Learn About NCAA Division I Southern Conference

The Southern Conference is an NCAA Division I athletic conference with members coming from the southeastern United States—Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas. The conference is part of the Football Championship Subdivision and has had some impressive national successes in both football and basketball in recent years. SoCon sponsors 19 sports. The conference headquarters are located in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Compare the Southern Conference Schools: SAT Scores | ACT Scoresd

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The Citadel

The Citadel is well known for its Corps of Cadets. Citadel students are educated in a military system that emphasizes leadership and character training. About a third of Citadel graduates accept military commissions. The college has a 13 to 1 student / faculty ratio, and students come from 40 states and 12 countries. The Citadel does well in regional and national rankings because of its high four-year graduation rate and strong academic programs.

Location: Charleston, South Carolina
School type: Public university
Enrollment: 3,506 (2,671 undergraduates)
Team: Bulldogs
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, see the Citadel admissions profile.

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East Tennessee State University

Eastern Tennessee State University Library. Smoke321 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Located among the mountains in the northeast corner of the Tennessee, ETSU is made up of six colleges, and undergraduates can choose from 112 academic programs. Students can also participate in some of ETSU's more than 170 campus organizations, many of which emphasize service and leadership. High achieving student should check out the Honors College both for the opportunity to receive full scholarship support and special academic opportunities.

Location: Johnson City, Tennessee
School type: public university
Enrollment: 14,334 (11,392 undergraduates)
Team: Buccaneers
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, see the East Tennessee State University profile.

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Furman University

Furman University is one of the country's top liberal arts colleges. The university can boast of a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, and the school is particularly noted for its high level of student engagement. Over 50% of students take part in internships, cooperative education, independent study, or research programs. With an 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio, students receive lots of personal attention.

Location: Greenville, South Carolina
School type: Liberal arts college
Enrollment: 2,884 (2,731 undergraduates)
Team: Paladins
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, see the Furman University admissions profile.

Big South Conference

By Allen Grove

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Mercer University

Mercer University is made up of 11 schools and colleges. The main campus is a little over an hour southeast of Atlanta. The school was founded in 1831 by Baptists, and while no longer affiliated with the church, Mercer still embraces the principles of its Baptist founders. Students come from 46 states and 65 countries although the majority are from Georgia. The school frequently ranks among the best master's-level universities in the South, and Mercer also makes frequent appearances in Princeton Review's Best Colleges publications.

Location: Macon, Georgia
School type: private university
Enrollment: 8,600 (4,667 undergraduates)
Team: Bears
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, see the Mercer University profile.

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Samford University

Samford is the largest private university in Alabama. The school has students from 47 states and 16 countries. The university was founded by Baptists and 1841 and maintains its identity as a Christian university. Undergraduates can choose from 138 majors; nursing and business administration are the most popular. The university has a 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio, and no classes are taught by graduate assistants. Samford's tuition and fees are less than many comparable private institutions, and the school often ranks highly among "best value" colleges.

Location: Birmingham, Alabama
School type: Private Christian university
Enrollment: 5,206 (3,168 undergraduates)
Team: Bulldogs
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, see the Samford University admissions profile.

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UNC Greensboro

Elliot University Center at UNCG. Photo Credit: Allen Grove

UNCG's picturesque 210-acre campus sits midway between Atlanta and Washington D.C. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro has a student / faculty ratio of 17 to 1 and an average class size of 27. For its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences, UNCG was awarded a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa honor society. On the student life front, UNCG has roughly 180 student organizations.

Location: Greensboro, North Carolina
School type: Public university
Enrollment: 19,393 (16,091 undergraduates)
Team: Spartans
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, see the UNC Greensboro admissions profile.

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University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

UT Chattanooga undergraduates can choose from over 150 degree and concentration programs. Business administration is by far the most popular major. The university is located in the city, adjacent to the Fort Wood Historic District. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has a 20 to 1 student / faculty ratio and an average class size of 25. The university has over 120 student organizations as well as an active Greek system with 17 fraternities and sororities.

Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee
School type: Public university
Enrollment: 11,387 (10,083 undergraduates)
Team: Mocs
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, see the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga admissions profile.

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Virginia Military Institute

Established in 1839, the Virginia Military Institute is the oldest public military college in the United States and one of the country's six Senior Military Colleges (with The Citadel, NGCSU, Norwich University, Texas A&M, and Virginia Tech). VMI is not for everyone, and students should be ready for a disciplined and demanding college environment (new cadets are called "Rats"). Unlike students at the U.S. military academies, students at the Virginia Military Institute are not required to serve in the armed forces after graduation. VMI ranks highly among public undergraduate institutions, and the school's engineering programs are particularly strong..

Location: Lexington, Virginia
School type: Senior military college
Enrollment: 1,717 (all undergraduate)
Team: Keydets
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, see the Virginia Military Institute profile.

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Western Carolina University

Western Carolina University's 600-acre campus is located about an hour west of Asheville and near the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Undergraduates can choose from about 220 majors and concentrations, and the university takes pride in its small class sizes -- WCU has a 16 to 1 student / faculty ratio and an average class size of 19. Professional programs in business, education and criminal justice are both popular and well-regarded. One of the university's most notable student groups is the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band with its nearly 350 members.

Location: Cullowhee, North Carolina
School type: Public university
Enrollment: 10,340 (8,821 undergraduates)
Team: Catamounts
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, see the Western Carolina University admissions profile.

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Wofford College

Wofford's 170-acre campus is a designated National Historic District, and it was recently designated as the Roger Milliken Arboretum. The college has an 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio, and students can choose from 26 majors. Wofford's strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned it a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.

Location: Spartanburg, South Carolina
School type: Private Methodist liberal arts college
Enrollment: 1,660 (all undergraduate)
Team: Terriers
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, see the Wofford College admissions profile.