Students trade Ivy League prestige for Southern values and culture

Southern universities are reportedly growing in popularity compared to elite colleges in the Northeast, with students explaining what factors they believe are driving the trend. 

“Down here, people care more about family, God and country, and you don’t see a lot of that up in the Northeast,” Auburn University student Jacob Roose said Monday. 

Roose joined “Fox & Friends First” alongside University of Miami student Angel Aguilar to react to reports that schools in the American South – including those in states like Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and Mississippi – are receiving a massive influx of students from the Northeast.

Roose said politics, culture and a sense of belonging all play a role in the shift, noting that many students are drawn to the values and slower pace of life found on Southern campuses, while Aguilar pointed to academic excellence as one major factor driving students south.

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“I was just speaking with a young lady that’s part of our Turning Point chapter here at Auburn University, and she said that there was a sense of humility and safety and comfortableness down here at Auburn University,” Roose explained.

Aguilar praised institutions like the University of Florida, Florida State University and Florida International University as “top caliber public institutions” setting an example for Ivy League alternatives.

“Many Florida institutions are rising academically as we speak, and it contributes to so much appeal within higher education and the South,” he said.

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“University of Miami, the business school, for example, ranks number one in Florida and 21st in the nation. It’s incredible.”

Between 2014 and 2023, Southeastern Conference (SEC) colleges like the University of Alabama, Auburn University, the University of Georgia, Ole Miss and more, saw a 91% increase in undergraduate students from northeastern states, according to The Sunday Times, which cited government data.

The University of South Carolina (USC) is up 90% over that same period.

According to one report, the school had more than 40,000 students enrolled — its highest ever — in 2025, thanks to a 58% increase in out-of-state admissions over the last decade, with many students coming from New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

Scott Verzyl, head of undergraduate admissions at USC, touted the school’s perks of good weather, school spirit and more. 

“We have a lot of school spirit, we have great weather, we have academic programs, a strong academic value proposition for students from the Northeast where they come to USC for a good return on their investment. We’re just attracting students from all over who want to be part of what’s going on here at the University of South Carolina.”

Sean Carroll, a USC senior, touted the university’s academic programs, strong alumni network and the atmosphere surrounding sports.

“A lot of different things did draw me to the University of South Carolina, and I thank myself every day for the decision that I made,” he said.

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Fox News’ Sophia Compton contributed to this report.