50 Best Colleges in South – 2024

Academic Highlights: Boasting an enviable 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and with close to 80% of course sections possessing an enrollment under 20, face time with professors is a reality. That presents a phenomenal opportunity to learn directly from a group that includes four Nobel Laureates, four Medal of Science winners, and two recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Fitting for America’s first research university, 70% of JHU undergraduates complete a research experience while working closely with a faculty member. Each year, hundreds of students receive significant funding for independent projects through the Hopkins Office for Undergraduate Research.

Professional Outcomes: Ninety-four percent of recent graduates successfully land at their next destination within six months of exiting the university; 69% of graduates entered the world of employment and a robust 20% went directly to graduate/professional school. The median starting salary across all majors was $80,000 with top employers including Amazon, DCPS, Deloitte, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon. Blue Jays pursue further education at Brown, Columbia, Cornell, NYU, Northwestern, Stanford, and JHU.

Academic Highlights: Class sizes are on the small side—74% are nineteen or fewer, and almost one-quarter are less than ten. A stellar 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio helps keep classes so reasonable even while catering to five figures worth of graduate students. The Undergraduate Research Support Office does great work connecting students with opportunities to conduct research, either over the summer or during the regular school year. All told, more than half of undergraduates conduct research. More Duke students pursue a semester abroad than students at any other top ten research institution—roughly half elect to venture off to one of the school’s 300 partner programs scattered around the world.

Professional Outcomes: At graduation, approximately 76% of Duke diploma-earners enter the world of work, 17% continue into graduate schools, and 7% start their own businesses. Companies employing multiple Duke grads per year include Google, Capital One, Amazon, Microsoft, Oracle, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Accenture, and a host of other top-shelf corporations in the areas of technology, finance, and consulting. Eventually, 84% of Duke undergraduates will go on to earn an advanced degree One-third of Duke alumni elect to stay in North Carolina. New York, California, DC, and Massachusetts follow in popularity.

Academic Highlights: All freshmen enter the Undergraduate College, which offers 49 majors and 60+ minors. Sporting a student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1, classes are kept on the small side with 59% of sections enrolling fewer than 20 students. In addition to research opportunities for credit, students can pursue research fellowships through the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Center (URECA). Wake’s robust study abroad options feature 400 semester, summer, and year-long programs in 200 cities in more than eighty countries worldwide. Undergrads participate at a 60-80% rate, good enough for one of the top five figures among doctoral degree-granting US universities

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 98% of the Class of 2023 had found their next destination, with 65% starting their first professional job and 32% matriculating into a graduate program. Employers landing the highest numbers of alumni included national and multinational corporations Wells Fargo, Deloitte, EY, Bank of America, PwC, and Truist. By the start of mid-career, Wake Forest alumni earn a median salary of $149,600.

Academic Highlights: Boasting a student-to-faculty ratio of 6:1, Rice offers a spectacularly intimate learning experience. Class sizes are ideally small with 66% containing fewer than 20 students and a median class size of only fifteen. Undergraduate research opportunities abound with approximately 70% of graduates participating in academic research during their four years. Those experiences are open to freshmen through the Century Scholars Program and to all underclassmen through the Rice Undergraduate Scholars Program. Study abroad options are available in over fifty countries, including collaborative programs with some of the top schools in the world including The London School of Economics, Oxford, and Cambridge.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduation, 88% of recent Rice grads have found careers or a graduate school home. Companies that employ many recent grads include Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, Boston Consulting Group, Deloitte, Google, and Accenture. Over four hundred alumni work at Baylor College of Medicine, and over 200 work at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Across all majors, the average starting salary is $89k. Texas is among the most common destinations for recent grads, but many also flock to San Francisco, New York, Seattle, and Chicago.

Academic Highlights: With a 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio, undergraduate class sizes are kept small. In the 2023-24 school year, 26% of course sections contained nine or fewer students, and 61% contained 19 or fewer. Undergraduate research opportunities can be found as part of the classroom curriculum, through capstone experiences, or through the Vanderbilt University Summer Research Program; 58% of undergrads conduct research during their four years. Half of all Commodores are adventurous enough to study abroad, and over 80% of those who do say the experience helped them build job skills. The university offers 120 programs in 40 countries.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduating, 95% of the Class of 2023 were employed or in graduate school. Alumni can be found in droves at Capital One, Deloitte, McKinsey & Company, VUMC, Amazon, and Bank of America. Among 2023 alumni who directly pursued advanced degrees, the majority enrolled at Vanderbilt followed by Columbia, UPenn, NYU, Harvard, Yale, Duke, and Northwestern. The greatest number of recent alumni stayed in the Greater Nashville area but large pockets also assembled in New York City, Boston, and Chicago. Mid-career median salaries for Vanderbilt graduates are number one in the state by a wide margin; the median figure is $86,000.

Academic Highlights: This midsize university offers a diverse array of majors (80+) and minors (60+), and 30% of Emory students pursue more than one area of study. Over half of Emory’s student body works directly with a faculty member on academic research and 58% of courses have class sizes of under twenty students. Studying abroad is a fairly common feature of an Emory education, with 40% of students traveling to one of 100 international destinations.

Professional Outcomes: Shortly after graduation, 59% of 2023 grads were already employed, and 99% had arrived at their next destination. The top employers of recent Emory grads include Epic, NIH, Capital One, Fulbright US Student Program, Amazon, and Deloitte. The average starting salary was $61k.  In the last few years, multiple Emory grads/alums received acceptance letters from the following top schools – Columbia, UPenn, Yale, the University of Chicago, and Vanderbilt. While a healthy number of Emory grads found employment in Georgia, the top destinations for the Class of 2023 included non-Southern locales in New York City, DC, LA, Chicago, and Philadelphia.

