South Colleges with low acceptance rates

Colleges with the Lowest Acceptance Rate in South for 2024

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 Fairfax University of America which sent acceptance letters to only 1% of the 378 students who applied and rejected 99%.

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

83 results

Auburn University
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A
Auburn University, AL

Auburn University

Public 4 Year

9 reviews

44% Acceptance Rate

#1 Best Public Universities in Alabama

  • 31,764enrollment
  • $25,271net price
  • 1220-1380SAT range
  • 24-30ACT range
  • 3.97Avg 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

44% Acceptance Rate

#4 Best Public Universities in Florida

  • 49,600enrollment
  • $11,004net price
  • 1140-1330SAT range
  • 24-29ACT range
  • 3.64Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due May 1

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Kentucky Christian University
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K
Grayson, KY
 

Kentucky Christian University

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

44% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 629enrollment
  • $22,682net price
  • 850-890SAT range
  • 16-21ACT range
  • 3.16Avg GPA

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City College Miami
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C
Miami, FL
 

City College Miami

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

44% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 11enrollment
  • -net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Ave Maria University
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A
Ave Maria, FL

Ave Maria University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

44% Acceptance Rate

#14 Best Private Colleges in Florida

  • 1,310enrollment
  • $21,078net price
  • 1018-1240SAT range
  • 21-28ACT range
  • 3.6Avg GPA

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Harding University
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H
Searcy, AR

Harding University

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

45% Acceptance Rate

#4 Best Private Colleges in Arkansas

  • 4,805enrollment
  • $19,558net price
  • 1040-1300SAT range
  • 20-28ACT range
  • 3.71Avg 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

45% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 78enrollment
  • $9,885net price
  • 1090-1170SAT range
  • 21-22ACT range
  • 3.33Avg GPA

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Coppin State University
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C
HBCU
Baltimore, MD

Coppin State University

Public 4 Year

0 reviews

45% Acceptance Rate

#7 Best Public Universities in Maryland

  • 2,006enrollment
  • $8,562net price
  • 860-1040SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 2.62Avg GPA

Applications Due Jul 15

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University of Maryland College Park
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M
College Park, MD

University of Maryland College Park

Public 4 Year

6 reviews

45% Acceptance Rate

#13 Best Public Universities in America

  • 40,792enrollment
  • $16,210net price
  • 1360-1520SAT range
  • 30-34ACT range
  • 3.84Estimated Avg GPA

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Bennett College for Women
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B
HBCU
Greensboro, NC

Bennett College for Women

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

45% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 168enrollment
  • $20,545net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 2.74Estimated Avg GPA

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Cabarrus College of Health Sciences
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C
Concord, NC
 

Cabarrus College of Health Sciences

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

45% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 528enrollment
  • $17,217net price
  • 945-1075SAT range
  • 20-24ACT range
  • 3.21Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Feb 1

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Anderson University
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A
Anderson, SC

Anderson University

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

45% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 4,121enrollment
  • $21,633net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 3.72Avg GPA

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Southwestern University
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S
Georgetown, TX

Southwestern University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

45% Acceptance Rate

#6 Best Private Colleges in Texas

  • 1,483enrollment
  • $31,014net price
  • 1120-1355SAT range
  • 24-30ACT range
  • 3.5Avg GPA

Applications Due Feb 1

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Thomas University
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T
Thomasville, GA

Thomas University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

46% Acceptance Rate

#8 Best Private Colleges in Georgia

  • 1,531enrollment
  • $12,557net price
  • 920-1140SAT range
  • 15-20ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Baylor University
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B
Waco, TX

Baylor University

Private 4 Year

14 reviews

46% Acceptance Rate

#5 Best Private Colleges in Texas

  • 20,709enrollment
  • $45,988net price
  • 1230-1410SAT range
  • 28-33ACT range
  • 3.74Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Feb 1

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Macon State College
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M
Macon, Georgia
 

Macon State College

Public 4 Year

0 reviews

47% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 5,702enrollment
  • -net price
  • 890-1100SAT range
  • 16-20ACT range
  • 2.96Estimated Avg 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

47% Acceptance Rate

#22 Best Public Universities in America

  • 36,700enrollment
  • $14,852net price
  • 1280-1460SAT range
  • 28-33ACT range
  • 3.83Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Oklahoma Baptist University
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O
Shawnee, OK

Oklahoma Baptist University

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

47% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Private Colleges in Oklahoma

  • 1,399enrollment
  • $24,672net price
  • 960-1160SAT range
  • 17-24ACT range
  • 3.68Avg GPA

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