College campuses are places for learning and growing, but they’re also the backdrop for innumerable photos and cherished memories. When you’re touring a college, looks aren’t everything – but they sure do matter. From stunning natural landscapes to amazing architecture, here are 12 of the most beautiful college campuses in the U.S.
Berry College
This college sure is sweet! Berry College in Mount Berry, Ga., is the largest contiguous college campus in the world. With all that space, you can fit a lot of beautiful sights. The castle-like Ford Campus features grand English Gothic style buildings and reflecting pools. Students can also explore the on-campus Lavender Mountain, home to the historical House o’ Dreams, Old Mill and Possum Trot School.
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College, a women’s college in Bryn Mawr, Pa., is often considered one of the most beautiful college campuses in the country. The campus has been designated as an arboretum, and there are beautiful trees like Weeping Higan Cherry, Maidenhair and Star Magnolia throughout. Visitors can even pick up a tree tour brochure to help guide them through the college’s natural beauty. In addition to the trees, the buildings at Bryn Mawr feature Collegiate Gothic architecture, some dating back to the late 1800s.
The College of William & Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is the second oldest college in the country, behind Harvard. Established in 1693, this historic college is home to the 1695 Sir Christopher Wren building (the oldest college building in the country), the picturesque Sunken Garden and the idyllic Lake Matoaka. William & Mary is also right next to Colonial Williamsburg, a gorgeous living history museum – and two lucky students get to live there each year.
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Georgetown University
Nestled in the picturesque Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., Georgetown University overlooks the Potomac River. With a mix of Collegiate Gothic and Georgian styles, the architecture definitely makes the grade. Healy Hall, designed by the architects who built the Library of Congress, is a National Historic Landmark.
Kenyon College
Whether it’s sporting autumn leaves or beneath a blanket of crisp, white snow, Kenyon College in Ohio is one of the most beautiful college campuses in the country. Students and visitors alike will enjoy the 10-foot wide Middle Path, which runs through the length of the campus, framed by benches and towering sugar maples. Want to study? Head to Chalmers Library, a stately building filled with natural light.
Lewis & Clark College
Lewis & Clark College is right in the middle of nature, sitting atop Palatine Hill and right next to the Tryon Creek State Natural Area in Portland, Ore. This forested campus is a blend of old and new, with old manor buildings standing right alongside newer, environmentally friendly construction.
Mount Holyoke College
This women’s college in South Hadley, Mass., was founded in 1837 and is the oldest member of the Seven Sisters. The Mount Holyoke campus features a lush botanic garden and many historic red brick buildings, like Mary Lyon Hall. Students will enjoy the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum and the Village Commons.
Princeton University
You might have heard that Princeton is a pretty good school. But along with its academic rigor, it also offers a beautiful campus. This Ivy Leaguer in New Jersey features a variety of buildings in the Collegiate Gothic style, as well as some older buildings in the High Victorian Gothic and Romanesque Revival styles. The oldest building on campus, Nassau Hall, was constructed in 1756 and briefly served as the capitol of the United States in 1783.
Sewanee: The University of the South
Sewanee: The University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., is filled with Collegiate Gothic style buildings constructed from local stone. The All Saints’ Chapel features massive stained glass windows, including a rose window inspired by Notre Dame (the French cathedral, not the college). Students will enjoy a campus filled with forests, lakes, trails and a burbling natural creek.
Stanford University
Stanford University in California is one of the largest college campuses in the country, and it’s also one of the most beautiful. Its architectural identity, filled with red-roofed Spanish Colonial buildings, purposefully separates it from the colleges and universities on the East Coast. One of the most notable Stanford landmarks is the Hoover Tower, which is a bell tower and the tallest building on campus.
SUNY Geneseo
This tiny public school in Western New York makes the list partially due to its natural beauty. The SUNY Geneseo campus sits on the edge of the picturesque Genesee Valley, and the views to the west are breathtaking at any time of day. However, Geneseo is most beautiful when it is bathed in its signature fiery sunsets over the valley. In addition to the lovely landscape, Geneseo has many attractive buildings, like the ivy-draped Welles Hall, the stately clock tower on Sturges Hall and even the sleek Integrated Science Facility.
The University of Washington
The University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast. Nestled in the bustling city of Seattle, the University of Washington still feels a world away, featuring priceless views of Mount Rainier, cherry blossoms blooming in the quad and grand, Collegiate Gothic style academic buildings. Look familiar to some other colleges on the list? The same architects, Cope and Stewardson, designed many of the buildings at the University of Washington, Princeton University and Bryn Mawr College at the turn of the century.
