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!
Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College is a private Presbyterian liberal arts college for women in Decatur, Georgia—just six miles from downtown Atlanta. At Agnes Scott, more than 1,100 students choose from 30 undergraduate majors and minors, 150+ study abroad programs in 50+ countries, and over 60 clubs and organizations on campus. The College also offers a unique SUMMIT core curriculum that focuses on applying classroom learning to real-world experiences through hands-on opportunities.
Asbury University
Asbury University is a private Christian liberal arts university based in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition and located in Wilmore, Kentucky—just 15 miles south of Lexington. Asbury’s 15 academic departments offer more than 150 areas of study and personalized online program options. Nearly 2,000 students come from 41 states and 35 countries to take advantage of the University’s nationally accredited Music Department, 16 intercollegiate athletic teams, cross-cultural mission trips, and more.
Barry University
Barry University is a private Catholic liberal arts university in Miami Shores, Florida. The University enrolls more than 3,100 undergraduate students and offers them 100+ academic programs, including majors in subjects such as business, communications, computer science, education, health, law, and more. Barry also has an active campus community with 50+ organizations to choose from and 12 varsity athletic teams with 28 NCAA Division II championship titles.
Barton College
Barton College is a private liberal arts college in Wilson, North Carolina—about 45 miles from Raleigh. Providing students with a strong academic focus and opportunities for leadership development, Barton offers more than 40 majors and programs through the Schools of Allied Health & Sports Studies, Business, Education, Humanities, Nursing, Sciences, and Visual, Performing & Communication Arts. Barton students benefit from average class sizes of 17 students, NCAA Division II athletic teams, and average financial aid packages of over $20,000.
Bridgewater College
Bridgewater College is a private Christian liberal arts college in Bridgewater, Virginia—near Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, Richmond, and Washington, DC. Joining a student body of nearly 1,500, new Bridgewater students can choose from 55 undergraduate majors and minors as well as study abroad programs and May Term travel opportunities. It’s easy to get involved on campus with 60+ clubs, organizations, and honor societies to join as well as intramural sports teams and entertainment organized by the Campus Engagement and Activity Team.
Centre College
Centre College is a private Presbyterian liberal arts college located in Danville, Kentucky—35 miles from Lexington. The College is home to a student body of 1,450 and a variety of majors, minors, and pre-professional programs for undergraduates as well as Army and Air Force ROTC through the University of Kentucky. With 98% of students living on campus and speakers, concerts, plays, and athletic competitions almost every day, a feeling of community is a highlight of the Centre experience.
Charleston Southern University
Charleston Southern University is a private Christian liberal arts university in Charleston, South Carolina. With a 12:1 student-faculty ratio, the University offers more than 60 undergraduate programs to a student body of 2,700+. Student-athletes can compete on 16 Division I athletic teams, and vibrant campus ministries and student organizations provide opportunities to serve at the local, national, and global levels.
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Covenant College
Covenant College is a Presbyterian liberal arts college on Lookout Mountain in Georgia—just across the state line from Chattanooga, Tennessee. With an enrollment of just under 1,000 students, the College provides a rigorous and religiously integrated education through 27 majors and numerous minors, pre-professional programs, and certificates. Covenant also offers the Center for Calling and Career to help students incorporate faith into their career preparation.
Eckerd College
Eckerd College is a private Presbyterian liberal arts and sciences college on Boca Ciega Bay in St. Petersburg, Florida—just 25 miles from Tampa. The College offers 42 majors and 52 minors as well as three different leadership and scholars program options to enhance each student’s learning. Many of Eckerd’s 2,000+ undergraduates travel with faculty leaders to nearly 40 countries for research and cultural learning, including a University-owned study center in London.
Elon University
Elon University is a selective independent liberal arts university in Elon, North Carolina—east of Greensboro and northwest of Raleigh/Durham. At Elon, more than 6,000 undergraduates are enrolled in over 70 academic programs and can get involved in 280+ campus clubs and organizations. Students can study away for a one-month Winter Term, a semester, a summer, or a whole academic year with 100+ study abroad and Study USA programs.
