2021 Best Colleges for the Money (With No Aid) in the Southeast Region
When pursuing a degree in today's world, there are many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Best Southeast Region Schools For The Money For Those With No Aid ranking - to help you make that decision.
After analyzing 371 schools, we came up with our list of those that were the best for overall value for the money with no aid in the Southeast Region. This ranking isn't just a listing of 'cheap' schools. Instead, it is noting which schools offer a high quality education for a reasonable price. Thus, one college may rank better than another, but the second school could have a lower average cost.
See what other factors we include in our ranking methodology.
Our average cost calculation adds up all expenses, such as tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, and other expenses. So it is an approximation of how much you will have to pay out-of-pocket each year on average.
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Since one ranking on its own is not enough to give you a complete understanding of your educational options, you can refine this list by location and field of study. We've also developed a number of other tools and rankings based on other factors. These other rankings highlight colleges that excel in other factors such as overall quality or diversity as well as schools that excel in serving different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head!
Top Colleges for the Money (Without Aid) in the Southeast Region
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
University of South Florida - Main Campus tops this year’s ranking as the best school for overall value for the money with no aid in the Southeast Region. Located in Tampa, Florida, the large public school awarded 8,684 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
At USF Tampa, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.3 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $31,190 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from USF Tampa is about $134,117. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, USF Tampa also is in the top 10% of our Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Florida State University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for the money in the Southeast Region . Florida State is located in Tallahassee, Florida and has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 9,688 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes the average student at Florida State about 4.2 years to graduate, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $34,063 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Florida State is $144,086. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Florida State also is in the top 10% of our Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking.
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Out of the 371 schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina School of the Arts landed the #3 spot on the list. UNCSA is a public institution located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 196 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at UNCSA is 4.0 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $36,228. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from UNCSA is $146,723. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The low student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNCSA also is in the top 10% of our Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Appalachian State University. The school came in at #4 in the Southeast Region on this year’s best value ranking. This fairly large public school is located in Boone, North Carolina, and it awarded 4,172 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Appalachian State about 4.3 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $30,039 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State be around $129,468. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Appalachian State also is in the top 15% of our Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #5 on our 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Southeast Region list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, the large public school handed out 9,663 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at U of F to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $37,399 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from U of F is $159,694. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. U of F excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list.
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Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #6. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Memphis, Tennessee, and it awarded 235 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Baptist College of Health Sciences about 4.4 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $22,346. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Baptist College of Health Sciences is $99,216. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Harding University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #7. Harding is a private not-for-profit institution located in Searcy, Arkansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 888 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Harding, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.3 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $31,706 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Harding is about $137,921. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Harding also is in the top 15% of our Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking.
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Western Carolina University landed the #8 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking. Cullowhee, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,288 students in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at WCU is 4.4 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $21,605 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from WCU be around $94,846. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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North Carolina State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, the large public school awarded 5,953 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The average student at NC State graduates in less than 4.4 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $38,590 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from NC State be around $169,024. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. NC State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list.
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University of Central Florida landed the #10 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking. UCF is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 14,087 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.5 years for the average student at UCF to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $33,702. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the UCF is $150,648. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UCF also is in the top 15% of our Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking.
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Bob Jones University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Southeast Region ranking. Bob Jones University is located in Greenville, South Carolina and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 500 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes the average student at Bob Jones University about 4.2 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $29,521 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Bob Jones University be around $123,988. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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University of North Florida landed the #12 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking. UNF is located in Jacksonville, Florida and has a fairly large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 3,493 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
At UNF, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $30,113 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the UNF is $136,412. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. UNF excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list.
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With a ranking of #13, Birmingham Southern College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Southeast Region list. Birmingham Southern College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Birmingham, Alabama that handed out 354 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at BSC is 4.1 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $35,093 per year to attend the school. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from BSC is $143,530. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. BSC also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #14 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in the Southeast Region list. UNC Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6,076 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at UNC Chapel Hill graduates in less than 4.1 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $43,850 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from UNC Chapel Hill be around $179,346. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. UNC Chapel Hill excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list.
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Virginia Tech came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Southeast Region ranking. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 7,156 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The average student at Virginia Tech graduates in less than 4.3 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $41,928 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech is $179,033. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Virginia Tech also is in the top 5% of our Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking.
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With a ranking of #16, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Southeast Region list. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 8,022 students in 2018-2019.