Was your college beautiful or historic? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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108 Thoughts on “Colleges With the Most Beautiful Campuses”
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Emory University located in the historically important Atlanta suburb of Druid Hills is a stunning oasis with an enclosed quad of architecturally consistent buildings constructed with full-slab White Georga marble facades and red tile roofs. Invigerating contemporary acedemic and research sturchtures are adjacent and seemlessly integrate into the campus of old-growth oaks, towering pines, and specimen magnolias that extend to the gracious serenity of Lullwater lake and mansion-a former estate of the founder of the Coca-Cola empire and benefactor of the University.
University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA. Beautiful open campus, especially when the roses are in bloom.
Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio has a lovely, hilly campus.
Wellesley College, just 17 miles outside Boston, has a gorgeous landscaped campus and arboretum on a lake. The campus is especially dramatic in springtime when the rhododenrons are in bloom, but lovely in any season.
Endicott College, in Beverly MA is located on one of the most beautiful coastlines in New England.
It is within bicycling distance of beautiful towns and gorgeous architechture culminating in “Motif #1 in
the historic town of Rockport.
How could you not list Cornell, which many experts consider to be THE most beautiful campus? “Far above Cayuga’s waters….. with the hills, gorges and waterfalls surrounding the several campuses. I’ve been to most of the colleges on the list and there is absolutely no comparison. I can’t imagine what characteristics were considered for the rankings. E.g., do you really believe that Stanford is more beautiful? I suspect that you haven’t visited Cornell or have an unusual standard of what is considered to be beautiful, ignoring the landscapes in favor of the buildings but even if that was so, Cornell should be high on the list.
How could
You have missed USC in Columbia SC
The University of Colorado Boulder at the foothills of the Flatirons is one of the most breathtaking views ever.
As a high school counselor for 40 years, the last 30 of which I spent at a prestigious college preparatory high school, I was expected to visit multiple college campuses each year. While your list did, indeed, include some beautiful campuses, you left out what to me is the most beautiful of all: The University of Chicago.
This article really missed by excluding one of the most beautiful campuses in America: The University of Richmond. The school is carved out of small forest of southern loblolly pines that that shade the sweeping lawns that separate its beautiful collegiate gothic buildings. The original campus buildings were designed by Ralph Adams Cram, a leading architect of the collegiate gothic style who also designed many of the buildings at Princeton. In fact, I found your description of Princeton, which I have visited many times, would apply to Richmond but but even more so because over the years Richmond has maintained the collegiate gothic style of its original buildings with every new addition to the campus. Thus it too has a uniformity of beauty rarely found on most campuses, which is why it has been used as a location in movies and television shows to create the atmosphere of an elite college. Richmond has also been ranked the most beautiful college campus by the Princeton Review. Have a look –
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Just one genre of taste expressed here. No value to the oceanside beauty – e.g., Santa Barbara’s and San Diego’s. Alas…
…and Endicott College on the shore of Beverly, MA.
Founded in 1851 beautiful campus with lots of green space and buildings from the 1800’s
University of Colorado is a very beautiful campus. Buildings created of sandstone, beautiful walks through campus, backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. It belongs on lists like this.
Ramee designed the first planned campus in America. Union College in Schenectady, NY was founded in 1795. Dutchman alumni include a U.S. President and both Secretaries of State during the Civil War.
Not to mention Nott Memorial, a building with no others like it anywhere. Bob (Union ’71)
The University of Rhode Island (URI), nested in a country setting in Kingston RI, with old buildings of architectural value. Beautiful campus for all four seasons!
Wagner College (Staten Island) is located on Grimes Hill. It offers views of both the Verrazano Narrows as well as New York Harbor allowing you to see lower Manhattan. The best time to be on campus is in the Spring when the cherry blossoms bloom.
Visited Kenyon College during my college search, but was really impressed by another school in their conference, Denison University in Granville, OH. Beautiful town with the campus sitting on top of a hill. It’s even more amazing in the Fall!
You might want to take a look at Webb Institute of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering on Long Island Sound in Glen Cove, NY. It has a beautiful campus overlooking the Sound and is housed in a lovely historic building on a very spacious campus. It also has its own beach and other attractions.
Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois. A hidden gem!
