Lens covers 48 big-city colleges in the Southeast, 16 public and 32 private. They range from Greensboro College (708 undergraduates) to University of South Florida (37,207). Acceptance rates run from 6% to 95%, and 29 of the 48 admit at least half of applicants.
Big-city colleges are in a city of 250,000 people or more (NCES locale). It describes the surrounding area; some city colleges have a campus of their own. In Lens, the Southeast means Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and West Virginia.
Open these 48 colleges in the College Filter → Narrow them by cost at your rate, majors, size and more.
The 48 big-city colleges in the Southeast
Listed A to Z. Lens never ranks colleges.
| College | Location | Undergraduates | Acceptance rate | Tuition & fees (before aid) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American University | Washington, District of Columbia | 7,266 | 62% | $58,771 |
| Bellarmine University | Louisville, Kentucky | 2,161 | 86% | $48,770 |
| Belmont University | Nashville, Tennessee | 7,137 | 95% | $42,540 |
| Clark Atlanta University | Atlanta, Georgia | 3,603 | 64% | $28,310 |
| Coppin State University | Baltimore, Maryland | 1,844 | 46% | $7,100 in-state · $14,024 out-of-state |
| Duke University | Durham, North Carolina | 6,442 | 6% | $68,758 |
| Eckerd College | Saint Petersburg, Florida | 1,888 | 76% | $51,884 |
| Edward Waters University | Jacksonville, Florida | 1,087 | 85% | $16,366 |
| Emory University | Atlanta, Georgia | 7,298 | 11% | $64,280 |
| Fisk University | Nashville, Tennessee | 1,035 | 37% | $25,858 |
| George Washington University | Washington, District of Columbia | 11,182 | 47% | $67,710 |
| Georgetown University | Washington, District of Columbia | 7,569 | 13% | $68,017 |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, Georgia | 18,785 | 14% | $12,058 in-state · $34,484 out-of-state |
| Georgia State University | Atlanta, Georgia | 26,623 | 55% | $8,664 in-state · $24,840 out-of-state |
| Greensboro College | Greensboro, North Carolina | 708 | 70% | $21,000 |
| Guilford College | Greensboro, North Carolina | 1,001 | 80% | $41,362 |
| Howard University | Washington, District of Columbia | 10,108 | 41% | $35,810 |
| Jacksonville University | Jacksonville, Florida | 2,930 | 57% | $47,830 |
| Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, Maryland | 5,693 | 6% | $65,230 |
| Johnson & Wales University–Charlotte | Charlotte, North Carolina | 1,184 | 80% | $42,419 |
| Johnson C Smith University | Charlotte, North Carolina | 1,244 | 45% | $21,300 |
| Lipscomb University | Nashville, Tennessee | 2,997 | 68% | $40,572 |
| Loyola University Maryland | Baltimore, Maryland | 3,869 | 75% | $57,150 |
| Maryland Institute College of Art | Baltimore, Maryland | 1,189 | 77% | $56,800 |
| Morehouse College | Atlanta, Georgia | 2,844 | 44% | $32,893 |
| Morgan State University | Baltimore, Maryland | 9,019 | 82% | $8,229 in-state · $19,124 out-of-state |
| North Carolina A & T State University | Greensboro, North Carolina | 12,182 | 50% | $6,813 in-state · $20,673 out-of-state |
| North Carolina Central University | Durham, North Carolina | 6,081 | 87% | $6,699 in-state · $19,735 out-of-state |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh | Raleigh, North Carolina | 27,371 | 42% | $8,799 in-state · $32,847 out-of-state |
| Queens University of Charlotte | Charlotte, North Carolina | 1,211 | 62% | $45,846 |
| Regent University | Virginia Beach, Virginia | 4,729 | 38% | $21,650 |
| Rhodes College | Memphis, Tennessee | 1,836 | 50% | $57,110 |
| Shaw University | Raleigh, North Carolina | 875 | 80% | $17,538 |
| Spelman College | Atlanta, Georgia | 3,414 | 25% | $31,556 |
| Tennessee State University | Nashville, Tennessee | 4,848 | 70% | $8,616 in-state · $22,416 out-of-state |
| The Catholic University of America | Washington, District of Columbia | 3,154 | 83% | $58,378 |
| The University of Tampa | Tampa, Florida | 10,572 | 40% | $34,408 |
| University of Kentucky | Lexington, Kentucky | 24,763 | 93% | $13,502 in-state · $34,140 out-of-state |
| University of Louisville | Louisville, Kentucky | 14,727 | 79% | $13,136 in-state · $29,482 out-of-state |
| University of Memphis | Memphis, Tennessee | 12,701 | 72% | $10,728 in-state · $15,384 out-of-state |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte, North Carolina | 24,453 | 80% | $7,239 in-state · $22,492 out-of-state |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro, North Carolina | 14,062 | 89% | $7,661 in-state · $24,012 out-of-state |
| University of North Florida | Jacksonville, Florida | 13,359 | 53% | $6,389 in-state · $20,793 out-of-state |
| University of South Florida | Tampa, Florida | 37,207 | 43% | $6,410 in-state · $17,324 out-of-state |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Tennessee | 7,208 | 6% | $67,498 |
| Virginia Wesleyan University | Virginia Beach, Virginia | 1,256 | 73% | $37,500 |
| Wake Forest University | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | 5,485 | 22% | $67,642 |
| Winston-Salem State University | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | 4,170 | 78% | $6,126 in-state · $16,782 out-of-state |
Sources: IPEDS (fall 2024 enrollment and admissions); College Scorecard (published tuition and fees before aid, about 2023–24). You may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships.
Related lists
- Big-City Colleges
- Big-City Colleges in the Northeast
- Big-City Colleges in the Midwest
- Big-City Colleges in the South and Southwest
- Big-City Colleges in the Mountain West
- Big-City Colleges on the West Coast
- Liberal Arts Colleges in the Southeast
- Large Public Universities in the Southeast
- Smaller Public Universities in the Southeast
- Smaller Private Universities in the Southeast
- HBCUs in the Southeast
- Catholic Colleges in the Southeast
- Christian Colleges in the Southeast
- Colleges with Big-Time Sports in the Southeast
FAQ
Which big-city colleges in the Southeast admit at least half of applicants? 29 of the 48: American University, Bellarmine University, Belmont University, Clark Atlanta University, Eckerd College, Edward Waters University, Georgia State University, Greensboro College, Guilford College, Jacksonville University, Johnson & Wales University–Charlotte, Lipscomb University and 17 more (fall 2024).
What are the largest and smallest big-city colleges in the Southeast? University of South Florida is the largest, with 37,207 undergraduates, and Greensboro College is the smallest, with 708 (fall 2024).
How many big-city colleges in the Southeast are public? 16 of the 48 are public and 32 are private.
Where these numbers come from
Lens covers the 850 four-year public and private nonprofit colleges that receive the most applications, so some smaller colleges are not listed. Enrollment, acceptance rates and degrees come from IPEDS (U.S. Department of Education, fall 2024); published prices from the College Scorecard. Each college's page lists its own sources. See the data behind Lens.