Getting accepted into college is highly competitive with thousands of students hoping for a limited number of spots at top schools each year.

And while Ivy League universities often dominate headlines, every state has at least one college that stands out as especially tough to get into.

With nearly 3,900 colleges and universities across the U.S., students today have more options than ever–but also more competition. A college degree has proved to be a valuable asset as the National Center for Education Statistics found that workers ages 25-34 with a degree earn significantly more each year than those with only a high school diploma. As the payoff of a college education becomes clear, so does the demand for a spot at the nation’s best schools.

From large public institutions to small liberal arts schools, college admissions selectivity is not limited to the elite schools in the Northeast.

A ranking by 24/7 Wall St. identified the colleges that are the hardest to get into in each state based on admissions rates and median SAT scores.

Here are the most selective colleges in the South:

• Arkansas – Harding University, 45.1% admission rate
• Florida – University of Miami, 18.9% admission rate
• Georgia – Emory University, 11.4% acceptance rate
• Kentucky – Berea College, 24.6% acceptance rate
• Louisiana – Tulane University, 11.5% acceptance rate
• Mississippi – Bellhaven University, 42.6% acceptance rate
• Missouri – Washington University in St. Louis, 11.8%
• South Carolina – Clemson University, 43%
• Tennessee – Vanderbilt University, 6.7%
• Texas – Rice University, 8.7%
• Virginia – Washington and Lee University, 17%

What about Alabama?

24/7 Wall St. listed Auburn University as the most selective college in the state with an admissions rate of 43.7% and a median SAT score of 650 in reading, writing and math.

Want to see how Alabama stacks up nationally? You can see the hardest college to get into in each state here.