62 Reasons Why College Is Better In The South

College is better in the South – that’s our story, and we’re sticking to it. From gorgeous campuses and top-notch academics, to unbeatable athletics and welcoming communities, there’s nothing quite like a Southern university. Don’t believe us? We have 62 reasons that prove it. Though, to be perfectly honest, this list could easily be twice as long. For example, did you know that the South is home to the largest contiguous campus in the world? (Reason #18) Or that America’s very first law school (#21), best college radio station (#26), and top-ranked HBCU (#22) are all located here? 

The numbers back us up, but some of the evidence can’t be measured – you just feel it. Like the fact that we have the best late-night food and unparalleled music scenes. (Head over to the 40 Watt Club in Athens to see for yourself.) Plus, game days can’t be beat. We wake up at the crack of dawn for tailgates and lose our voices as we cheer all day for our teams, making every Saturday in the fall feel like a national holiday. Read on, and let our list remind you why spending your college years in the South is something undeniably special.  

Life In The South 

1 - You’ll never have to walk to class in the snow. 

2 - Small Southern towns like Auburn, Fayetteville, and Oxford give you a sense of community beyond the campus.

3 - And big-city schools in places like Washington D.C., Miami, Houston, and Atlanta offer amazing professional opportunities like work-study programs, internships, and partnerships with area hospitals, museums, tech companies, and more. 

4 - Wherever you are, there’s a road trip-worthy city or small town nearby. 

5 - ...and probably a Buc-ee’s on the way there.

6 - We have incredible music scenes with some of the best venues in the country (like the Georgia Theater and 40 Watt Club in Athens, Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, the Continental Club in Austin, and Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro).

7 - The great outdoors have never been more accessible than they are on a Southern college campus. Most have their own hiking trails, arboretums, gardens, and natural spaces. And you can enjoy them year-round.

8 - Hit up Publix and pack the car, because you don’t have to fly to the beach for spring break. 

9 - Air-conditioned dorm rooms. (Well, most of the time.) 

History, Art, & Culture

10 - There is history behind nearly every building, bench, and fountain on our region’s campuses. Rice Stadium in Houston is where President John F. Kennedy gave his “We choose to go to the Moon" speech in 1962. Howard University has three buildings (Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel, Frederick Douglass Memorial Hall, and Founders Library) on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. A student-led effort at University of Virginia led to benches around campus that pay tribute to groundbreaking faculty, staff, and students.

11 - Even the trees are storied. The Emancipation Oak at Hampton University is where the first reading of the Emancipation Proclamation took place in the South. At Texas A&M University, tradition says that if a couple walks under the Century Tree, they will eventually marry. LSU’s Memorial Oak Grove has 30 live oaks that were dedicated in 1926 to a fallen World War I soldier. One of those trees is dedicated to unknown soldiers, or those missing in action.

12 - Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama, is the only college or university campus in the nation to be designated a National Historic Site.

13 - There’s architecture worth traveling for: UVA’s Rotunda is a half-scale interpretation of the Pantheon in Rome. Georgetown’s Healy Hall, with its impressive clock tower is one of America’s last large-scale High Victorian Gothic buildings. And Florida Southern College boasts an incredible 12 buildings designed by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Called the “Child of the Sun” collection, the buildings were constructed between 1941 and 1958.  

14 - The Henry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin houses nearly 1 million books, more than 42 million manuscripts, 5 million photographs, and 100,000 works of art. It’s also home to one of only 20 complete copies of the Gutenberg Bible in the world.

15 - Art abounds on Southern campuses. The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University is home to one of the largest collections of ancient art in the Southeast, which includes artifacts and objects from Africa, Egypt, Rome, the Near East, and more. Founded in 1868, the Museum at Hampton University is the nation’s oldest African American museum. And at Flagler College, the dining hall is home to 79 stained-glass windows designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany.

16 - Worship services happen at historic campus churches and chapels, from grand structures like the Duke University Chapel to charming ones like St. Joseph Chapel at Spring Hill College.

17 - Not to brag, but our campuses are the most beautiful. The Princeton Review ranked University of Richmond as the most beautiful campus in America.

18 - And they are the biggest, too. At 27,000 acres, Berry College is the largest contiguous campus in the world. 

19 - North Carolina State’s ‘Free Expression Tunnel’ (an underground pedestrian walkway) is covered with art and messages on the walls, ceiling, and floor. Since 1967, anyone can contribute to the ever-changing canvas.

Academics

20 - Money isn’t a barrier to a great education here. According to U.S. News & World Report, from 2019 to 2020, three Southern colleges (Trinity University in Texas, Samford University in Alabama, and Sewanee in Tennessee) gave the most merit aid. 

21 - William & Mary is America’s first law school. 

22 - Spelman College is ranked the top HBCU in America.

23 - Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, has been named the country’s “most innovative school” by US News & World Report.

