5 Underrated College Towns Worth Visiting In The American South, According To Travel Experts

Strong collegiate spirit, enduring athletic legacies, and outstanding history are few of the ingredients making the South the ideal place to find some of the most vibrant college towns across the U.S. While you have no scarcity of character — from the oldest public university in the U.S., the University of Georgia, in the heart of Athens, to the sun, sand, and surf of Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers – the big names often overshadow some lesser-known, yet equally thriving, college towns. Athens in Georgia, Oxford in Mississippi, and Huntsville, Alabama, are often in the spotlight thanks to their top rankings, but stray off the beaten path, and you will find numerous underdogs and quiet custodians of Southern charm, culinary delights, and more.

We consulted expert travel editorials (including Southern Living, WorldAtlas, and U.S. News & World Report), as well as college rankings and consultant firms (Study Abroad Foundation, CollegeXpress), to create this list of five underrated college towns worth visiting in the South. To come up with this list, we focused only on the lesser-known spots and runner-ups that don't often make the cut in your typical "best of" articles. 

In the heart of Arkansas' Washington County, Fayetteville is slowly starting to get recognition as not just the home of one of the best universities in the region, but also a lesser-known college town worth visiting. Nestled in the Ozark Mountains, this cosmopolitan city with small-town vibes has amazing hilltop views and natural parks galore – living up to the state's nickname of "The Natural State". According to the college not-for-profit consultant, Study Abroad Foundation, Fayetteville is indeed among the top "hidden gems" of U.S. college towns.

Take a walk through the University of Arkansas campus, and you'll see the wealth of history and culture that the home of the Razorbacks contains. The campus is adjacent to the Trail of Tears Park, remembering the forced relocation of Native American nations in the 1830s, as well as the Headquarters House, a 19th-century Greek Revival-style landmark used during the Civil War. You can make the most of this history-filled destination by biking along the Arkansas Heritage Trail. Or, for a taste of contemporary history, you can drive to the Clinton House Museum, where the former president and first lady took residence while teaching at the University's prestigious School of Law.

The Razorbacks are also a vital part of the college's lively atmosphere. Whether you are into football, basketball, or baseball, you can catch games of the University of Arkansas' award-winning athletic teams at one of the stadiums across the city — including the Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium or the Bud Walton Arena.

About an hour south of Birmingham, Tuscaloosa is home to the main University of Alabama campus. According to WorldAtlas, it deserves the title of "Best College Town in Alabama" – yet, this hidden gem is absent from many mainstream lists of the South's best towns. From growing acclaim as one of the best public universities in the country to receiving accolades for its doctoral programs, it may be only a matter of time before Tuscaloosa gets its deserved spotlight.

Academic merit aside, a few other aspects make Tuscaloosa a college town worthy of a stop — including cozy breweries, parks to walk and run, and cultural heritage sites. Druid City Brewing Company is a local favorite, according to Redditors. One local Redditor recommends it for its "real sense of community," alongside its excellent beverage selection. As any Alabamian town worthy of culinary respect, Tuscaloosa also boasts a few spots to indulge in a barbecue feast, including legendary venues such as Dreamland BBQ, famous for drawing foodies from across the country, and family-run Archibald & Woodrow's, which has accrued mentions in Southern Living Magazine and USA Today, among others. After an inexpensive $9.50 barbecue lunch, head to the UA campus to visit its oldest building, the majestic 1829 Gorgas House Museum, filled with original furnishings and memorabilia.

Another way to soak in Tuscaloosa's youthful and vibrant atmosphere is by making the most of its calendar of year-round events. There is something for everyone, from following the Crimson Tide at one of the Bama game weekends, to frolicking in Snow Hinton Park while enjoying hundreds of artist displays, live music, and kids' activities during the Kentuck Festival of The Arts in spring.

Often overlooked in favor of neighboring New Orleans, Louisiana's "Red Stick" city is filled with historic streets, bold flavors, and festivals, making it well worth a visit. As far as iconic Southern college towns go, education planning firm CollegeXpress puts Baton Rouge, home to Louisiana State University, among the "Close to Great" college towns. In other words, the city does not make the cut among the best-known and finest college destinations right now, but it is close to becoming a household name.