Lees-McRae College
Lees-McRae College is a private Presbyterian liberal arts college in Banner Elk, North Carolina. The College provides a dynamic array of 27 undergraduate majors and 26 minors, with strengths in fields such as Business Administration, Wildlife Biology, Nursing, and Performing Arts. With over 25 clubs and organizations—including leadership programs, outdoor recreation, and service opportunities—Lees-McRae students can find countless ways to connect with others and make a difference.
Lynn University
Lynn University is a private liberal arts university in Boca Raton, Florida—23 miles from Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach and 50 miles from Miami. At Lynn, more than 3,200 students come from 45 states and 101 countries to pursue 110 undergraduate and graduate programs. The University is nationally known for its Dialogues core curriculum and award-winning iPad®-powered learning program.
Methodist University
Methodist University is a private Christian liberal arts college in Fayetteville, North Carolina—60 miles south of Raleigh. At MU, approximately 2,100 students have the advantage of small classes—averaging fewer than 20 students—in more than 80 majors, minors, and concentration programs. Outside of the classroom, students can get involved in almost 100 clubs and organizations, 20 NCAA Division III athletic teams, honor societies, recreational sports, and more.
Oral Roberts University
Oral 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.
Randolph College
Randolph College is a private liberal arts college in Lynchburg, Virginia. With more than 500 total students, the College offers around 30 majors, over 40 minors, and pre-professional programs in Engineering, Medicine, and Veterinary Studies. Students can get involved on campus with 40 organizations, eight men’s and 10 women’s athletic teams, and the competitive Davenport Leadership Program, which provides opportunities to build attributes and skills that make great leaders.
Southwestern University
Southwestern 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.
Toccoa Falls College
Toccoa Falls College is a Christian Bible and liberal arts college in Toccoa Falls, Georgia—in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The College offers 32 majors, 15 student-led organizations, and a scenic campus with numerous opportunities for outdoor activities to a student body of more than 2,000 students. TFC’s low 16:1 student-faculty ratio and average class size of 17 facilitate an open-door policy and excellent one-on-one advising from faculty, providing students with an intimate and intentional experience in the classroom.
Transylvania University
Transylvania University is a private liberal arts university in Lexington, Kentucky—just a few blocks from downtown. The University offers nearly 46 majors in fields ranging from Art History and Psychology to International Affairs and Neuroscience—as well as the option to create your own major—to over 950 students. With the 100 Doors to Success mentorship program, students have the opportunity to be mentored and network with Transylvania alumni from around the world.
Trevecca Nazarene University
Trevecca Nazarene University is a private Christian liberal arts university in Nashville, Tennessee. The University offers more than 90 associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs to nearly 4,000 total students. Trevecca also has 13 athletic programs, nine campus ministries, 47 chapel opportunities each semester, annual international mission trips, and extensive community service options as a part of its experiential learning model.
Union University
Union University is a private Baptist university in Jackson, Tennessee—80 miles east of Memphis—with branch campuses in Germantown and Hendersonville. With a total enrollment of over 3,100 students and a 10:1 student-faculty ratio, Union offers more than 100 programs of study, with distinctive options in Cybersecurity and Zoology. Students can also engage with 90+ student organizations, NCAA Division II athletic teams, and a rich residence life experience.
University of Austin
The University of Austin is a brand-new liberal arts and sciences institution in Austin, Texas—welcoming its inaugural class in the fall of 2024. UATX’s undergraduate curriculum provides a dynamic, intensive education, guided by the innovative Intellectual Foundations, Junior Fellows, and Polaris Project programs. The members of the 2024 founding class all received the Founders Scholarship worth the full cost of tuition for four years—a value of approximately $130,000.
University of Dallas
The 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.
University of the Incarnate Word
The 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.
University of Tennessee Southern
The University of Tennessee Southern is a private liberal arts university in Pulaski, Tennessee—70 miles from Nashville. UT Southern offers 30+ programs and degrees to nearly 1,000 students, with an average class size of 13. Students also enjoy the benefits of modern classrooms, innovative labs, and recreational spaces that foster collaboration and creativity.
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