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The South Central region of the United States contains a wealth of public and private colleges and universities. My top picks range from small liberal arts colleges to giant public universities. The list includes religious and secular schools in rural and urban locations. The list contains some familiar names such as Rice and Texas A&M, but some of the selections may be less familiar to readers. The 30 colleges and universities below were chosen based on factors such as retention rates, graduation rates, student engagement, selectivity, financial aid. and value. I have listed the schools alphabetically to avoid the often arbitrary distinctions that separate #1 from #2, and because of the futility of comparing a large research university to a small liberal arts college.
The South Central Region
The 30 colleges and universities in the list below were selected from Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.
More Regions: New England | Middle Atlantic | Southeast | Midwest | Mountain | West Coast
Auburn University
booleansplit / Flickr
- Location: Auburn, Alabama
- Enrollment: 24,602 (19,926 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: public university
- Distinctions: over 140 degree programs; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; over 300 student clubs and organizations; strong Division I athletic programs within the Southeastern Conference
- For more information and admissions data, see the Auburn University profile
Austin College
austrini / Flickr
- Location: Sherman, Texas
- Enrollment: 1,364 (1,335 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church
- Distinctions: high number of graduates go on to graduate school; emphasis on community service and study abroad; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; most students receive significant grant aid
- For more information and admissions data, see the Austin College profile
Baylor University
genvessel / Flickr
- Location: Waco, Texas
- Enrollment: 14,614 (12,149 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private university affiliated with the Baptist Church
- Distinctions: 145 areas of study and 300 student organizations; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; Baylor Bears compete in the NCAA Division I Big 12 Conference
- For more information and admissions data, see the Baylor University profile
Bellarmine University
Braindrain0000 / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Louisville, Kentucky
- Enrollment: 3,090 (2,417 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private Catholic university
- Distinctions: 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 19; strong internship program; study abroad opportunities in over 50 countries; NCAA Division II athletics
- For more information and admissions data, see the Bellarmine University profile
Belmont University
EVula / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Nashville, Tennessee
- Enrollment: 5,424 (4,378 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private Christian university
- Distinctions: 13 to 1 student / faculty ratio; highly ranked master's-level university in the South; strong programs in music and music business; located next door to Vanderbilt University; member of the NCAA Division I Atlantic Sun Conference
- For more information and admissions data, see the Belmont University profile
Berea College
Parkerdr / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Berea, Kentucky
- Enrollment: 1,548 (all undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
- Distinctions: students come from 50 states and 60 countries; students pay no tuition; all students work 10 to 15 hours a week as part of the Labor Program; first coeducational and interracial college in the South
- For more information and admissions data, see the Berea College profile
Birmingham-Southern College
goforchris / Flickr
- Location: Birmingham, Alabama
- Enrollment: 1,549 (1,508 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private Methodist liberal arts college
- Distinctions: good financial aid; strong student-faculty interaction; featured in Loren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; good financial aid
- For more information and admissions data, see the Birmingham-Southern College profile
Centre College
Arwcheek / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Danville, Kentucky
- Enrollment: 1,216 (all undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
- Distinctions: 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; good grant aid; "Centre Commitment" guarantees graduation in four years
- For more information and admissions data, see the Centre College profile
Hendrix College
WisperToMe / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Conway, Arkansas
- Enrollment: 1,463 (1,456 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
- Distinctions: chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; featured in Loren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives; excellent value; curricular emphasis on active learning and international engagement
- For more information and admissions data, see the Hendrix College profile