Academic Highlights: The university offers 37 majors and 29 minors. With an exceptionally low 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio and no graduate students to attend to, W&L undergraduates enjoy loads of attention. Over 83% of class sections contain 19 or fewer students, Instructors earn rave reviews as 98% of recent grads were either “very satisfied” or “satisfied” by the quality of their professors. Students can participate in research via a number of programs, including the Summer Research Scholars Program, which allows undergrads to collaborate with faculty in the field or lab. Studying abroad is common, with 60% of grads spending a semester or summer in a foreign land.

Professional Outcomes: Last year, 69% of recent graduates found employment within six months of leaving Lexington. Companies presently employing more than two dozen Generals including Wells Fargo, EY, Williams Investment Society, PwC, Deloitte, Capital One, Bank of America, and JP Morgan. Starting salaries are solid with the majority of the cohort being paid $55,000 or more while 18% brought home in excess of $75,000.

Academic Highlights: Undergrads can study within one of eight colleges/schools, which all offer many small classes; 14% boast single-digit enrollment and 48% contain 19 or fewer students. Undergraduate research opportunities can be challenging to uncover at any large school where graduate students get the prime spots, yet, UVA does offer a multitude of formal opportunities as well as the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and three undergraduate research journals. The classroom at UVA extends well beyond Charlottesville as one-fifth enjoy a semester abroad through one of fifty programs around the world.

Professional Outcomes: Upon receiving their degree, 86% of the Class of 2023 immediately joined the workforce–with an average starting salary of $82k–or headed directly to graduate school.  Capital One (58), Amazon (45), Deloitte (41), and Accenture (34) scooped up the greatest number of 2023 grads. UVA itself was the most popular grad school destination followed by Columbia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Duke.

Academic Highlights: For a large university with a heavy presence of graduate students, Georgetown maintains a personalized and intimate learning environment. The student-faculty ratio is 11:1, and 62% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students. While some classes are a bit larger, only 6% cross the 50-student threshold. There are many ways that students can seek funding for independent research projects or become an assistant to faculty members via the Georgetown Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. Summer research can lead to the completion of a senior thesis that can be presented at the College Academic Council Research Colloquium every spring. Each year, 1,000+ Hoya undergrads participate in one of the school’s 200+ study abroad programs that are spread across 50+ countries.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 72% of members of the Class of 2023 entered the workforce, 20% went directly into a graduate or professional program of study, and 5% were still seeking employment. The Class of 2023 sent graduates to a number of major corporations including Bank of America (18), JP Morgan Chase (18), Deloitte (15), Citi (13), and Morgan Stanley (13). Those attending grad school stay at Georgetown or flock to other elite schools like Columbia and NYU. By far, New York and remaining in DC are the two most popular postgraduate destinations, although a fair number also migrate to Virginia, California, Massachusetts, Texas, and Maryland. The financial picture for Georgetown graduates is rosy. Average starting salaries fall well above the national average.

Academic Highlights: With its small size, the impressive part of the college is the exceptional quality of its offerings, not the breadth of them, as only 37 majors are available. The student-to-faculty ratio is 9:1, which allows the college to ensure that 69% have fewer than twenty students and 29% have enrollments you can count on two hands. Overall, the average number of students per class is only 17. Study abroad is encouraged, and approximately 65% elect to study in one of 125 programs around the globe. Undergrads working side-by-side with their professors is commonplace as over 60% of faculty have published with student coauthors at some point.

Professional Outcomes: Looking at the outcomes data for recent grads, 67% landed jobs within six months of graduation, 24% were enrolled in a graduate program, and 6% were still seeking employment. Employers of the largest number of Davidson grads include Carolina Healthcare System, Teach for America, the NIH, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America. Significant numbers of students pursue advanced degrees at other Southern gems including Vanderbilt, Emory, Duke, Wake Forest, and UNC. There is also a fair showing of Ivy League acceptances in all graduate disciplines among Wildcat alumni.

Academic Highlights: There are over sixty undergraduate majors at UR. The student- to-faculty ratio is 7:1, the average class size is sixteen students. Thirty-five percent of Richmond students participate in an intensive research experience with a faculty member prior to graduation, and students can have those summer opportunities funded through the Richmond Guarantee, which sees the university fund research apprenticeships as well as internships. Nearly 500 students receive such funding every summer. Going abroad is the norm at UR—65% take a semester or full year of study in one of seventy-five programs in 60 countries.

Professional Outcomes: One year after graduation, 92% of Richmond grads who were seeking employment had found jobs, with an average salary range of $60,000-$64,999. Companies where you can find at least 50 Richmond alumni employed include Capital One, Deloitte, PwC, EY, Amazon, Google, and Morgan Stanley.  20% of recent alumni chose to enroll directly in a graduate or professional degree program. Large pockets of alumni can be found in New York City, DC, Philadelphia, and Boston.

Academic Highlights: Undergraduates can choose from 74 bachelor’s degree programs across several schools and colleges. 87% of classes have fewer than 50 students, while 39% of classes have a student enrollment under 20. UNC sends forty percent of graduates abroad to one of 70 countries at some point in their educational career. Research is required as part of the general education curriculum, and plenty of faculty-mentored opportunities and funded formal programs are also available. In 2024, over 600 students shared their research at the annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after leaving Chapel Hill, 94% of 2023 grads had entered employment, military service, or graduate school. Among the for-profit companies that hire the most graduates are Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Amazon, Fidelity Investments, and Epic Games. In the nonprofit sector, a large number of alumni are employed by AmeriCorps, NIH, Teach for America, and the Peace Corps. The average starting salary is $74,292. Nine percent of 2023 grads enrolled directly in graduate/professional school.

