Lens covers 44 liberal arts colleges in the Southeast, 15 public and 29 private. They range from Allen University (576 undergraduates) to Georgia Gwinnett College (11,344). Acceptance rates run from 9% to 98%, and 33 of the 44 admit at least half of applicants.
Liberal arts colleges are small colleges focused on undergraduate teaching across the arts and sciences, as classified by Carnegie. 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 44 colleges in the College Filter → Narrow them by cost at your rate, majors, size and more.
The 44 liberal arts colleges in the Southeast
Listed A to Z. Lens never ranks colleges.
| College | Location | Undergraduates | Acceptance rate | Tuition & fees (before aid) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama State University | Montgomery, Alabama | 3,477 | 98% | $11,248 in-state · $19,576 out-of-state |
| Alcorn State University | Alcorn State, Mississippi | 2,363 | 45% | $8,785 |
| Allen University | Columbia, South Carolina | 576 | 73% | $14,304 |
| Berea College | Berea, Kentucky | 1,513 | 19% | $51,658 |
| Berry College | Mount Berry, Georgia | 2,245 | 64% | $41,686 |
| Bethune-Cookman University | Daytona Beach, Florida | 2,732 | 88% | $14,794 |
| Bridgewater College | Bridgewater, Virginia | 1,400 | 92% | $16,090 |
| Centre College | Danville, Kentucky | 1,400 | 54% | $52,820 |
| Christopher Newport University | Newport News, Virginia | 4,365 | 86% | $16,828 in-state · $31,178 out-of-state |
| Claflin University | Orangeburg, South Carolina | 1,706 | 65% | $18,282 |
| Davidson College | Davidson, North Carolina | 1,867 | 13% | $64,410 |
| Eckerd College | Saint Petersburg, Florida | 1,888 | 76% | $51,884 |
| Edward Waters University | Jacksonville, Florida | 1,087 | 85% | $16,366 |
| Fisk University | Nashville, Tennessee | 1,035 | 37% | $25,858 |
| Florida Southern College | Lakeland, Florida | 2,656 | 64% | $44,040 |
| Fort Valley State University | Fort Valley, Georgia | 2,684 | 66% | $5,526 in-state · $16,932 out-of-state |
| Furman University | Greenville, South Carolina | 2,379 | 43% | $59,770 |
| Georgia Gwinnett College | Lawrenceville, Georgia | 11,344 | 96% | $4,532 in-state · $13,844 out-of-state |
| Guilford College | Greensboro, North Carolina | 1,001 | 80% | $41,362 |
| Hampden-Sydney College | Hampden-Sydney, Virginia | 946 | 41% | $54,550 |
| Johnson C Smith University | Charlotte, North Carolina | 1,244 | 45% | $21,300 |
| Livingstone College | Salisbury, North Carolina | 924 | 59% | $18,296 |
| Maryville College | Maryville, Tennessee | 1,005 | 61% | $39,284 |
| Morehouse College | Atlanta, Georgia | 2,844 | 44% | $32,893 |
| Norfolk State University | Norfolk, Virginia | 5,392 | 88% | $10,180 in-state · $21,682 out-of-state |
| Randolph-Macon College | Ashland, Virginia | 1,639 | 87% | $49,466 |
| Rhodes College | Memphis, Tennessee | 1,836 | 50% | $57,110 |
| Roanoke College | Salem, Virginia | 1,767 | 83% | $38,068 |
| Shaw University | Raleigh, North Carolina | 875 | 80% | $17,538 |
| South Carolina State University | Orangeburg, South Carolina | 2,934 | 83% | $11,060 in-state · $21,750 out-of-state |
| Spelman College | Atlanta, Georgia | 3,414 | 25% | $31,556 |
| St. Mary's College of Maryland | St. Mary's City, Maryland | 1,603 | 69% | $15,298 in-state · $31,374 out-of-state |
| Talladega College | Talladega, Alabama | 701 | 85% | $15,650 |
| The University of the South | Sewanee, Tennessee | 1,607 | 57% | $56,120 |
| United States Naval Academy | Annapolis, Maryland | 4,474 | 9% | – |
| University of Mary Washington | Fredericksburg, Virginia | 3,566 | 80% | $14,640 in-state · $27,560 out-of-state |
| University of Montevallo | Montevallo, Alabama | 2,151 | 54% | $13,948 in-state · $26,968 out-of-state |
| University of North Carolina at Asheville | Asheville, North Carolina | 2,910 | 92% | $7,501 in-state · $24,849 out-of-state |
| University of Virginia's College at Wise | Wise, Virginia | 1,101 | 29% | $11,780 in-state · $28,010 out-of-state |
| Virginia State University | Petersburg, Virginia | 5,074 | 89% | $10,043 in-state · $22,650 out-of-state |
| Virginia Wesleyan University | Virginia Beach, Virginia | 1,256 | 73% | $37,500 |
| Washington College | Chestertown, Maryland | 891 | 57% | $55,326 |
| West Virginia State University | Institute, West Virginia | 1,321 | 96% | $9,570 in-state · $14,990 out-of-state |
| Wofford College | Spartanburg, South Carolina | 1,816 | 52% | $56,005 |
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
- Liberal Arts Colleges
- Liberal Arts Colleges in the Northeast
- Liberal Arts Colleges in the Midwest
- Liberal Arts Colleges in the South and Southwest
- Liberal Arts Colleges on the West Coast
- 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
- Division I Colleges in the Southeast
FAQ
Which liberal arts colleges in the Southeast admit at least half of applicants? 33 of the 44: Alabama State University, Allen University, Berry College, Bethune-Cookman University, Bridgewater College, Centre College, Christopher Newport University, Claflin University, Eckerd College, Edward Waters University, Florida Southern College, Fort Valley State University and 21 more (fall 2024).
What are the largest and smallest liberal arts colleges in the Southeast? Georgia Gwinnett College is the largest, with 11,344 undergraduates, and Allen University is the smallest, with 576 (fall 2024).
How many liberal arts colleges in the Southeast are public? 15 of the 44 are public and 29 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.