The ultimate student guide to Southeast USA

The Southeast of the USA is an immense region with thirteen states. Also known as the American Southeast or the Southeast, it’s perfect for international students to travel around and explore. 

Let’s first look at the states that are in the Southeast of the country:

• Delaware
• Maryland
• District of Columbia
• West Virginia and Virginia
• North and South Carolina
• Kentucky
• Tennessee
• Mississippi
• Alabama
• Georgia
• Florida

Although Washington DC in the District of Columbia isn’t a state but a federal district, it sits in the southeastern region of the USA.

You may want to explore other well-known study regions for international students, such as the Northwest of the USA, the Mid-Atlantic or Western USA. 

What is Southeast USA like?

Location and demographics

This immense region covers over 1.5 million square kilometres and, as with the other regions of the country, this one was inhabited by Native Americans for hundreds of years before the arrival of the Europeans.  It’s important to note that the Indigenous Peoples in the US has declined significantly through land dispossession over the past two centuries. 

With a combined population of over 80 million, this region of the US is more populated than entire countries such as the United Kingdom or Germany. A population of this size will naturally be very multicultural.

Culture and history

In the early 1800s the Cherokee tribe (the Indigenous Peoples) were forced to leave their lands in what is today known as the state of Georgia. An estimated 4,000 died in the forced march from the land which spanned six months. It is known as Nunna daul Isunyi – The Trail Where We Cried.

The 17^th century also saw enslaved people from Africa being forced over the Atlantic Ocean to the region by the European slave traders. It's estimated that between six to seven million enslaved people were forced to the USA in the 18^th century. States such as Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida and Tennessee are part of what was known as the ‘Deep South’, which became wealthy trading in cotton and which relied heavily on enforced labour and enslavement. Slavery continued until the end of the Civil War in 1865 and the 13^th Amendment which abolished slavery in the entire country.

A history such as this heavily influences the culture, art and food of the region today. From country music and jazz to Elvis, and She-Crab Soup and Key Lime Pie to Memphis-Style Barbecue, there’s something for all international students here.   

What cities are in Southeast USA?

The region is far too large to mention all the major cities. Here are just a few of them:

• Louisville, Kentucky holds the world-famous Kentucky Derby horserace every year and has featured in National Geographic’s Top 10 Food Cities.
• Nashville, Tennessee is the state capital and the home of country music.
• Atlanta, Georgia is the birthplace of the Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr and houses the Centre for Civil and Human Rights.
• Orlando, Florida is a place you must visit if you love sun, sea and theme parks.
• Asheville, North Carolina sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains and is known for its hipster (retro-urban) lifestyle.
• Charleston, South Carolina is a popular romantic holiday destination and is famous for its food.

How much does it cost to live in Southeast USA?

Depending on where you live, the cost of living can vary quite a bit in this part of the USA. International students should budget between USD 13,000 and USD 22,000 per year (USD 1,000 and USD 1,800 per month).  

Find out more about student living costs in the USA.

What services are there in Southeast USA?

Much like the cost of living, the services available depend on where you live. In more populated areas, you will find great bus and public transport services. 

Travelling around the USA by car is the easiest option, but you can still explore this region by train and bus. Amtrak has various train routes with connections throughout the region.  You could for example travel from New York down to Washington DC and then down through many of the states in the region to Florida on the Amtrak Silver Service / Palmetto

For a cheaper option, you could try intercity buses. For example, the Greyhound bus company can take you from Washington DC to Atlanta  in 14.5 hours for USD 88. If you have Student Advantage Card, you can get a 20 per cent discount on the bus ticket, as well as other benefits in stores and travel companies.  

What are the post-study options?

To stay in the USA after you graduate it’s important to follow the strict visa rules. There are exceptions, but usually, international students have just over a year to find a relevant role or continue their studies.  

Graduates from universities in the region have excellent career opportunities open to them. Southeast USA is also home to major multinational companies such as Amazon, Apple, Facebook, FedEx, ExxonMobil and Tesla to name only a few.  

Find out the top 5 graduate careers in the USA.

What universities are in Southeast USA?

Each state, cities, towns in the many states of the region are home to a great many universities and colleges. Here are just a few:

• University of Delaware in Delaware is at the cutting-edge of tech and offer new courses in Quantum Science and Cybersecurity Engineering.
• Duke University, North Carolina ranked 25^th in Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023 and 9^th in Forbes America’s Top Colleges List 2022.
• John Hopkins University, Baltimore is ranked 15^th in THE 2023 and ranked 3^rd for Nursing by QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022.

• Vanderbilt University, Nashville ranked 98th in THE 2023 and 13^th in Forbes 2022. Nearly nine per cent of students are international.
• Georgia Institute of Technology ranked 38^th in THE 2023 and is one of the country’s ‘most research-intensive universities’.
• Emory University, Atlanta ranked 82^nd in THE 2023. It has more than four thousand students from over 100 countries worldwide.

What are the main attractions?

You can’t visit the region without seeing the Blue Ridge Mountains. This mountain range stretches through the states of Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. You could also climb into Stephens Gap, the most photographed cave in the USA.

If you’d like to experience some history you could visit Savannah, Georgia, the oldest city in the USA or you could visit one of the many plantation museums in the region. However, it’s important to remember that these museums may not tell the real story of the lives of enslaved people on those plantations.

You could also visit the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame or the world’s largest aquarium in Atlanta. The Georgia Aquarium holds thousands of animals and is a leader in aquatic research.

What must you see in Southeast USA?

There really are too many ‘must-sees’ in the region so here are just a few of the highlights:

• Graceland – visit the home of ‘The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll', Elvis Presley. Even if you don’t know his music or have never watched the movie of his life, a trip to Graceland, Memphis Tennessee is a must.

• US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama where you can experience the Discovery Shuttle simulator and a VR experience of the moon landing.

• Orlando, Florida – Disney & Universal If theme parks and shopping are your thing then Orlando has them all.

• Miami is a popular holiday destination for Americans and international tourists and students. There’s Miami beach, shopping malls, lively nightlife and excellent food with a strong Cuban influence - over 25 per cent of Miami’s population is Cuban-born.

There’s so much to see and do in this region of the USA that it’s difficult to know where to begin. If this information has made you curious about living and studying in this part of the USA, why not use our site search tool to find your ideal study path.