Academic Highlights: Tulane offers 75 majors within five colleges. The average undergraduate class size is 21 students and a solid 21% of courses have single-digit enrollments, providing a seminar-style environment. The overwhelming majority of undergraduate courses, even introductory ones, are taught by full-time professors. Exiting student surveys indicate that this focus on undergraduate education is noted; 94% rated their educational experience at Tulane as either “excellent” or “good.” 30% of students take advantage of Tulane’s expansive study abroad program, which offers more than 110 programs in 40 countries.

Professional Outcomes: Over three-fifths of Tulane grads find employment within six months of graduation. Significant numbers of alumni can be found working in the Louisiana-based Ochsner Health System or at corporations such as Deloitte, EY, Google, Microsoft, and Goldman Sachs. 31% of recent grads enrolled in graduate or professional school—the most common destinations are Tulane itself, Louisiana State University, Columbia University, and New York University.

Academic Highlights: Over forty undergraduate programs are available and William & Mary has a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Class sizes are rarely tiny seminars, but 44% do enroll fewer than twenty students, and only 10% contain more than fifty. An extremely high percentage of undergrads study abroad for a semester; by graduation, roughly half of the class has done so, traveling to one of more than 60 countries. Undergraduate research opportunities are widely available.

Professional Outcomes: 53% of recent grads joined the workforce, and 35% entered graduate school within six months of graduation. Over 500 employers snatched up at least one member of the Tribe. Companies hiring at least four recent grads included Accenture, Booz Allen Hamilton, KPMG, and Deloitte. Many of those opting for immediate entry into graduate school stayed at their alma mater, with other alums attending Columbia, Duke, Emory, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Chicago.

Academic Highlights: With 16 colleges and 100 undergraduate majors to choose from, educational experiences are exceptionally diverse. UF impressively offers 50% of sections with an enrollment of fewer than 20 students. The Center for Undergraduate Research offers a University Research Scholars program as well as summer opportunities, hosts its own Undergraduate Research Symposium, and publishes its own UF Journal of Undergraduate Research. Forty percent of all undergrads have such an experience. The school has connections to 1,100 study abroad programs that are taken advantage of by more than 2,900 undergrads each year.

Professional Outcomes: The University of Florida demonstrates exceptional career preparation, with 83% of the Class of 2024 securing employment by graduation day. Gator alumni have established a strong presence at leading tech giants, with 200+ graduates currently working at Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Apple, Meta, and Oracle. The class achieved an impressive average starting salary of $68,000. For those continuing their education, popular graduate destinations include the University of South Florida, Nova Southeastern University, and Georgia Tech, showcasing UF’s strong pipeline to both immediate employment and advanced academic opportunities.

Academic Highlights: The school offers more than 70 majors, minors, and interdisciplinary programs and a great deal of academic autonomy along the way. A 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to an amazingly intimate average class size of only 15 students. Opportunities to collaborate with faculty on research projects are plentiful in every academic discipline, and the annual Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium is a chance to show off student projects; last year, over 300 projects were presented. A solid 65% of students elect to study abroad or at off-campus sites, and the school offers many Rhodes faculty-led locations around the world.

Professional Outcomes: Within one year of receiving their diplomas, 97% of recent Rhodes grads have found their way into the world of employment or are pursuing an advanced degree program. Among the companies employing the largest number of alumni are St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, FedEx, Deloitte, EY, and Raymond James. Close to 90% of those applying to graduate school get into their top-choice institution and Rhodes ultimately produces an incredible number of PhDs.

Academic Highlights: Over 100 undergrad programs are offered across nine schools, A noteworthy 92% of graduates report being satisfied with their education while 82% were satisfied with their major. Fifty-two percent of all course sections contain fewer than 20 students, and only 7% of sections sport enrollments of more than 50 undergrads. Study abroad opportunities are vast and include university-run programs in sixteen locations; roughly 40% of undergrads participate each year. Undergraduate research posts are available, with many facilitated by the Office of Research and Community Outreach.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 99% of the Class of 2023 had positive outcomes, with 62% employed full-time and 36% in graduate school. Companies employing 2023 grads included Citi, Bank of America, Jackson Memorial Hospital, JPMorgan Chase, Deloitte, and Goldman Sachs. Across all majors, the median starting salary was an impressive $62k. 100+ Canes also can be found in the offices of Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. The most frequently attended graduate school is typically Miami itself.

Academic Highlights: The student-to-faculty is a 17:1, which translates into somewhat larger class sizes. Ten percent of sections contain more than fifty students, and 4% have more than 100. However, that is balanced by the 66% of sections that contain fewer than twenty students. Undergraduate research is taken advantage of by one-quarter of students, and the school plans to greatly expand such offerings in the coming years. An abundance of study abroad choices include special summer programs in Panama, Florence, London, and Valencia, Spain. FSU has 60 academic programs available in 20 locations throughout the world; 2,500+ students per year participate.

Professional Outcomes: Eighty-three percent of job-seeking Seminole grads receive at least one offer of employment within three months of graduation. Thirty percent of seniors found employment through Career Center services at FSU. Employers hiring the greatest number of FSU alumni include Apple, Northrop Grumman, EY, General Motors, and Deloitte. Roughly one-third of recent Florida State grads elected to immediately pursue admission into an advanced degree program; 84% of those who apply receive at least one acceptance. Geographically, the greatest number of alumni remain in Florida but large numbers also relocate to Massachusetts, Georgia, Texas, New York, and California.

Academic Highlights: UT Austin offers over 170 majors. Sn encouraging 36% of course sections enroll nineteen or fewer students. Opportunities for undergraduate research vary by school, and many student must compete for slots in programs such as Summer Research Scholars or use the Eureka database to find individual professors offering research assistantships. A robust study abroad program boasts 400 offerings in 100+ foreign countries; 4,600+ students participate each year, the third-largest number in the country.

