by our College Data Analytics TeamThere are lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we're committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our Top Southeast Region Colleges ranking.
We analyzed 681 colleges and universities across the Southeast Region to determine which were the best in terms of overall quality. Instead of depending on subjective information, we focus on over 20 objective factors to determine this ranking. These factors include such things as student-to-faculty ratio, average graduate earnings, and graduation rate.
See what other factors we include in our ranking methodology.
We've developed a number of other tools and rankings to help you make your college decision. Start by filtering this list by location or field of study and then explore our other rankings that feature schools great for different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.
We've created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you're torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another!
Learn more about these excellent schools below: Duke University tops this year’s ranking as the best school in the Southeast Region for overall quality. The impressive student-to-faculty rate of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $97,800 during the early years of their career.. You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #2 on our 2025 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list. With a student-to-faculty rate of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt is $91,565 during the early years of their career. You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 in the Southeast Region on this year’s overall quality ranking. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $102,772 during the early years of their career.. Read full report on Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Out of the 681 schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Emory University landed the #4 spot on the list. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $80,137 during the early years of their career.. The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Virginia - Main Campus helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in the Southeast Region . Bachelor’s degree students at the school tend to finish their degree on-time. The 4-year graduation rate is 89%, which is impressive compared to the national rate of 33%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from University of Virginia is $86,863 during the early years of their career.1
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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking.
The school boasts an average 4-year graduation rate of 85%, which is excellent when compared to the national rate of 33%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from UNC Chapel Hill is $72,200 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Galen College of Nursing - Louisville came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. During the early years of their career, graduates from Galen College of Nursing - Louisville make an average of $61,480 a year. University of Florida did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #8. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from UF go into careers with an average salary of $71,588 during the early years of their career. With a ranking of #9, Virginia Tech did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $81,698 during the early years of their career.. University of Georgia came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. During the early years of their career, graduates from UGA make an average of $68,726 a year.7
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With a ranking of #11, Wake Forest University did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University go into careers with an average salary of $78,158 during the early years of their career.
Washington and Lee University did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #12. Bachelor’s degree students at the school tend to finish their degree on-time. The 4-year graduation rate is 91%, which is impressive compared to the national rate of 33%. During the early years of their career, graduates from Washington and Lee make an average of $94,810 a year. With a ranking of #13, Southern Regional Technical College did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Southwest Georgia Technical College is $31,293 during the early years of their career. Savannah College of Art and Design landed the #14 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from SCAD make an average of $45,954 per year during the early years of their career. George Mason University landed the #15 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from GMU is $76,343 during the early years of their career.12
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With a ranking of #16, Tulane University of Louisiana did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. During the early years of their career, graduates from Tulane make an average of $63,268 a year.
SOWELA Technical Community College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from SOWELA go into careers with an average salary of $32,303 during the early years of their career. University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #18. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. During the early years of their career, graduates from UofSC make an average of $62,177 a year. With a ranking of #19, William & Mary did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. During the early years of their career, graduates from William & Mary make an average of $73,490 a year. Columbia Southern University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list. During the early years of their career, graduates from Columbia Southern University make an average of $63,534 a year.1718
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Lanier Technical College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Lanier Technical College go into careers with an average salary of $37,623 during the early years of their career.
Florida State University landed the #22 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Florida State go into careers with an average salary of $61,675 during the early years of their career. Oxford College of Emory University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $80,137 during the early years of their career.. Medical University of South Carolina ranked #24 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list. The impressive student-to-faculty rate of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $88,420 during the early years of their career.. North Carolina State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $68,758 during the early years of their career..22
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Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 20% of this year’s ranking:26
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To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:Rank College Location 51 Athens Technical College Athens, GA 52 American Public University System Charles Town, WV 53 Belmont University Nashville, TN 54 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 55 Southern Adventist University Collegedale, TN 56 Hillsborough Community College Tampa, FL 57 Sampson Community College Clinton, NC 58 Palm Beach State College Lake Worth, FL 59 University of North Carolina School of the Arts Winston Salem, NC 60 Florida International University Miami, FL 61 Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL 62 Liberty University Lynchburg, VA 63 East Carolina University Greenville, NC 64 South College Knoxville, TN 65 Herzing University - Birmingham Birmingham, AL
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 91 | South University, Tampa | Tampa, FL |
| 92 | John A Gupton College | Nashville, TN |
| 93 | Appalachian State University | Boone, NC |
| 94 | Citadel Military College of South Carolina | Charleston, SC |
| 95 | University of North Carolina at Wilmington | Wilmington, NC |
| 96 | University of Louisville | Louisville, KY |
| 97 | Florida SouthWestern State College | Fort Myers, FL |
| 98 | Georgia State University-Perimeter College | Atlanta, GA |
| 99 | Surry Community College | Dobson, NC |
| 100 | Santa Fe College | Gainesville, FL |
| 101 | Bishop State Community College | Mobile, AL |
| 102 | Marymount University | Arlington, VA |
| 103 | Georgia Southern University | Statesboro, GA |
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These schools also performed well in our Best Colleges ranking:Rank College Location 104 Wake Technical Community College Raleigh, NC 105 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL 106 St Petersburg College St. Petersburg, FL 107 Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA 108 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA 109 University of the Potomac - VA Campus FALLS CHURCH, VA 110 Gaston College Dallas, NC 111 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV 112 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA 113 Herzing University - Winter Park Winter Park, FL 114 Randolph Community College Asheboro, NC 115 Union University Jackson, TN 116 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC 117 University of Mississippi University, MS 118 Shelton State Community College Tuscaloosa, AL
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 119 | Eastern Florida State College | Melbourne, FL |
| 120 | Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas | De Queen, AR |
| 121 | Central Piedmont Community College | Charlotte, NC |
| 122 | Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach | Virginia Beach, VA |
| 123 | Mississippi State University | Mississippi State, MS |
| 124 | Southern Crescent Technical College | Griffin, GA |
| 125 | Centre College | Danville, KY |
| 126 | Richmond Community College | Hamlet, NC |
| 127 | High Point University | High Point, NC |
| 128 | Lurleen B Wallace Community College | Andalusia, AL |
| 129 | South University, West Palm Beach | Royal Palm Beach, FL |
| 130 | Lincoln Memorial University | Harrogate, TN |
| 131 | South University’s online programs | Savannah, GA |
| 132 | Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences | Memphis, TN |
| 133 | Lenoir Community College | Kinston, NC |
| 134 | Indian River State College | Fort Pierce, FL |
| 135 | Harding University | Searcy, AR |
| 136 | Furman University | Greenville, SC |
| 137 | Bevill State Community College | Jasper, AL |
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.