62%

State: SC
Acceptance Rate: 62%
Enrollment: 2,800
Tuition: $55,200
19

University of Alabama

AL · Acceptance Rate: 74%

State: AL
Acceptance Rate: 74%
Enrollment: 29,000
Tuition: $32,300

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