The Consensus Best Regional Colleges-South brings the College Consensus method to a ranking of colleges that provide top-tier undergraduate education in the South. College Consensus uses a combination of officially published rankings and verified student reviews to generate an aggregate rankings of the best the South has to offer. Prospective Southern college students need look no further for the full picture of the south’s college opportunities.
How Do We Rank the Best Regional Colleges in the South?
College Consensus takes the long view, aggregating rankings and reviews from across the internet for a total ranking. Published reviews from influential commentators like U.S. News & World Report, Times Higher Education, and the Academic Ranking of World Universities comes first, forming the Publisher Rating. Then, legitimate student reviews from sites like Niche and Unigo come together to set the Student Review Rating. These two average together to set the College Consensus. Read more about our rankings methodology and sources at our about page.
The Best Regional Colleges-South ranking puts the spotlight on the smaller regional colleges that provide the grassroots foundations of higher education. Regional colleges offer associate’s and bachelor’s degrees, usually in career and professional fields, and usually at affordable rates. That means regional colleges do the grunt work of educating a middle-class workforce, and in the South, that often means helping rehabilitate rural and industrial areas. From nursing and healthcare to computer science and technology, regional colleges get people working.
What’s Different About the College Consensus Ranking?
The College Consensus takes a higher perspective on the college ranking landscape, and in the Consensus, the playing field is leveled. Every ranking has its focus, and every student review has its bias, but in the Consensus, every voice gets its due. That means that the much-loved but less prominent regional colleges has as much opportunity to shine as the most famous research university. For the Best Regional Colleges in the South, it means the schools that make a difference in students’ lives get the recognition they deserve.
The Consensus Best Regional Colleges-South are listed in descending order by their Consensus score. In the event of ties, schools are ranked in alphabetical order with the same rank number.
1
University of Mobile
2
Flagler College-St Augustine
3
Huntingdon College
4
University of South Carolina-Aiken
5
Kentucky Wesleyan College
6
Lander University
7
High Point University
8
Barton College
8
University of South Carolina-Upstate
10
Newberry College
11
Tennessee Wesleyan University
12
Alice Lloyd College
13
Brescia University
14
Coker College
14
University of the Ozarks
16
Reinhardt University
17
University of Mount Olive
18
Belmont Abbey College
18
Alderson Broaddus University
20
Shorter University
21
Point University
22
Catawba College
22
Averett University
24
University of South Carolina-Beaufort
25
Toccoa Falls College
25
Truett McConnell University
27
Warner University
28
Oakwood University
29
Kentucky Christian University
30
Glenville State College
31
Central Baptist College
32
Bluefield College
32
West Liberty University
34
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
35
Ferrum College
36
Mars Hill University
37
Greensboro College
38
North Carolina Wesleyan College
39
Limestone College
40
Kentucky State University
41
Bluefield State College
42
Chowan University
43
Saint Augustine’s University
43
Webber International University