The average student at UGA graduates in less than 4.3 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $41,147 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from UGA is $175,286. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. UGA also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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University of North Carolina at Wilmington ranked #17 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in the Southeast Region list. This fairly large public school is located in Wilmington, North Carolina, and it awarded 3,954 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at UNCW about 4.3 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $35,438 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from UNCW is $152,383. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNCW also is in the top 15% of our Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking.
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New College of Florida ranked #18 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in the Southeast Region list. New College is a public institution located in Sarasota, Florida. The school has a small population, and it awarded 213 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at New College about 4.1 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $37,973. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the New College is $156,828. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The low student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. On top of its placing in our value rankings, New College also did well on our Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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With a ranking of #19, Florida College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Southeast Region list. Located in Temple Terrace, Florida, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 67 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The average student at Florida College graduates in less than 4.2 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $30,490 per year to attend the school. This means that the average student pays around $129,278 to get a bachelor’s degree from Florida College. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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East Carolina University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Greenville, North Carolina, the large public school handed out 5,140 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at ECU is 4.4 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $33,902 per year to attend the school. This means that the average student pays around $150,525 to get a bachelor’s degree from ECU. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
ECU also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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The Baptist College of Florida ranked #21 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in the Southeast Region list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Graceville, Florida, and it awarded 71 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at BCF about 4.4 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $19,362 for students who receive no aid. This means that the average student pays around $85,580 to get a bachelor’s degree from BCF. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The impressive student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
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James Madison University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, the large public school awarded 4,665 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at JMU to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $40,970 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the JMU is $176,581. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, JMU also is in the top 10% of our Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking.
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Christopher Newport University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Southeast Region ranking. CNU is a small public school situated in Newport News, Virginia. It awarded 1,172 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at CNU is 4.2 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $40,730 per year to attend the school. This means that the average student pays around $169,030 to get a bachelor’s degree from CNU. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. In addition to its great value ranking, CNU is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges in the Southeast Region list.
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With a ranking of #24, University of Alabama at Birmingham did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Southeast Region list. University of Alabama at Birmingham is a large public school located in Birmingham, Alabama that handed out 2,613 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At UAB, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $36,159 per year to attend the school. This means that the average student pays around $163,077 to get a bachelor’s degree from UAB. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UAB also is in the top 20% of our Best Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking.
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University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #25. UNC Greensboro is located in Greensboro, North Carolina and has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 3,512 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes about 4.5 years for the average student at UNC Greensboro to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $30,267 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from UNC Greensboro is $135,293. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Request InformationRest of the Top 50 Best Colleges for the Money (With No Aid) in the Southeast Region
Not only did these schools make the top-ranked list, but they also landed in the upper 15% of this year’s ranking:
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Rest of the Top 15% Colleges for the Money in the Southeast Region
To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 52 | The University of West Florida | Pensacola, FL |
| 53 | Elon University | Elon, NC |
| 54 | The University of Tennessee - Knoxville | Knoxville, TN |
| 54 | Adventist University of Health Sciences | Orlando, FL |
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Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our Best Colleges for the Money ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 56 | Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus | Atlanta, GA |
| 57 | Georgia Southern University | Statesboro, GA |
| 58 | University of Mary Washington | Fredericksburg, VA |
| 59 | University of South Alabama | Mobile, AL |
| 60 | Florida Atlantic University | Boca Raton, FL |
| 61 | Elizabeth City State University | Elizabeth City, NC |
| 62 | Appalachian Bible College | Mount Hope, WV |
| 63 | Blue Mountain College | Blue Mountain, MS |
| 64 | Mississippi University for Women | Columbus, MS |
| 65 | University of Central Arkansas | Conway, AR |
| 66 | Flagler College - St Augustine | Saint Augustine, FL |
| 67 | Jefferson College of Health Sciences | Roanoke, VA |
| 68 | University of Louisville | Louisville, KY |
| 69 | Georgia College & State University | Milledgeville, GA |
| 70 | West Virginia University | Morgantown, WV |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 71 | Samford University | Birmingham, AL |
| 72 | Lee University | Cleveland, TN |
| 73 | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University | Tallahassee, FL |
| 74 | Ave Maria University | Ave Maria, FL |
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- For our state-specific rankings, we use in-state tuition to calculate average cost. For our national and regional rankings, we use a weighted average of in-state and non-resident tuition.
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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