I’m surprised that you’re still overlooking Dickinson College (Carlisle, PA) in making this list. One of the oldest colleges in the U.S. Its oldest building, Old West, was designed by Washington D.C. architect Benjamin Latrobe, and developments have consistently respected its architectural past, including purchasing the quarry from which building stones for the older buildings drew their stones so that even the most recent harmonize with the existing on this compact campus. I see it frequently because it’s my alma mater and I do attend reunions and other events there. Go have a look!
Smith College in Northampton MA a 7 sisters masterpiece has the most beautiful dorms I’ve ever seen. They are all old Victorian mansions and did not lose their charm when made into dorms. You cannot beat New England colleges when it comes to beauty.
Wheaton College in Norton , Massachusetts is an absolute must for your list.
Founded in 1834 with Georgian architecture and fabulous campus !
Most beautiful campus Salve Regina University, Newport RI. The campus is nestled among the mansions of the Gilded Age on the Atlantic Ocean. Exquisite architecture, imported trees from Europe makes this university quite a gem.
The campus of Marist College in Poughkeepsie, on the banks of the Hudson River, is stunning.
Wellesley College one of the Seven Sisters in Wellesley, Massachusetts campus was designed by the same landscape architect that designed Central Park in NYC.
Smith College another 7 Sisters is also beautiful
Yes, Frederick Law Olmsted. The campus was designed specifically to be a beautiful place for the students, faculty, and staff who all originally lived on the campus. It also includes Lake Waban and a walking trail that borders the lake.
The beautiful Palm tree lined street leading into the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla is stunning& very inviting!! The gorgeous weather is a plus!
Dartmouth College in Hanover NH is a beautiful campus surrounded by a picturesque town and endless breathtaking views.
Great article. I would add Wellesley College in Wellesley Massachusetts. Beautiful campus with both old and new buildings .
Allegheny College in Meadville, PA has a ravine filled with blooming rhododendron each spring. Bentley Hall, constructed in the 1820’s, is a beautiful example of early American architecture.
Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY has gorgeous stone buildings and sits right on the banks of the Hudson River. Gorgeous sunsets off the water & a campus lush with foliage
absolutely Cornell University in Ithaca, NY
The University of Notre Dame is an absolutely awe-inspiring campus, with its golden dome, Basilica spire, Grotto, lakes, mosaic art, and top-notch landscaping. What’s not to love??!!
There are so many beautiful colleges and universities in the USA. New Haven has Yale, Cambridge has Harvard. Even many of our smaller colleges and universities are quite beautiful. I went the Univ. of Connecticut, which too, is very beautiful. Article was a fine one.
Rhodes College in Memphis is gorgeous!
The University of Richmond could be the most beautiful campus in America and other publications have recognized it for its beauty. The campus consists of 350 wooded acres intersected by lake with every building – whether one of the original buildings or one built in the 21st century – a classic example of collegiate gothic architecture. The original buildings were designed by Ralph Adams Cram, one the leading architects of the collegiate gothic style who designed many of Princeton’s buildings. Take the collegiate gothic buildings shown in the pictures of Princeton and Duke and place them in a forest with sweeping lawns and beautiful lake and you have an idea of what Richmond looks like.
Hope college in Holland, Michigan! Campus landscape is beautiful.
Look at the campus of the University of Idaho, in Moscow, Idaho…..definitely one of the most beautiful in the northwest.
Kingsborough Community College, Brooklyn, NY, is beautiful!!
It’s surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and partly Sheepshead Bay.
Outside the indoor cafeteria, there’s also a cement boardwalk to dine with tables and chairs.
Bucknell! In Lewisburg PA
Salve Regina in Newport, RI has a beautiful University over looking the water on Cliff Walk with Historical Mansions in walking distance to visit.
C W Post College of LIU has a BEAUTIFUL campus!
Colby College in Waterville, Maine sits at the top of a hill with scenic beauty. Johnson Pond and the large arboretum make for a beautiful campus. New buildings have been added to fit the campus or hidden in tree settings. A top tier school with a beautiful campus.
100%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The University of New Hampshire in Durhan, NH should certainly be on your list of “Beautiful Campuses”. From historic Thompson Hall to the rolling lawns between the academic buildings that are nestled amongst well-developed trees. It’s a mixture of older, classic buildings and newer, more modern ones located on the campus of a land-grant, public university that has agricultural lands and buildings on the edges of the campus for the students in the College of Life Sciences of Agriculture. My husband and I returned to UNH a few years ago to see how much campus had changed in the 30+ years since we’d been back. We were thrilled to see that it still had the charm that we loved when we were students so long ago. Added to the beauty of the structures and the environs is the convenience and closeness to so many things. The ocean, the mountains, a major city (Boston), are all within a few hours’ drive from campus. What more could anyone ask for? Our vote is for the University of New Hampshire – UNH!
