South Colleges with low acceptance rates

Colleges with the Lowest Acceptance Rate in South for 2025

These are the most selective public and private four-year colleges in South. The list is ranked by acceptance rate, lowest to highest and limited to schools which reject at least half of all applicants. Leading the list is Vanderbilt University which sent acceptance letters to only 6% of the 45,313 students who applied and rejected 94%.

Not all schools on the most selective list are overly academically challenging. Some schools with less rigorous test and high school GPA requirements may receive a large numbers of qualified applicants and the school does not have space to admit them all.

If you're looking for challenging colleges, explore rankings of South colleges with the highest SAT scores, highest ACT scores and highest GPA's.
South Low Acceptance % Public Private 4 year

87 results

Bennett College for Women
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B
HBCU
Greensboro, NC

Bennett College for Women

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

34% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 195enrollment
  • $20,928net price
  • 858-946SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 2.74Estimated Avg GPA

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Paul Quinn College
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P
HBCU
Dallas, TX

Paul Quinn College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

34% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 602enrollment
  • $18,118net price
  • 855-1015SAT range
  • 14-17ACT range
  • 2.6Avg GPA

Applications Due Jun 1

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Carolina University
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C
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
 

Carolina University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

34% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 893enrollment
  • $19,111net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 3.0Avg GPA

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United States Sports Academy
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U
Daphne, AL
 

United States Sports Academy

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

35% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 272enrollment
  • -net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Brescia University
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B
Owensboro, KY
 

Brescia University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

35% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 638enrollment
  • $15,087net price
  • 920-1190SAT range
  • 18-25ACT range
  • 3.02Avg GPA

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Rust College
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R
HBCU
Holly Springs, MS

Rust College

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

35% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 429enrollment
  • $8,234net price
  • 440-1339SAT range
  • 17-18ACT range
  • 2.66Avg GPA

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Kentucky Mountain Bible College
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K
Vancleve, KY
 

Kentucky Mountain Bible College

Private 4 Year

12 reviews

36% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 87enrollment
  • $11,160net price
  • 1090-1170SAT range
  • 21-22ACT range
  • 3.33Avg GPA

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University of Georgia
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G
Athens, GA

University of Georgia

Public 4 Year

2 reviews

37% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Colleges in Georgia

  • 41,615enrollment
  • $16,303net price
  • 1160-1390SAT range
  • 25-32ACT range
  • 4.0Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

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Clemson University
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C
Clemson, SC

Clemson University

Public 4 Year

9 reviews

38% Acceptance Rate

#24 Best Public Universities in America

  • 28,747enrollment
  • $24,408net price
  • 1230-1390SAT range
  • 28-32ACT range
  • 3.75Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due May 1

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Southwestern University
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S
Georgetown, TX

Southwestern University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

39% Acceptance Rate

#7 Best Private Colleges in Texas

  • 1,457enrollment
  • $30,687net price
  • 1170-1340SAT range
  • 24-30ACT range
  • 3.5Avg GPA

Applications Due Feb 1

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University of Central Florida
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C
Orlando, FL

University of Central Florida

Public 4 Year

6 reviews

40% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Public Universities in Florida

  • 69,233enrollment
  • $13,110net price
  • 1190-1350SAT range
  • 25-29ACT range
  • 3.64Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due May 1

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Brevard College
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B
Brevard, NC

Brevard College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

40% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 787enrollment
  • $26,938net price
  • 870-1220SAT range
  • 16-26ACT range
  • 3.07Avg GPA

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North Carolina State University at Raleigh
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N
Raleigh, NC

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Public 4 Year

4 reviews

40% Acceptance Rate

#20 Best Public Universities in America

  • 37,323enrollment
  • $14,860net price
  • 1300-1460SAT range
  • 28-32ACT range
  • 3.83Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Aquinas College
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A
Nashville, TN

Aquinas College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

40% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 342enrollment
  • $20,892net price
  • 1100-1370SAT range
  • 21-28ACT range
  • 3.55Avg GPA

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Ottawa University Surprise
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O
Surprise, Arizona
 

Ottawa University Surprise

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

40% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 836enrollment
  • $35,030net price
  • 910-1050SAT range
  • 15-21ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Rollins College
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R
Winter Park, FL

Rollins College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

41% Acceptance Rate

#2 Best Private Colleges in Florida

  • 3,013enrollment
  • $37,134net price
  • 1210-1360SAT range
  • 26-31ACT range
  • 3.5Avg GPA

Applications Due Feb 1

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University of South Florida Main Campus
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S
Tampa, FL

University of South Florida Main Campus

Public 4 Year

4 reviews

41% Acceptance Rate

#4 Best Public Universities in Florida

  • 48,572enrollment
  • $11,578net price
  • 1140-1330SAT range
  • 24-29ACT range
  • 3.64Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due May 1

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The University of Tampa
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T
Tampa, FL

The University of Tampa

Private 4 Year

13 reviews

41% Acceptance Rate

#10 Best Private Colleges in Florida

  • 11,054enrollment
  • $35,975net price
  • 1070-1240SAT range
  • 23-28ACT range
  • 3.5Avg GPA

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