Alabama: Auburn University

Located about four hours from the Florida coastline, Auburn University (Top College No. 218) was originally founded in 1856 as an all-male college but has transformed into a co-educational, public research institution. The university offers over 140 formal majors housed in 12 colleges. Students can choose to participate in over 300 clubs and organizations.

Greek life is big on campus, with 17 sororities and 28 fraternities. Known for their friendliness, students annually dedicate an entire day called “Hey Day” to saying “hey” to each other. The NCAA Division I-A Auburn Tigers have earned national recognition, winning the 2013 Southeastern Conference football championship, eight men’s swimming and diving championships and five women’s swimming and diving championships.