24 - We take our honor codes seriously. One of the first academic honor systems in the country was instituted at William & Mary in the 19th century, and they’re still upheld at places like Washington and Lee University, Rhodes College, and Duke University, among many others. 

25 - Three of US News & World Report’s top five top public schools are in the South: the United States Naval Academy in Maryland, Virginia Military Institute, and New College of Florida.

Campus Life

26 - College radio still matters! The Princeton Review says The University of South Florida has the best station.

27 - You’ll never meet a stranger. Washington and Lee University has the “speaking tradition” in which you’re encouraged to greet everyone you pass on campus. At Sewanee, they call it the “passing hello.” 

28 - According to The Princeton Review, the “happiest college” in America is Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. And that's not all—six schools out of the top ten happiest colleges are in the South.

29 - Climbing the bell tower at Furman University is a must. Nearly all students and almost all visitors do it at least once to take in the stunning views of the lake and surrounding South Carolina countryside.

30 - Even the benches around campus are special. At Duke University, students design, build, and paint them. 

31 - We go big on decorating, whether it’s accessorizing a freshman dorm room with matching monogrammed duvet covers or making millions of tiny tissue paper balls for our homecoming floats in a tradition known as pomping.

32 - You can actually run away and join the circus at Florida State University. The High Flying Circus is a 75-year tradition that turns students into performers.

33 - Little rituals matter. Tulane students throw Mardi Gras beads on a campus Bead Tree—if a person lands a necklace on a branch, it’s said that they will pass all of their classes.

34 - We’ve perfected the art of the step show.

35 - The South is the original home of homecoming. (Mizzou claims to be the first; theirs started in 1911.)

Fan Fare

36 - No expense is spared when it comes to the art of the tailgate–and we’re not just talking about food and drinks. Our tailgate tents are often outfitted with chandeliers and upholstered furniture.

37 - You can walk out of your dorm room and straight into a tailgate party. 

38 - Tailgates double as fashion shows. While the tradition is ubiquitous, Southern Methodist University is famous for its “boulevards”—game day block parties where you dress to impress. 

39 - Clemson University has a graveyard for teams they’ve beaten. 

40 - You can wear your school colors and logo from head to toe, and not be considered strange (by some). 

41 - “Cook the Enemy” gumbo at LSU.

42 - Our celebrations are legendary. At Wake Forest University, fans take part in rolling the quad, and at Auburn University, it’s all about rolling Toomer’s Corner.

43 - We love live mascots like Uga the dog at University of Georgia, Bill the Goat at the U.S. Naval Academy, and Smokey the coonhound at University of Tennessee, just to name a few.

44 - Game day prep at Texas A&M involves "yell practice" at midnight the night before a kickoff. 

45 - The annual matchup of the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs is known as “The World’s Biggest Cocktail Party.”

Food & Drinks

46 - We’ve got the absolute best late-night food, from chicken on a stick at Ole Miss to a grilled donut topped with ice cream from The Spot at University of Virginia.

47 - The lemonade at Auburn University’s Toomer’s Drugs. 

48 - Auburn also has its own food hall. The new Hey Day Market at the Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center offers nine vendors selling items ranging from poke bowls to Cuban sandwiches.

49 - The world-famous, served-only-one-way hamburgers at Mizzou’s legendary bar and restaurant Booches. Or head to nearby Shakespeare's Pizza for 'The Masterpiece' pizza. (It's topped with pepperoni, Canadian bacon, Italian sausage, and ground beef, among other ingredients.)

50 - We created Gatorade. The iconic sports drink was invented at the University of Florida’s College of Medicine in 1965.

51 - The college-priced bacon-wrapped filets and Nicodemus cocktails at Nick’s in the Sticks at the University of Alabama.

52 - Post-game cheese fries and a cold beer at Oklahoma State’s Eskimo Joe’s.

53 - From converted gas stations (Esso Station in Clemson) to antique stores (The Garage in Birmingham) there’s a dive bar for everyone in the South.

Athletics

54 - Intense college football rivalries like The War on 1-4, Clean Old Fashioned Hate, Red River Showdown, and of course, the “bowls,” like Palmetto, Iron, and Egg.

55 - Southern schools (LSU, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State) have brought home Division 1 baseball championships for the past three years.

56 - Three words: Magic City Classic. Held in Birmingham, it’s the largest historically black college and university (HBCU) football game in the country.

57 - Alabama is also the home of Stan Gelle Field, the oldest continuously used college baseball field in America.

58 - We even invent our own sports—like Flickerball at Davidson College.

59 - Our golf game is strong, too. Vanderbilt University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Georgia Tech are in the top five men's team collegiate rankings. 

60 - Our marching bands rule. Not convinced? Check out Jackson State University’s Sonic Boom of the South.

61 - And they’re the biggest. The Fightin’ Aggie Band at Texas A&M is the largest military marching band in the world.

62 - Football is better here. Period.