Top Rated South Public Colleges
These are the top ranked public four-year colleges in the South as ranked by CollegeSimply. Leading the rankings for 2027 as the best public college in the South is University of Virginia Main Campus. Learn how the Best Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page.
University of Virginia Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Charlottesville, VA
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| 0 reviews
UVA is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate commerce, government, and architecture. The historic campus in Charlottesville centers on Thomas Jefferson's Academical Village.
- SAT Range 1410-1540
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.85
- Acceptance Rate 17%
- Net Price $18,427
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Public 4 Year
- Chapel Hill, NC
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5.0 | 2 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
UNC-Chapel Hill is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate journalism, business, and public health. Chapel Hill is a classic college town built around the historic campus.
- SAT Range 1390-1530
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.83
- Acceptance Rate 15%
- Net Price $10,154
William & Mary
- Public 4 Year
- Williamsburg, VA
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5.0 | 4 reviews
- Jan 2 application deadline
William & Mary is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate history, government, and international relations. The historic campus adjoins Colonial Williamsburg in a small college town.
- SAT Range 1400-1530
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.85
- Acceptance Rate 34%
- Net Price $19,686
University of Florida
- Public 4 Year
- Gainesville, FL
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4.5 | 6 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
UF is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate business, engineering, and journalism. The large campus anchors the college town of Gainesville.
- SAT Range 1320-1480
- Avg GPA 3.9
- Acceptance Rate 24%
- Net Price $11,936
University of Maryland College Park
- Public 4 Year
- College Park, MD
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4.8 | 6 reviews
UMD is a large public university known for undergraduate computer science, engineering, and journalism. The College Park campus sits just outside Washington, D.C.
- SAT Range 1400-1530
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.84
- Acceptance Rate 45%
- Net Price $16,581
The University of Texas at Austin
- Public 4 Year
- Austin, TX
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5.0 | 4 reviews
- Dec 1 application deadline
UT Austin is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate business, engineering, and computer science. The urban campus occupies a large site in central Austin.
- SAT Range 1250-1510
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.8
- Acceptance Rate 27%
- Net Price $17,942
Texas A&M University College Station
- Public 4 Year
- College Station, TX
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5.0 | 6 reviews
- Dec 1 application deadline
Texas A&M is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, agriculture, and business. A large Corps of Cadets gives the College Station campus a long-standing military tradition.
- SAT Range 1150-1400
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.68
- Acceptance Rate 57%
- Net Price $21,437
Virginia Military Institute
- Public 4 Year
- Lexington, VA
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5.0 | 2 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
VMI is a public military college known for undergraduate engineering and the sciences. All students join the Corps of Cadets and live in barracks under a military regimen on the historic Lexington campus.
- SAT Range 1050-1270
- Avg GPA 3.65
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $18,825
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
- Public 4 Year
- Raleigh, NC
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5.0 | 4 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
NC State is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, agriculture, and textiles. The campus sits in Raleigh within North Carolina's Research Triangle.
- SAT Range 1300-1470
- Avg GPA 3.83
- Acceptance Rate 42%
- Net Price $15,522
Clemson University
- Public 4 Year
- Clemson, SC
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4.4 | 10 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Clemson is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering and business. The lakeside campus sits in the Blue Ridge foothills beside Lake Hartwell.
- SAT Range 1240-1410
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.75
- Acceptance Rate 38%
- Net Price $25,003
University of Georgia
- Public 4 Year
- Athens, GA
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- Jan 1 application deadline
UGA is a large public university known for undergraduate journalism, business, and agricultural sciences. The historic campus anchors the college town of Athens.
- SAT Range 1270-1480
- Avg GPA 4.0
- Acceptance Rate 38%
- Net Price $16,662
Georgia Institute of Technology Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Atlanta, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jan 4 application deadline
Georgia Tech is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and the sciences. The urban campus sits in midtown Atlanta.
- SAT Range 1370-1540
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.85
- Acceptance Rate 14%
- Net Price $15,918
Virginia Tech
- Public 4 Year
- Blacksburg, VA
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Virginia Tech is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering and architecture. The campus sits in the college town of Blacksburg in Virginia's Blue Ridge region.
- SAT Range 1280-1450
- Avg GPA 3.97
- Acceptance Rate 55%
- Net Price $24,912
University of Delaware
- Public 4 Year
- Newark, DE
-
| 0 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Delaware is a large public university known for undergraduate chemical engineering, business, and fashion studies. The campus is set in the college town of Newark.
- SAT Range 1190-1370
- Avg GPA 3.94
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $19,139
St. Mary's College of Maryland
- Public 4 Year
- St. Mary's City, MD
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| 0 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
St. Mary's College of Maryland is a public honors college known for undergraduate liberal arts. The historic campus sits on the St. Mary's River in southern Maryland.
- SAT Range 1143-1340
- Avg GPA 3.45
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $21,071
Florida State University
- Public 4 Year
- Tallahassee, FL
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5.0 | 6 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
FSU is a large public university known for undergraduate film, criminology, and music. The campus is in Tallahassee, Florida's capital city.
- SAT Range 1270-1410
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 24%
- Net Price $15,815
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
- Public 4 Year
- Socorro, NM
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
New Mexico Tech is a small public technological university known for undergraduate engineering, earth sciences, and physics. The campus is in the small town of Socorro in central New Mexico.
- SAT Range 1080-1310
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.63
- Acceptance Rate 44%
- Net Price $11,551
University of South Carolina Columbia
- Public 4 Year
- Columbia, SC
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- Dec 1 application deadline
South Carolina is a large public university known for undergraduate international business and hospitality management. The historic Horseshoe anchors the campus in downtown Columbia.
- SAT Range 1180-1360
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.69
- Acceptance Rate 60%
- Net Price $24,488