Sounds great! Thank you, Pat.
I agree. Always wonder why it doesn’t get listed on this type of survey more often.
You should look at High Point University in High Point, NC. This college is beautiful. The buildings, the campus. This college should most definitely be on this list!
I totally agree
The campus of Haverford College, to which Bryn Mawr is a sister school, is a national arboretum. It has a beautiful walking trail, and old stone buildings. The large ‘pond’, which greets you as you drive through the stone columns at the entrance, is visited by many residents of the local town of Haverford, PA.
University of Montana should be on the list.
Most Beautiful Campus: Washington & Lee University, Lexington VA – campus, town, and surrounding area
SUNY Old Westbury campus – they’ve filmed movies there. The Tina Fey “Admission” one, for example.
City College, City University of New York on Convent Ave, New York City is also an old and beautiful campus. Some new buildings today but maintains it’s Gothic structure
Colgate University in Hamilton, NY. It is nestled into a hillside of the Chenango Valley with its gold domed chapel sparkling in the sun! Many of the buildings on the Quad and original dorms are built of stone mined from a local quarry. Wiilow Path, the main entrance to the campus, is a spectacular array of weeping willows welcoming you to campus.
Colgate University, in Hamilton, NY sits perched on a hill and is literally one of the most beautiful campuses around!
Widener University in Chester Pa. Beauty is everywhere. Stunning.
Wellesley College in Wellesley, MA! With the lake, the ivied buildings, sculptures, and landscaping, I thought it would be selected. I do think you picked some great ones, though.
It’s hard to overlook Salve Regina University in Newport, RI, which sits on the shore of the Atlantic, in a list of beautiful colleges.
The buildings and views are stunning.
You have forgotten the University of Virginia. The central grounds has one of the signature campus spaces, The Lawn. In addition to being designed by Thomas Jefferson, it is a UNESCO world heritage site.
When Pres. Dwight D Eisenhower arrived at Dartmouth to deliver the commencement address in June, 1953 he remarked, “THIS is what a college should look like.” He was oh so right!
Cornell University in Ithaca NY is large with innumerable gorgeous quads and sections but the views of Cayuga Lake from the the top of Libe Slope has got to be the best location in any college campus
Flagler College in St Augustine, FL should have been included in this list
Dartmouth. Hanover, NH. In the fall, simply one of the most beautiful spots in the world.
You missed Elon University in Elon, NC. Just spectacular!!!!
Mount Holyoke College’s campus wasn’t my main deciding factor for why I chose to go there, but it definitely reeled me in. I still love dropping by and walking the grounds when I’m in town.
Simply put, Boston College is picture perfect!
The University of Wisconsin is renowned for its lakes.
Cornell University, above Lake Cayuga, one of the Finger Lakes, has stunning gorges. Many silent movies were filmed there.
Occidental College in Los Angeles. A beautiful campus where old and new buildings form a lovely, cohesive whole, self contains with no public roads through it. The backdrop for many movies and ads over the years.
Notable colleges should also include military ones especially when a medal of honor recipient attended and graduated from one.
Such a college is Norwich University in Northfield, VT whose campus may be small but well known individuals have walked the paths on these beautiful grounds. Edward Byers, Medal of Honor recipient is one such individual who graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree
in strategic studies and defense analysis who was awarded his medal by President Obama on February 29, 2016.
This college is the oldest private and senior military college in the United States and that in itself is worth mentioning. More than twelve colleges should have been mentioned especially where history is involved.
It is very hard to believe that University of Massachusetts Amherst was not included on your list. I’m an alum and serious supporter. Take a look at your criteria and take a look at our campus and then look again at your selections. You did chose Mt. Holyoke, which is one of our 5 College consortium co -member institutions – so you got the geo. area right. That’s all I can say.
You have highlighted some great looking school, but you need to take a trip to Waterville, Maine and look at the attributes of a beautiful “small college” campus. Just view the library which is truly the highlight!!
thanks
Steve
Williams College in MA. Beautiful setting in the Berkshires. Well worth a visit, the oldest liberal arts college in the country with a very strong program in The sciences
Vassar College. Gorgeous campus–looks like a country club! Has an arboretum.
You forgot C.W. Post College, now part of Long Island University. It was the original estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post who was also the owner of General Foods.