Professional Outcomes:  Over 1000 alumni work in the offices of Dell, Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Deloitte; IBM, Meta, Oracle, and AMD employ over 500 each. Graduates early in their careers earn a median salary of $77,400, with median mid-career pay reaching $141,100. Roughly one-quarter of University of Texas at Austin undergraduates go on to pursue advanced degrees after completing their bachelor’s. Many pursue advanced study at UT Austin itself, which offers more than one hundred graduate programs. Many alumni stay in Texas after graduation, settling in Austin, Houston, and Dallas-Fort Worth.

Academic Highlights: Trinity offers 56 majors and a demanding, carefully crafted liberal arts core curriculum. You won’t encounter any adjuncts or teaching assistants at Trinity, and 98% of the 270 full-time faculty members hold terminal degrees in their fields. Sixty-eight percent of courses enroll fewer than 20 students and less than 1% contain more than 50.. Overall, 21% of students participate in undergraduate research at some point during their four years. Study abroad programs are taken advantage of by 35% of graduates, most of whom participate in affiliated (but not Trinity-run) offerings.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after receiving their diplomas, 98% of 2023 Trinity grads were either employed full-time or matriculated into graduate school; only 2% were still seeking employment. The companies employing the largest number of alumni include USAA (a San Antonio-based financial firm), EY, Deloitte, PwC, Dell Technologies, Baylor Scott & White Health, and Amazon. Trinity ranks second in the state of Texas for students accepted to PhD programs, and 90% of eligible students were accepted to medical school.

Academic Highlights: The school’s 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio translates to a mix of small, medium, and large undergraduate sections. Seven percent of courses have single-digit enrollments, 11% have over 50 students, and the majority fall in the 10 to 29 range. In recent years, the university has invested in increasing the number of undergraduate research experiences available to its students through the GW Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. The efforts are paying off as 400 undergrads now present at the GW Research Days, a two-day event held in April. Close to half of Revolutionaries study abroad for one semester in Europe (65%), Asia (10%), Latin America (8%), Africa (7%), or Australia (6%).

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of leaving GW, 93% of the Class of 2023 had found their way to gainful employment or graduate school while 6% were still job hunting. Of the 64% of grads already in the workplace, 64% were in a for-profit industry, 26% had entered a nonprofit position, and 10% were working in government. A healthy 26% of those earning their diplomas in 2023 immediately turned their attention to earning an advanced degree. Fifty-three percent of grads earned a starting salary in excess of $60k, while an additional 30% earned between $40k and $60k Just under three-quarters of recent grads remained in the Mid-Atlantic region with the West and Mountain regions a distant second.

Academic Highlights: Twenty-nine percent of courses have a single-digit enrollment, 66% have 19 students or fewer, and 94% of sections max out at 29 students. The school routinely ranks high in the quality of its undergraduate teaching, and faculty are viewed as being accessible. The Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CURE) program ensures that quality research apprenticeships are available to all who seek them. Spelman is in the top 30 undergraduate colleges in terms of sending the highest numbers of students abroad; in a typical year, nearly 70% of grads have studied in a foreign destination.

Program Outcomes: At the time of receiving their diploma, Class of 2023 grads had part- or full-time employment lined up 45% of the time and matriculated into graduate school at a 32% clip. Top employers included Teach for America, Accenture, National Institutes of Health, Deloitte, EY Parthenon, Fulton County Schools, and JPMorgan Chase. The most common postgraduate destination is remaining in the Greater Atlanta Area, but large pockets of Spelman grads are also found in Washington, DC; New York City; Los Angeles; and Chicago.

Academic Highlights: At Furman, undergrads have the choice of 70+ academic programs, all in the liberal arts and sciences realm. The vast majority of courses at Furman take place in an intimate classroom environment. A 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio and very few graduate students lead to an average class size of just 14 students. Over three-quarters of sections have an enrollment of less than 20 students, and 100% of courses enroll fewer than 50; giant lecture halls don’t even exist at this university. The school is consistently rated highly for professor accessibility and undergraduate teaching. Eighty-five percent of the recent grads participated in at least one of what the university calls a “high impact practice,” which includes a research experience, an internship, or a term studying abroad.

Professional Outcomes: 98% of grads quickly achieved positive outcomes with 41% employed, 39% continuing their education, 10% working and attending graduate school, 3% engaged in volunteer work or joining the military, and only 2% still seeking employment. Companies that employ a large number of Paladin alums include Wells Fargo, EY, Deloitte, Bank of America, Michelin, and PwC. Recent grads have also found their way to SpaceX, the PGA Tour, and the US Department of Commerce. Furman alumni can be found in large numbers in the Greenville, South Carolina, area, as well as Atlanta; Charlotte; Washington, DC; and New York City.

Academic Highlights: All undergrads are exposed to a recently adopted core curriculum that focuses on enhancing students’ metacognitive abilities. Requirements include more than thirty credits of study in courses such as Complex Problems, Quantitative Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Creative-Aesthetic Inquiry, and Written Communication Undergraduate research opportunities are taken advantage of by nearly half of all AU students.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 91% of AU grads have found employment, are enrolled in grad school, or both. Employers include the U.S. House of Representatives, City Teaching Alliance, the U.S. Department of State, and the District of Columbia Public Schools, with graduates earning an average salary of $65,909 within six months. Many of the most popular grad school destinations are only a Metro stop away. George Washington, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, and American itself head the list.

