Houston. Austin. Raleigh. Charlotte. Orlando. Many of the nation's fastest-growing cities are located in the South. It's hardly coincidental that many of these same locales are home to some of FORBES' Best Value Colleges. Less than two hours drive from downtown Orlando is the No. 1 Southern Best Value school, University of Florida in Gainsville. This school has a high 86% graduation rate, highly sought-after social science, engineering and business programs (the three top majors) and a balmy year-round climate -- try 70 degrees in January.
Texas boasts a large number of Best Value institutions, including University of Texas, Austin (No. 17), Texas A&M, College Station (No. 18), and Rice University (No. 20). Many of the highest ranking Southern schools are public: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (No. 16), College of William and Mary (No. 22), Virginia Tech (No. 29), Clemson University (No. 124). This ensemble of schools also includes the only historically black colleges and universities, Spelman College (No. 236) in Atlanta, GA. Nearly 90% of students return after their first year at this all-women's private liberal arts gem and half the students major in social sciences or psychology. Over half the students at Agnes Scott College (No. 250), another tiny women's school located just outside Atlanta, are students of color, making it one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the U.S.
Photos: The Liberal Arts Gems That Attract Students Of Color
Best Value Colleges 2016: The 300 Schools Worth The Investment
Full list of Best Value Colleges in the South and their overall ranking
| University of Florida | 3 |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | 8 |
| University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill | 16 |
| University of Texas, Austin | 17 |
| Texas A&M University, College Station | 18 |
| University of Virginia | 19 |
| Rice University | 20 |
| College of William and Mary | 22 |
| Virginia Tech | 29 |
| Duke University | 31 |
| Washington and Lee University | 32 |
| University of Notre Dame | 42 |
| Virginia Military Institute | 44 |
| The Citadel | 50 |
| Vanderbilt University | 61 |
| University of Georgia | 72 |
| Davidson College | 75 |
| Wake Forest University | 87 |
| Emory University | 91 |
| James Madison University | 99 |
| Centre College | 104 |
| Clemson University | 124 |
| University of Richmond | 127 |
| Wofford College | 134 |
| Rhodes College | 141 |
| North Carolina State University, Raleigh | 144 |
| Furman University | 163 |
| University of Miami | 165 |
| Sewanee—University of the South | 174 |
| George Mason University | 180 |
| Tulane University | 181 |
| University of Mary Washington | 185 |
| Auburn University | 196 |
| Hampden-Sydney College | 201 |
| Florida State University | 202 |
| Elon University | 231 |
| Hendrix College | 233 |
| Spelman College | 236 |
| Florida Institute of Technology | 239 |
| Millsaps College | 246 |
| Louisiana State University | 249 |
| Agnes Scott College | 250 |
| Presbyterian College | 277 |
| Samford University | 278 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach | 280 |
| University of South Carolina, Columbia | 287 |
| Rollins College | 292 |
| Transylvania University | 293 |
| Sweet Briar College | 298 |
How We Rank The Best Value Colleges
Click here for full list & coverage of Best Value Colleges 2016
