Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) majors have the potential to solve some of the world's biggest problems. That’s quite a large task, but these schools are up for the challenge. The following colleges and universities are located in the Southern United States and offer some of the best STEM programs out there, from Aviation to Zoology. And we’ve made it super easy for you to request more information from them. Just click the “Connect me” button under the colleges that catch your eye—then they'll reach out to you. Ready to dive in and learn about some great STEM schools?
Abilene Christian University
Abilene Christian University is a private coeducational university affiliated with the Churches of Christ in Abilene, Texas. ACU offers a BS in Engineering with five concentrations as well as a BS in Physics with four concentrations. Engineering and Physics students often receive paid opportunities to work, study, and intern at premier national laboratories such as Los Alamos, Fermi, and Brookhaven.
Christian Brothers University
Christian Brothers University is a private nonprofit Catholic university located four miles from downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The School of Sciences and the School of Engineering offer many programs in the sciences and mathematics that prepare students for graduate study and careers in the health professions, the environment, research, computers and technology, and teaching. CBU also offers a Natural Science program that can be used as a “design your own degree” and a wide selection of courses to prepare you for many areas that are multidisciplinary in nature.
Bridgewater College
Bridgewater College is a private Christian liberal arts college in Bridgewater, Virginia—near Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, Richmond, and Washington, DC. Joining a student body of nearly 1,500, new Bridgewater students can choose from 55 undergraduate majors and minors, including science programs in Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Data Science & Analytics, Engineering, Environmental Science, Pre-pharmacy, Pre-professional Biology, and more. Small classes and a low student-faculty ratio will help you make personal connections with your professors and receive the attention that ensures you thrive academically and personally.
Elon University
Elon University is a selective independent university that’s designated as a botanical garden in Elon, North Carolina—east of Greensboro and northwest of Raleigh/Durham. The University offers a four-year degree in Engineering with a Biomedical or Computing concentration in addition to its dual-degree program. First opened in spring 2022, the Innovation Quad (IQ) is now the home of Elon’s Engineering program and the Department of Physics, featuring an astrophysics lab, a prefabrication and design hub, advanced engineering equipment, a virtual reality classroom, and more.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Florida)
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is a private university adjacent to Daytona Beach Regional Airport in Daytona Beach, Florida. ERAU is home to the largest professional flight program in the nation and features a specialized curriculum geared toward in-demand careers in aviation, aerospace, security and intelligence, and business. Students benefit from state-of-the-art labs and have access to the largest university telescope in the state of Florida as well as other fleet and flight training devices.
Florida Institute of Technology
Florida Institute of Technology is a private research university in Melbourne, Florida—60 minutes from downtown Orlando. FIT is committed to providing a high-quality education in the sciences, engineering, technology, business, psychology, the liberal arts, aviation, and related disciplines. Many students take advantage of the job and internship connections at major employers like Northrop Grumman Corp., NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, L3Harris, SpaceX, Embraer, and more.
High Point University
High Point University is a private Methodist comprehensive institution in High Point, North Carolina. Known as The Premier Life Skills University, HPU is rooted in the liberal arts and offers 63 majors and 65 minors—including Actuarial Science, Biochemistry, Computer Engineering, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics & Statistics, Electrical Engineering, Mathematical Economics, Neuroscience, and more. Over 450 scientist scholars make up the STEM faculty, who are recognized for their scientific expertise and innovative approaches to undergraduate education.
Houston Christian University
Houston Christian University is a church-affiliated university in southwest Houston, Texas. With approximately 2,400 undergraduates and a 14:1 student-faculty ratio, the University offers over 60 majors, including Chemistry, Computer Science, Cyber Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Mathematics. The HCU College of Science and Engineering (COSE) offers students the opportunity to participate in research with faculty, take on summer internships at other research institutes, and gain hands-on experience in the field via local industry partners.
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Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw State University is a public comprehensive university with two campuses in Kennesaw and Marietta, Georgia. One of the 50 largest public institutions in America, the University offers more than 150 undergraduate degrees, including majors in Analytics & Data Science, Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Game Design & Development, Information Technology, Mathematics, Physics, and Software Engineering. KSU is an R2 Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution with numerous opportunities for hands-on experiences.
Lipscomb University
Lipscomb University is a private, nonprofit liberal arts university in a residential area of Nashville, Tennessee. Students at Lipscomb can choose to pursue any of the three primary disciplines of engineering—Civil, Electrical & Computer, or Mechanical—as well as the traditional sciences of Biology and Chemistry. They also have the opportunity to participate in engineering-specific international mission trips, using their skill sets to design and implement bridges, aid in water conservation, and more.
Mercer University
Mercer University is a private comprehensive research university with a 150-acre campus in Macon, Georgia—85 miles south of Atlanta. With 3,400+ undergraduate students, the University offers more than 65 undergrad majors and pre-professional tracks, including seven Engineering disciplines, seven health professions, four Computer Science programs, and a plethora of Nursing and Medicine offerings. The Mercer On Mission program allows students to earn college credit while working in global communities to provide STEM solutions to real problems.
Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma State University is a public comprehensive university in Stillwater, Oklahoma—70 miles west of Tulsa. With more than 24,000 students and a 20:1 student-faculty ratio, the University offers 140 undergraduate majors, including Applied Statistics, Biosystems Engineering, and Computer Science. Students at OSU can benefit from a one-of-a-kind, hands-on laboratory; an exemplary Diversity and Inclusion Program; a flight center set to open in fall 2021; student groups like the Association for Women Geoscientists and Dairy Science Club; and more.
University of Austin
The University of Austin is a brand-new liberal arts and sciences institution in Austin, Texas. Welcoming its inaugural class in fall of 2024, UATX’s undergraduate curriculum—including in the Center for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (CSTEM)—will provide a dynamic, intensive education, guided by the innovative Intellectual Foundations, Junior Fellows, and Polaris Project programs. The members of the 2024 founding class are all receiving the Founders Scholarship, which is worth the full cost of tuition for four years, a value of approximately $130,000.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is a public comprehensive research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana—50 miles from Baton Rouge. As the second-largest university in Louisiana with 19,000+ students, UL Lafayette offers more than 110 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees through the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Military Science, and Physics; Schools of Geosciences and Computing & Informatics; and College of Engineering. The University’s emphasis on research impacts students in the classroom and provides hands-on experience—early and often—in their fields of study.
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public comprehensive university in Louisville, Kentucky. Through the Speed School, the University offers STEM programs in Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Cybersecurity, Engineering Management, Environmental Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Materials & Energy Science, Structural Engineering, Transportation Engineering, and more. From first-year Engineering Fundamentals to graduation, students gain hands-on experience in the lab and on the job with employers through UofL’s Co-Op Program.
University of Texas at Dallas
The University of Texas at Dallas is a public comprehensive university in Richardson, Texas—17 miles north of Dallas. The University draws over 30,000 students from 100+ countries who study in 147 academic programs across seven schools, including stand-out offerings in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Natural Sciences. UT Dallas is renowned for its cutting-edge research, state-of-the-art facilities, and a commitment to nurturing the next generation of leaders in science and engineering.
Looking for other great places to earn your STEM degree? Check out all our lists of featured science colleges.