Academic Highlights: Undergraduates can select from 100+ majors across twelve colleges and schools. 47% of class sections enroll fewer than twenty students. Undergraduate research opportunities are within reach as 21% of recent graduates completed one. The Office of Undergraduate Research facilitates numerous opportunities throughout the year, and hosts an annual Undergraduate Research Day and Summer Undergraduate Research Conference at which 550+ students make presentations. Fourteen percent of students also pursue a study abroad experience at one of 300+ destinations in 60 countries.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 94% of Class of 2023 grads had positive outcomes. 71% found employment; the companies/organizations that hired the greatest number of grads included Northrop Grumman, Deloitte, Capital One, and Montgomery County Public Schools. Amazon, Google, and Microsoft employ more than 900 alumni each.  The salary range for 2023 grads was between $60k and $86k. 21% of the Class of 2023 headed directly to graduate and professional school.

Academic Highlights: In total, SMU offers 120+ majors and 85 minors. Thanks in part to an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio, 55% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students. Opportunities for personal connection and guidance extend beyond the classroom as 1,000 current SMU students have participated in undergraduate research or apprenticeships. The 150 study abroad programs in 50 countries attract about one-quarter of Mustangs at some point during their four years of study.

Professional Highlights: On graduation day, over 88% of recent grads already had their first jobs or graduate school destinations in hand. Major corporations employing the greatest number of Mustangs are Lockheed Martin, JP Morgan Chase, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Deloitte, Raytheon, Amazon, AT&T, and Goldman Sachs. In 2023, the average starting salary was $90k across all majors ($99k for Cox School of Business grads). Ten percent of seniors elected to immediately pursue an advanced degree, matriculating at prestigious institutions such as the University of Notre Dame, NYU, Vanderbilt, Columbia, and Boston University.

Academic Highlights: Offering 37 majors and 42 minors, Sewanee exposes undergrads to a wide scope of liberal arts study. Undergraduate teaching is the primary focus; the average class size is 16 students, and 66% of course sections have an enrollment under 20. Nearly one-quarter of undergrads were involved in research last year, and over 200 research projects in disciplines from physics to English were presented at 2024’s Scholarship Sewanee. Study abroad options that are a summer, a semester, or a full year in length are embarked upon by roughly half of all Sewanee students. 100+ programs are available on all seven continents.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 95% of last year’s grads found some form of employment or begun their graduate studies. The largest number of total alumni can be found at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Raymond James, the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Deloitte, and Wells Fargo. Sewanee graduates pursuing further education had stellar acceptance rates, attending institutions such as Oxford, the University of Edinburgh, Yale, Georgetown, and the University of Chicago.

Academic Highlights: UGA boasts seventeen distinct colleges and schools that offer 125+ majors. 49% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students compared with 12% of sections that enroll 50 or more. No matter your major, UGA encourages you to conduct research with a member of the school’s faculty. The Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) awards grants to 500 students per year, and in 2024, a robust 620+ students presented at the CURO Symposium. Meanwhile, the Office of Global Engagement helps 3,000 students annually find which of the 100+ study abroad programs (many of which are led by UGA faculty) is right for them

Professional Outcomes: 95% of the Class of 2023 was employed or continuing their education six months after graduation. Popular employers include Accenture, the CDC, Deloitte, KPMG, Lockheed Martin, PwC, and Bank of America. Salaries vary between colleges; however, the median hovers around 60k. In 2023, 23% of graduates enrolled directly into a graduate/professional degree program, with the most commonly attended schools including Duke, Emory, Georgetown, UNC Chapel Hill, and Vanderbilt.

Academic Highlights: Rollins College offers students exceptional academic flexibility with 60+ majors and minors, all supported by an intimate 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio that allows 62% of classes to maintain fewer than 20 students. The innovative Rollins Gateway program redefines liberal arts education by combining interdisciplinary coursework with real-world experiential learning and pairing it with dedicated faculty mentorship to create truly personalized academic journeys. This global perspective comes to life through extraordinary study abroad participation—over 70% of students gain international experience, one of the highest rates among U.S. colleges.

Professional Outcomes: Rollins delivers exceptional career preparation, with 89% of graduates employed or in graduate school—and an impressive 93% affirming the college effectively prepared them for professional success. Alumni excel at top-tier companies, including Disney, Deloitte, and Morgan Stanley, while 23% continue their education at elite institutions like Brown, Dartmouth, and the University of Cambridge. These outcomes showcase Rollins’ powerful blend of liberal arts critical thinking with practical career readiness, producing graduates who thrive in both corporate environments and advanced academic pursuits.

Academic Highlights: The Labor Program at Berea has existed, in some form, since 1859, and it continues to be a core feature of the school today. Students work between 10 and 15 hours per week and are evaluated on their performance. The student-to-faculty ratio in 2023-24 was only 9:1, and the average class size is just 14. There are 30+ fields of study at Berea, and students are spread fairly evenly across the disciplines.

Professional Outcomes: After graduation, many students remain in Kentucky in the Lexington and Louisville areas. Many others cluster in Knoxville; Cincinnati; Atlanta; and Washington, DC. Recent graduates work for companies such as Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, the University of Kentucky, and Wells Fargo.

Academic Highlights: The University of Delaware offers over 90 bachelor’s degree programs. Its student-to-faculty ratio is only 12:1, an excellent figure for a public institution. Blue Hens do find themselves in an occasional larger lecture hall as 18% of sections enroll 50+ students, but 60% of all courses enroll fewer than 30 students. Those who are ambitious and aggressive can unearth research opportunities at U of D; 700 students are actively involved in faculty-mentored research. The university has the oldest study abroad program in the nation. At over 100 years old, the program entices more than 30% of undergraduates to spend a semester in one of 40 foreign countries.

Professional Outcomes: 94% of Class of 2023 grads quickly found their next destination. 65% were employed, with 71% taking jobs at for-profit companies, 16% at nonprofits, 8% in K-12 education, and 5% with a government entity. The greatest number of newly minted alums were hired by JPMorgan Chase & Co., KPMG, EY, ChristianaCare, and PwC. The median starting salary for this cohort was $62,520. 29% immediately pursued an advanced degree, with 68% entering master’s programs, 19% entering a professional program, and 6% beginning a PhD.

