2024 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region
744
Colleges
$70,117
Avg Salary*
65%
Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*
There 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.
Our analysis looked at 744 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones 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.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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!
Top Colleges in the Southeast Region
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. Duke University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 6,654 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Duke is $93,115 during the early years of their career.
Full Duke University Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #2 in the Southeast Region on this year’s overall quality ranking. Vanderbilt is located in Nashville, Tennessee and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4,734 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The student-to-faculty rate of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt is $79,872 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on Vanderbilt University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2024 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a large public school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 9,219 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 $88,196 during the early years of their career..
Full Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Emory University. The school came in at #4 in the Southeast Region on this year’s overall quality ranking. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 5,056 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. During the early years of their career, graduates from Emory make an average of $72,364 a year.
Read full report on Emory University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 in the Southeast Region on this year’s overall quality ranking. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, the large public school awarded 8,698 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from University of Virginia make an average of $77,048 per year during the early years of their career.
Full University of Virginia - Main Campus Report
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #6 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large public school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 9,948 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $61,915 during the early years of their career..
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Frontier Nursing University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking. Frontier Nursing University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Versailles, Kentucky. It awarded 913 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%
Read full report on Frontier Nursing University
With a ranking of #8, Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia Inc did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list. Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia Inc is a small private not-for-profit school located in Madison, Tennessee that handed out 94 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia Inc
University of Florida ranked #9 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list. University of Florida is a large public school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 17,268 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from UF make an average of $64,463 per year during the early years of their career.
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The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #10.Memphis, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,477 students in 2020-2021.
The student-to-faculty rate of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from UTHSC go into careers with an average salary of $68,002 during the early years of their career.
Full The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center Report
Virginia Tech landed the #11 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking. Virginia Tech is a large public school situated in Blacksburg, Virginia. It awarded 10,192 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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% The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech is $73,159 during the early years of their career.
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With a ranking of #12, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list. This large public school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 13,166 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from UGA go into careers with an average salary of $59,769 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on University of Georgia
With a ranking of #13, Tulane University of Louisiana did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list. Tulane is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Orleans, Louisiana. It awarded 5,096 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student-to-faculty rate of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $56,999 during the early years of their career..
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Medical University of South Carolina landed the #14 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Charleston, South Carolina, the small public school awarded 1,012 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. During the early years of their career, graduates from MUSC make an average of $81,250 a year.
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Washington and Lee University did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #15. Washington and Lee is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lexington, Virginia. It awarded 703 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee is $86,020 during the early years of their career.
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University of Miami landed the #16 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking.Coral Gables, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 6,042 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. During the early years of their career, graduates from U Miami make an average of $67,362 a year.
Read full report on University of Miami
North Carolina State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking. NC State is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10,643 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from NC State is $61,353 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on North Carolina State University
Eastern Virginia Medical School landed the #18 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking.Norfolk, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 488 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Eastern Virginia Medical School Report
With a ranking of #19, Johnson University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list. Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 411 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Johnson University is $36,422 during the early years of their career.
Full Johnson University Report
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences landed the #20 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking. UAMS is a public institution located in Little Rock, Arkansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 950 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 UAMS make an average of $68,371 per year during the early years of their career.
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With a ranking of #21, Clemson University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list. Clemson is a public institution located in Clemson, South Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7,601 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Clemson is $63,857 during the early years of their career.
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William & Mary did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #22. This medium-sized public school is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, and it awarded 3,012 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. During the early years of their career, graduates from William & Mary make an average of $64,723 a year.
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Columbia Southern University landed the #23 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Orange Beach, Alabama, the fairly large private for-profit school awarded 7,022 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $74,398 during the early years of their career..
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George Mason University landed the #24 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking. GMU is a large public school situated in Fairfax, Virginia. It awarded 10,774 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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% Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from GMU go into careers with an average salary of $66,148 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on George Mason University
With a ranking of #25, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Worldwide did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list. Located in Daytona Beach, Florida, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 4,305 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. During the early years of their career, graduates from Embry-Riddle Worldwide make an average of $77,768 a year.
Full Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Worldwide Report
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