While visiting Louisiana's capital, you cannot miss the imposing State Capitol Building – built in the Art Deco style typical of the 1930s. Climb to the observation deck at the top to get the best views of the city from 450 feet up in the sky. Walk from the leafy campus to the city's bustling downtown, and you will soon notice that Baton Rouge has loads of historical landmarks worth visiting. Those include the Memorial Tower (or "Campanile") commemorating Louisianans who died in World War I, and the Old Arsenal Museum, where you can re-live the Battle of Baton Rouge and Louisiana's fraught Civil War history through exhibits. 

Visit on match day to soak up the high-octane energy that surrounds athletic events in town. For LSU fans, tailgating parties are an excuse to partake in music, dancing, craft showcases, and epic cooking pop-ups featuring burgers, hot dogs, and mouthwatering Louisiana dishes. Baton Rouge may slip under the radar when it comes to the most famous college towns, but the wealth of cultural things to do and its youthful character make it easy to see why it's worthy of a spot among the best.

Despite being home to more than 50,000 students across two universities – University of North Texas and Texas Woman's University – Denton is still an underrated college town. Located at the tip of the triangle between Dallas and Fort Worth, it is about a 30-minute drive from either big city. Unsurprisingly, Denton has absorbed a vibrant, cosmopolitan edge from its neighbors, yet it still manages to retain its quaint, Texan, college-town character.

As you walk around the red-brick paved corridors of the two campuses, spot the outline of the UNT Coliseum, home to the UNT's athletic teams, and stop and marvel at the austere 1970s Willis Library fronted by a serene, round fountain. When it comes to cultural events, Denton has plenty to offer. Every spring, students put on a packed schedule of film screenings, art, and photography exhibits for the Thin Line Festival, the longest-running documentary festival in Texas.

Another perk is its access to green spaces and closeness to vast nature reserves. Despite its modest size, the city has an impressive 41 parks and thousands of acres of open space to take advantage of. Sandwiched between the man-made Ray Roberts Lake Park and the Lake Lewisville reservoir, it has access to plenty of outdoor recreation, from fishing and kayaking to camping and hunting. The lakes come alive during a key moment of college life, Spring Break, in which Lake Lewisville gears up for its unmissable "party cove". This is the place to be all the way through summer, when hundreds of docked boats transform the lake into a giant floating party, attended both by non-students and students from the colleges in the area.

There is more to St. Petersburg than its award-winning beaches and vibrant downtown, which make it one of Florida's most scenic destinations. Not many associate this sunny destination with your typical, run-of-the-mill college town, but with its thriving student population and five academic institutes, between public universities and specialized colleges, St. Petersburg fits that bill quite well. And because it is often overlooked by most college-goers for its larger competitors like Tampa and Orlando, it has remained under the radar.

If you are the artsy type, the city's vibrant scene will capture you immediately. St. Pete is home to the Dali Museum, the largest collection of works by the Surrealist Spanish artist outside of Europe. It also hosts the SHINE Mural Festival, a street art festival attracting hundreds of international and local artists every year. You could spend an entire day visiting St. Pete's rich museums and galleries, such as the unmissable James Museum of Western Art and the Chihuly Collection of glass art.

Much of the city's appeal as a college town can be found between the campus and its downtown areas, which are the hot spots for the best grub in St. Pete. Inducted to the Michelin guide list in 2025, St. Pete has more than its fair share of exceptional bites. Head to a casual yet high-quality seafood lunch by the pier at Perry's Porch (within walking distance from the main museums), or splash some cash at Michelin-approved Fortu for impeccable Japanese-inspired dining. One thing is sure: wherever you turn in St. Pete, you are likely to see an infusion of youthful energy, inclusivity, and creativity. The latter spills out its surroundings, where you can find unique suburbs like Safety Harbor, with its artsy community, scenic waterfront, and great food.

We have picked the top five underrated college towns in the South by researching extensively across editorial features (including Southern Living and US News & World Report), as well as expert college rankings and firms — the likes of CollegeXpress and non-profit Study Abroad Foundation, among others.

Collegiate life, fervent dedication to sports, and a variety of activities to be enjoyed — from cultural to culinary to outdoorsy — are the main criteria we employed. Every entry has been painstakingly researched with those criteria in mind and vetted against local expertise on Reddit, as well as on several blogs digging deeper into the heart of popular college areas in the Southern states.