Academic Highlights: Agnes Scott has one of the more uniquely tailored sets of general education requirements you’ll find. Consisting of 25-45 credits that focus on global learning, leadership development, and intellectual breadth, the school’s primary mission is to mold its students into global leaders who are proficient in five leadership-related areas: critical thinking, digital literacy, public speaking, teamwork, and writing. In addition, all students need to demonstrate proficiency in a non-English language and may need up to four courses to do so. There are 30+ majors to choose from.

Professional Outcomes: 64% of job-seekers quickly found their first employment opportunity. Exiting seniors were hired by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Clarkston Consulting, Delta Airlines, Oracle, and The Coca-Cola Company. 33% of the Class of 2023 enrolled in graduate and professional school, attending institutions such as Brown University, Cornell University, Emory University, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Vanderbilt University.

Academic Highlights: Elon’s 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to an average class size of 20 students; 49% of sections contain fewer than 20 students. A whopping 88% of students elect to study abroad, the highest participation rate in the country among master’s-granting institutions. There are limitless options for overseas study including official Elon Centers Abroad in Shanghai, Dunedin, London, and Florence. Chances for working closely with faculty on research projects are also plentiful; 23% of students participate in faculty-mentored research.

Professional Outcomes: Results of a survey administered nine months after graduation found that 96% of the Class of 2023 had found employment, a graduate school, or an internship. Top employers of recent Elon graduates include Bloomberg, Deloitte, Fidelity Investments, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Oracle, and Wells Fargo. Fourteen percent of recent grads attended prestigious grad schools, including Boston University, Columbia, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, and Vanderbilt.

Academic Highlights: NC State offers more than 100 majors and 120 minors. Thanks to a reasonable 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio, you won’t exclusively have classes in enormous lecture halls. Rather, NC State offers its undergraduates a mix of experiences with 63% of sections enrolling 29 or fewer students and 18% enrolling 50 or more. The Office of Undergraduate Research works diligently to connect star students to faculty research projects, which leads to nearly 500 student presentations at the spring poster sessions alone. In 2024, 28 students received invitations to present at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research.

Professional Outcomes: Forty-four percent of students graduating in 2023 had already accepted full-time jobs before exiting; 30% were heading to graduate/professional school. Members of that class reported an average starting salary of $65,589 (with a slightly higher median). Including all graduating years, the companies employing the largest number of alumni are Cisco, SAS, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, IBM, Lenovo, Apple, Meta, and NVIDIA. Many recent grads also work for the university itself.

Academic Highlights: Eight undergraduate colleges that offer 150+ distinct majors are housed within Virginia Tech. 34% of sections contain fewer than 20 students, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 13:1. Overall, 19% of recent graduates report participating in some type of undergraduate research experience, but landing such opportunities is much easier for members of the Honors College. Each year, more than 1,200 students avail themselves of the chance to study abroad in locations such as Switzerland, New Zealand, France, and Scotland.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 37% of the Class of 2023 were employed and 14% were in graduate school. Graduates work at major corporations including Deloitte, EY, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Kimley-Horn, Northrop Grumman, and Accenture. The median salary for 2023 graduates was $70,000. Among recent grads who decided to pursue an advanced degree, the greatest number stayed at VT, while others enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University, George Mason University, George Washington University, UVA, UNC Chapel Hill, and Johns Hopkins.

Academic Highlights: Southwestern University stands among Texas’s premier liberal arts institutions, offering 37 majors and 41 minors within an innovative three-part curriculum that balances foundational courses, specialized study, and exploratory electives. With an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio, average class size of 17, and 68% of courses enrolling fewer than 20 students, Southwestern creates an intimate learning environment for its diverse student body representing 36 states and 16 countries. This flexible academic structure encourages intellectual curiosity while ensuring close faculty mentorship.

Professional Outcomes: Southwestern’s Class of 2024 achieved remarkable success, with 97% securing positive outcomes—70% employed at leading organizations like Lockheed Martin, JPMorgan Chase, and Tesla, while 27% pursued advanced degrees at institutions including UT system schools and Texas Christian University. The university’s strong Texas roots are evident, with 85% of graduates building their careers within the state, contributing to local industries while demonstrating the enduring value of a Southwestern liberal arts education in today’s professional landscape.

Academic Highlights: TCU offers 117 undergraduate majors. With a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio, classes at TCU are not all tiny, but the school manages to keep enrollment below 20 students in 41% of its class sections, and only 5% of courses seat more than 50. Of equal importance, 98% of faculty members teach undergraduate students, so you will have access to the best and brightest professors the school has to offer. The study abroad program makes international study readily accessible, and two-fifths of undergrads enjoy a semester overseas.

Professional Outcomes: Upon graduating, 81% of recent diploma-earners were employed or had their graduate school placement lined up. Deloitte, American Airlines, JPMorgan Chase, and Goldman Sachs employ the greatest number of alumni. Other companies hiring recent TCU grads include Microsoft, IBM, Fidelity Investments, Bank of America, Cerner, PWC, and AT&T. The most recent median starting salary was $65,000.

Academic Highlights: As the nation’s oldest Catholic research university, Catholic University offers students 90 undergraduate programs within a faith-based intellectual community. With an exceptional 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio and access to 40+ research centers, students benefit from both personalized mentorship and substantial research opportunities. The university’s global presence includes study abroad programs in 25+ countries and its own Rome campus, serving a diverse student body from all 50 states and 84 countries while maintaining its distinctive Catholic identity.

