Top Undergraduate Liberal Arts Colleges in the South | CollegeXpress
Group of students with arms around each other on campus, featured schools logo

Great Undergraduate Liberal Arts Colleges in the South

Looking for a tight-knit community and great academics? Explore the top undergraduate liberal arts colleges and universities in the South today!

With so many liberal arts colleges and universities in the nation, it can feel next to impossible to find the right one for your needs and goals—because while there are a lot, they’re not all the same. This list of liberal arts schools in the Southern US is a great place to start learning more about what makes them special. You can see some highlights about each school, click through to read more about them on their CollegeXpress profile, and even get connected directly using the green “Connect me” buttons to let them tell you more about themselves. Find that tight-knit liberal arts community you’re looking for today!

Centre College

Centre College logoCentre College is a selective independent liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky. Enrolling approximately 1,404 students, the College offers over 70 majors, minors, and pre-professional programs with a personalized 10:1 student-faculty ratio. Centre stands out for its top-ranked study abroad experiences, with 84% of students studying internationally by graduation. Undergraduates enjoy a vibrant, close-knit residential community where 99% of students live on campus and 90% benefit from generous institutional financial aid packages.

Connect me with Centre!

Oral Roberts University

Oral Roberts University logoOral Roberts University is a private Christian liberal arts university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. More than 150 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs are offered at ORU to 4,700+ students from all 50 states and 120+ nations. The University is also home to 16 NCAA Division I athletic teams, more than 30 student-led clubs and organizations, and a multitude of leadership opportunities.

Connect me with ORU!

Ouachita Baptist University

Ouachita Baptist University logoOuachita Baptist University  is a private Christian liberal arts school in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. With a total enrollment of about 1,815 students and a 12:1 student-faculty ratio, it offers a tight-knit community where 95% of undergrads live on campus. The university has a 68% acceptance rate, and all students receive some form of financial aid, averaging $26,141. Tuition and fees total approximately $37,158, with additional costs for housing and food. Known for its strong faith emphasis, it features competitive DII athletics, including swimming and baseball, and is recognized for its value and "haunted" history. Rolling admissions apply for transfers.

Connect me with Ouachita!

Southwestern University

Southwestern University logoSouthwestern University is a private Methodist liberal arts and sciences university in Georgetown, Texas—28 miles north of Austin. At Southwestern, more than 1,500 students pursue 37 majors and seven pre-professional programs with an average class size of 18 and a student-faculty ratio of 12:1. The University also offers 100+ student organizations, 20 Division III athletic teams, club and intramural sports, and career services that are ranked first in the state.

Connect me with Southwestern!

University of Dallas

University of Dallas logoThe University of Dallas is a church-affiliated liberal arts institution with a 215-acre campus in Irving, Texas—on the northwest boundary of Dallas. All students, regardless of which of the University’s 25+ undergraduate majors they choose, are required to complete UD’s nationally recognized Core Curriculum: a two-year, 60-credit-hour sequence of classes. UD’s unique academic, spiritual, and communal character brings students together through more than 50 academic, service, and social clubs and organizations.

Connect me with UD!

University of the Incarnate Word

University of the Incarnate Word logoThe University of the Incarnate Word is a private Catholic liberal arts university in San Antonio, Texas. Designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, UIW is home to over 9,000 students from more than 60 countries pursuing 90+ undergraduate academic programs. Students can participate in Division I athletics and 100+ clubs and organizations, and any applicant graduating from a Catholic high school receives an additional scholarship to attend the University. 

Connect me with UIW!

We can help you connect with any type of school you could be looking for. Keep your college search going with our featured college lists!

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

About CollegeXpress

CollegeXpress

Welcome to CollegeXpress, your one-stop college shop! We’re a free college planning website used by millions of college-bound students, parents, and counselors—anyone who needs help navigating the college search and application process, financial aid opportunities, and more. 

You’ll find comprehensive College Search and Scholarship Search tools, tons of articles and expert advice, unique college Lists & Rankings, and lots of other resources to help make your life easier. Teen Vogue even named us one of the 7 Best College Search Websites!

Current college students and recent grads also love CollegeXpress for our Graduate Program Search tool and endless information on student life, internships, and beyond. We really have something for everyone, no matter where you are in your college journey.

Create a free CollegeXpress account to start connecting with colleges, winning scholarships, and simplifying your life as a student!

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.

Trine University

Angola, IN


Sadie Hartmann

Sadie Hartmann

High School Class of 2021

I'm a senior in high school, and CollegeXpress has helped me in so many ways this year in trying to navigate the process of deciding and committing to a university. The COVID-19 Student Resource Center has helped me many times with the most up-to-date and accurate information, along with financial aid and student life [advice]. During these uncertain times, CollegeXpress has been a great recourse to relieve the stress as a senior. Along with the COVID-19 Student Resource Center, I'm constantly using the extremely helpful tools off the site to aid me during this stressful process. Tools like the lists and rankings of universities have been the most beneficial. I've also used the site to receive expert advice on topics like financial aid. Finally, CollegeXpress has helped me easily apply for several scholarships. I'm thankful to be given the chance to win a scholarship to lessen the burden of my college debt.

Emilie Delgado

Emilie Delgado

$2,000 Community Service Scholarship Winner, 2013

CollegeXpress has tremendously helped me in my search for financial aid opportunities as I enter my college career. It is easy to navigate and quickly narrowed down scholarships that I could apply for. Being awarded the scholarship will greatly help me in my finances regarding books and tuition. Thank you for this opportunity. Without CollegeXpress, it would have been more difficult to apply. I would recommend this site to everyone!

Joseph Johnsly

Joseph Johnsly

High School Class of 2021

It's an honor for me to be writing to share a little about my experience with CollegeXpress. I've been using CollegeXpress for about a year now, and the reason why I chose it is because it provides astonishing scholarships for every student around the globe. Besides that, this organization dispenses all the information necessary to help students get to college. CollegeXpress has helped me have an easier experience with applying to colleges and choosing the best fit for myself.

Asia Stockdale

Asia Stockdale

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress helped me overcome a huge hurdle. Because of the small town I live in, I felt like I would never achieve more. I felt like I could never go beyond because of costs. I feared I wouldn’t be able to find scholarships. I had no idea of where to start. With CollegeXpress, I easily found scholarships—they came to me. It was a helper, and I was instantly matched with opportunities to go above and beyond educationally.

Farrah Macci

Farrah Macci

High School Class of 2016

CollegeXpress has helped me in many ways. For one, online searches are more organized and refined by filtering scholarships through by my personal and academic interests. Due to this, it has made searching for colleges and scholarships significantly less stressful. As a student, life can already get stressful pretty quickly. For me, it’s been helpful to utilize CollegeXpress since it keeps all of my searches and likes together, so I don’t have to branch out on multiple websites just to explore scholarship options.