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The southeastern United States has some excellent colleges and universities, and my top picks range from small liberal arts colleges to giant state universities. UNC Chapel Hill, Virginia Tech, William and Mary, and the University of Virginia frequently appear among the country's top 10 public universities, and Duke is one of the nation's top private universities. The 30 colleges and universities below were selected based on factors such as retention rates, graduation rates, student engagement, selectivity, and overall 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 Southeastern Region
The 30 colleges and universities in the list below were selected from the South Atlantic region of the United States: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.
More Regions: New England | Middle Atlantic | Midwest | South Central | Mountain | West Coast
Agnes Scott College
Diliff / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Decatur, Georgia
- Enrollment: 868 (842 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private women's liberal arts college
- Distinctions: one of the country's top women's colleges; excellent value; 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; easy access to Atlanta; attractive campus
- For more information and admissions data, visit the Agnes Scott College profile
Clemson University
Blue Sun Photography / Flickr
- Location: Clemson, South Carolina
- Enrollment: 19,111 (15,346 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: public university
- Distinctions: one of the country's best public universities; good value; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; attractive location in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains; highly regarded business and engineering programs; member of the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference
- For more information and admissions data, visit the Clemson University profile
College of William and Mary
Lyndi&Jason / flickr
- Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
- Enrollment: 7,874 (5,836 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: public university
- Distinctions: one of the country's top public universities; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; second oldest institution of higher learning in the country (founded in 1693); member of the NCAA Division I Colonial Athletic Association
- For more information and admissions data, visit the College of William and Mary profile
Davidson College
functoruser / Flickr
- Location: Davidson, North Carolina
- Enrollment: 1,743 (all undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
- Distinctions: chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; one of the country's top liberal arts colleges; founded in 1837; honor code allows for self-scheduled exams; member of the NCAA Division I Southern Conference
- For more information and admissions data, visit the Davidson College profile
Duke University
mricon / Flickr
- Location: Durham, North Carolina
- Enrollment: 14,350 (6,578 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private university
- Distinctions: one of the country's top ten universities; part of the "research triangle" with UNC Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University; membership in the Association of American Universities for strong research programs; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; member of the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference
- For more information and admissions data, visit the Duke University profile
Elon University
photo courtesy of Elon University / Office of University Relations
- Location: Elon, North Carolina
- Enrollment: 5,666 (4,995 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private university
- Distinctions: high level of student engagement; strong programs for study abroad, internships, and volunteer work; popular pre-professional programs in business and communications; attractive red-brick campus; member of the NCAA Division I Southern Conference
- For more information and admissions data, visit the Elon University profile
Emory University
Nrbelex / Flickr
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia
- Enrollment: 12,930 (6,980 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private university
- Distinctions: chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; membership in the Association of American Universities for strong research programs; multi-billion dollar endowment; one of the country's best universities; home to one of the top ten business schools
- For more information and admissions data, visit the Emory University profile
Florida State University (FSU)
J-a-x / Flickr
- Location: Tallahassee, Florida
- Enrollment: 39,785 (30,803 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: public university
- Distinctions: one of the flagship campuses of Florida's state university system; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; active fraternity and sorority system; member of the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference
- For more information and admissions data, visit the Florida State University profile
Furman University
JeffersonDavis / Flickr
- Location: Greenville, South Carolina
- Enrollment: 2,962 (2,753 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: liberal arts college
- Readers share their impressions of Furman
- Distinctions: 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; high level of student engagement; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; member of the NCAA Division I Southern Conference
- For more information and admissions data, visit the Furman University profile