Professional Outcomes: Catholic University graduates achieve outstanding results, with 93% of the Class of 2024 employed or in graduate school, with 74% earning starting salaries above $50,000. The university’s strong emphasis on experiential learning shows in its internship success: nearly 75% of graduates complete at least one internship, with 29% securing multiple opportunities. Alumni launch careers at prestigious organizations, including Children’s National Hospital, Deloitte, and Booz Allen Hamilton, while many choose to continue their academic journeys at Catholic University itself, demonstrating the institution’s dual strength in career preparation and academic excellence.

Academic Highlights: Hendrix College provides a distinctive liberal arts education through 30 majors, 33 minors, and 15 pre-professional programs, all delivered in an intimate learning environment with an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio and average class size of 17. The college’s signature Odyssey Program exemplifies its commitment to engaged learning, offering grants for undergraduate research, creative projects, and experiential opportunities that extend education beyond traditional classrooms. This innovative approach combines rigorous academics with hands-on application, preparing students for both immediate career success and lifelong intellectual growth.

Professional Outcomes: Hendrix graduates achieve exceptional career outcomes, with 100% employment rates among recent alumni and median salaries ranging from $$50,000-\$$75,000, including over one-third earning above $75,000. About 25% pursue graduate degrees, while others launch careers with leading Arkansas employers like the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Walmart, and Arkansas Children’s. Most alumni choose to build their lives in the thriving Little Rock metropolitan area, demonstrating Hendrix’s vital role in developing the state’s professional workforce across various sectors. These outstanding results validate the college’s unique integration of liberal arts education with practical, career-ready preparation.

Academic Highlights: Class sizes at Baylor generally range from small to medium, with 52% of sections containing fewer than 20 students and 77% enrolling fewer than 29. The Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Achievement (URSA) office does a superb job connecting students with a research opportunity in their field of interest. The school also pushes overseas experiences in the form of an internship, academic semester, or mission trip. Baylor offers signature programs in Scotland, the Netherlands, and Ireland.

Professional Outcomes: At the 180-day post-graduation point, those who earned their diplomas from Baylor had entered the world of full-time employment at a 49% clip, and 28% had entered a graduate or professional degree program. Large numbers of recent grads were scooped up by many of the most desirable employers in the country including KPMG (25), Deloitte (24), and PricewaterhouseCoopers (24). The average starting salary was $62k. Among recent grads, the most commonly attended graduate school was Baylor itself (249), followed by Texas A&M (24).

Academic Highlights: Class sizes are mixed, and many sections are smaller than you would expect for such a large university where the student-to-faculty ratio is 16:1. Fourteen percent of classes have single-digit enrollments, and 57% contain fewer than 30 students; 17% of courses are larger, playing host to fifty or more undergraduates. More than half of Clemson students participate in some type of undergraduate research, a strong percentage given the size of the school. Each year over 1,400 students elect to study abroad in one of Clemson’s own programs or one offered by a third party.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 93% of 2023 grads had already entered the working world or were pursuing a graduate degree. The top employers of newly-minted diploma holders include Prisma Health, Boeing, Bank of America, and Epic Systems. Computing and Applied Sciences reported a median starting salary of $75,000. College of Business graduates enjoyed median earnings of $61,000. Of the 18% of recent graduates directly entering grad school, the largest number retained their Tiger stripes by continuing their studies at Clemson.

Academic Highlights: Being a large research university, the student-to-faculty ratio is a less-than-ideal 18:1, leading to some larger undergraduate class sections. In fact, 51% of courses had enrollments of more than thirty students in 2023. On the other end of the spectrum, 9% of sections had single-digit enrollments. While not all of your professors will know you by name, there are plenty of ways that motivated students can strike up meaningful faculty-student relationships, with nearly 50% collaborating on research with professors at some point during their undergraduate career. Fifty-two percent of Tech students have gone abroad by the time they graduate, with a growing number electing to complete internships in a foreign land rather than academic coursework. In a given year, 130+ undergraduate students participate in a global internship.

Professional Outcomes: More than three-quarters of recent grads had already procured employment by the time they were handed their diplomas. You will find graduates at every major technology company in the world. Recent employers include Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Capital One, and Apple. The median salary of the Class of 2023 was $84,000, with recent grads settling mostly in the Atlanta metro area. The next three most popular destinations are San Francisco, New York City, and Washington, DC.

Academic Highlights: Loyola Maryland offers 45+ undergraduate programs through its three schools. A 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to average class sizes of only twenty students. The vast majority of courses enroll between ten and twenty-nine students, 13% have a single-digit enrollment, and of 889 total sections, only 14 contained 40 or more undergraduates. Students are encouraged to apply for undergraduate research opportunities such as the Hauber Summer Research Fellowship Program which, in one recent year, gave 12 students in the natural and applied sciences fields a chance to conduct ten weeks of independent research. There are 20 countries that students can choose from as study abroad options, and the participation rate exceeds 60%, one of the highest figures of any master’s-granting school in the nation.

Professional Outcomes: Members of the Class of 2023 found their way to their next employment, volunteer, or grad school home within six months of receiving their diplomas at a stellar 99% clip. Major companies and organizations employing members of this cohort include Accenture, Bloomberg, Deloitte, Goldman Sachs, NBC Universal, and Viacom. Thirty-three percent of the Class of 2023 immediately enrolled in graduate or professional school after completing their undergraduate work at Loyola Maryland, enrolling at prestigious institutions like Duke, Emory, Georgetown, Northwestern, and Yale.

Academic Highlights: A strong 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio allows for generally small class sizes, even with over 3,000 graduate students also in attendance. Forty-four percent of undergraduate course sections enroll fewer than 20 students, and just 10% enroll more than 50 students. Undergraduate opportunities are available in all disciplines, both internally and externally.

Professional Outcomes: If you name a desirable company in the tech, banking, or consulting industries, chances are it will employ more than a handful of Bison. In fact, over 100 alumni presently work for Amazon, Microsoft, Google, IBM, Accenture, Deloitte, Wells Fargo, and Apple. Large numbers of Bison also roam the corporate offices of JPMorgan Chase, Capital One, Facebook, and Goldman Sachs. It is similarly easy to locate Howard grads in just about any major American city. The heaviest concentrations can be found in Washington, DC; New York City; Atlanta; Los Angeles; Baltimore; Philadelphia; Chicago; San Francisco; and Houston. Howard graduates also typically earn fantastic results when applying to graduate and professional schools. Emory, Tulane, Harvard, Penn, and NYU are some of the most common destinations.

Academic Highlights: UofSC is a massive enterprise, with 15 colleges/schools within the larger university. Even so, 70% of all sections contain 29 or fewer students  The South Carolina Honors College is extremely hard to get into and is one of the finest in the entire country. The Office of Undergraduate Research will help ambitious students locate a mentor professor in their discipline, pursue funding sources, and compete for school-based undergraduate research awards; roughly one-third of students work with a faculty member on research. Study abroad opportunities are also there for all who seek them; close to 2,000 students study abroad in 65+ countries each year.

Professional Outcomes: More than 1000 UofSC alumni work at Prisma Health; hundreds are employed at Wells Fargo, Amazon, and Microsoft. Within the School of Business, the average salary was $93k and recent employers include Wells Fargo, Bank of America, PwC, EY, and Deloitte. College of Arts and Sciences graduates secured employment at Greenville Health Systems, BlueCross BlueShield SC, the State of South Carolina, and Amazon, earning an average salary of $86,046.

Academic Highlights: The University of Dallas is a nationally recognized Catholic liberal arts university known for its rigorous curriculum grounded in the great works of Western civilization and the Catholic intellectual tradition. Students engage in seminar-style classes, averaging just 19 students, fostering in-depth discussion and personalized learning. With 27 undergraduate majors and an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio, the university emphasizes close mentorship and academic excellence. A distinctive feature is its Rome Program, offering students the opportunity to study abroad in Italy. The campus community is diverse, drawing students from 45 states and 17 countries.

Program Outcomes: Graduates achieve a 99% success rate within six months of completing their degree, with 72% entering the workforce and 27% pursuing further education. The average starting salary for alumni is $46,019, with top employers including Fidelity Investments, AT&T, Verizon, Citi, and Lockheed Martin. Many graduates choose to remain in the region, establishing careers in the thriving Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

Academic Highlights: A 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio is almost beyond comprehension for a public school. As a result, 94% of course sections enroll fewer than 29 students, and 72% of classes enroll fewer than 20. Undergrads can access research opportunities through multiple avenues that include St. Mary’s Projects (senior year projects that 60% of students complete) and St. Mary’s Undergraduate Research Fellowships (eight-week summer program that culminates with a symposium). In a typical year, one of the 25 study abroad programs is taken advantage of by almost half of the undergraduate population.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of earning their bachelor’s degrees, 96% of recent St. Mary’s grads have landed a job or started an advanced degree.  Top employers of Osprey alumni include JPMorgan Chase, the Centers for Disease Control, BNY Mellon, Booz Allen Hamilton, the Smithsonian, and the US Department of Defense. 28% of alumni begin work on their next degree within six months of graduation, earning acceptances from the likes of Harvard, Yale, Rice, Penn, and the University of Chicago.

Academic Highlights: Mercer University, one of America’s oldest and most distinctive institutions, combines rigorous academics with real-world application, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and creativity. With over 180 programs across 12 schools and colleges, Mercer provides a personalized learning environment with a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio and a globally diverse student body representing 38 countries. Undergraduate research is a hallmark, culminating in BEAR Day, an annual showcase where students present their scholarly and creative projects.

Professional Outcomes: Mercer graduates achieve a 95% success rate, with the vast majority employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation. Top employers include Emory Healthcare, Piedmont, Northside Hospital, Gwinnett County Public Schools, and Mercer itself. A strong regional presence is evident, with many alumni contributing to Georgia’s workforce, particularly in the Atlanta metropolitan area. More than 70% of students gain hands-on experience through internships, ensuring career-ready skills upon graduation.

Academic Highlights: With sixteen schools and colleges and 140+ undergraduate degree programs, Texas A&M is a massive operation. Class sizes trend large, but 25% of courses enroll fewer than 20 students and personal connections with professors are entirely possible, particularly through the research-oriented LAUNCH program. A&M excels in facilitating study abroad experiences, sending over 5,600 students to 110+ countries in a typical year, the most of any public university in the United States.

Professional Outcomes: On graduation day, 79% of students had already received at least one job offer or were heading to graduate/professional school. Many Aggies go on to work at major oil, tech, and consulting firms; Amazon, ExxonMobil, Microsoft, Apple, Halliburton, and Google each employ more than 500 alumni. Starting salaries were strong—on average grads netted around $65k. The vast majority of graduates remain in Texas with Houston, Dallas, College Station, Austin, and San Antonio top in popularity.

Academic Highlights: All undergraduates must complete Auburn’s core curriculum, the purpose of which is to “foster the knowledge, skills, and perspectives that are the hallmarks of an Auburn graduate.” This extensive undertaking includes English composition, humanities (including mandatory literature and fine arts), science (including lab), mathematics, and social sciences. Motivated students take advantage of the Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program. About 20% of Auburn students study abroad, and over 130 programs are offered on every continent

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 58% of the Class of 2023 were employed full-time and 22% had entered graduate programs. 57% were pursuing master’s degrees, 28% professional degrees, and 5% doctorates. In 2023, the average starting salary was $59,216. Alumni pursuing further education can be found at institutions such as Samford University, Belmont University, and the University of Georgia.