Three not mentioned is the US Military Academy (off of the Hudson), the US Naval Academy (off of the Chesapeake) and the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, which is the former Del Monte Hotel.
The Madison campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University is stunning. Formerly owned by the Vanderbilt/Twombly families, classes are held in the mansion and the main entrance meanders under their private train stop and down a path to the mansion.
as already noted by others, you missed three schools that are generally on all lists of most beautiful colleges: my alma mater: colgate University and two schools my sons went to: UC Santa Barbara and Florida Southern college
The University of California at Santa Barbara is probably the most beautiful campus I’ve ever seen (I’m an alumna). It has a mile of beachfront, a lagoon, and a view of the Santa Ynez Mountains. https://www.ucsb.edu/
Drew University (aka “the university in the forest”) deserves to be on this list!
How part of the student’s tuition goes towards maintaining the campus and debt service on the beautiful buildings?
Colleges have no incentives to keep their costs down,
Georgian Court University in Lakewood, New Jersey offers a most inviting campus on the grounds of the former George Jay Gould estate. As freshmen we lived in the Mansion itself along with some of the Sisters of Mercy. Our physical education classes were held in the Casino with indoor tennis courts, marble pool, bowling alleys (among the oldest in the country) and the gym floor covering what was originally an indoor polo field. From the Japanese Garden (where Mrs. Gould held tea parties) and the Italian Gardens with their replica of the Fountain of Apollo from Versailles to the Lagoon which opens onto Lake Carasaljo you will be inspired artistically and intellectually.
University of Rhode Island is gorgeous with it’s combination of old classic and new buildings .
You missed Boston College!
Did you look at Wellesley College in Massachusetts another of the Seven Sisters? The campus was designed by the same architect who design Central Park NYC.
Should look a Nichols College. Set on a hill in the small town of Dudley Massachusetts. Has some beautiful views in the fall with foliage all around. Started as an Academy in 1815 and has been in continuous service except for closing during WW II. (Back then it was an all-male school, and all the students went off to war.) Has an array of modern buildings set between some buildings that go back 100 years with an original building dating to 1804. Now has a little more than 1000 students. Up until the 1970’s the town of Dudley had a volunteer fire department and relied on other towns departments. So, sometime in the 1950″s Nichols purchased a used fire truck and the students organized their own fire department to become early responders for the college and the rural section of the community. Also, back then Nichols was ahead of its time as it provided a degree in Forestry when very few colleges and universities did so.
https://www.nichols.edu/news/nichols-college-named-a-college-of-distinction-in-2022-2023-cohort/
My husband was a1972 graduate of Nichols,a great school.He loved the small friendly atmosphere.He spoke about the beautiful views of the campus from the library.
This list lost all credibility by not including Duke University. Easily 1 of the 3 top campuses in the world.
Totally agree with Damien, probably #2. Lore has it that when James B. Duke decided to transform Trinity college into D.U., he took his architect to Princeton and told him to “build me a college like this”.
Ditto to Damien Moore! I can’t think of a more beautiful campus! Nor one with the Nasher Museum or the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. One can easily get lost wandering its paths.
Colgate University in Hamilton New York is one of the most beautiful I’ve seen.
I absolutely agree. My daughter, Jean-Marie attended Colgate and we loved visiting the campus.0
Did you overlook my alma mater, Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA, because it is a “small school”? Founded while we were still a colony (1773), established as the first college founded in the U.S. (1783), with a central campus anchored by 18th- and 19th-century buildings that are now integrated with modern buildings designed for their utility but also for their compatibility with the existing architecture. The school’s growth and academic programs have looked to the future (one of the first colleges with a study-abroad program, a leader in environmental programs and buildings, a small college with its own farm where best-practices are developed and applied) and honored its past. Go take a look and see if you don’t fall in love.
Thank you! I was missing Dickinson as well. One of the great traditions at Dickinson is the walk up the old Stone Steps into “Old West” (West College,1804) to sign in as a first-year, and 4 years later to walk down the old Stone Steps as a senior going out into the world. (Class of ’74)
Take a look at High Point University in NC!
You just beat me to it! My daughter graduated from HPU in May and I am so going to miss visiting that stunning campus!
HPU’s campus is like no other. Proud that our son graduated from High Point University in 2017. AAA and all, please check the campus out. You won’t want to leave.
My daughter went to Florida Southern University in Lakeland, Fl. Most of the buildings were by Frank Lloyd Wright. The fountain was magnificent.
Marist College is on the Hudson River with views of the Catskill Mountains
Living local to Marist and having my wife graduate there I have to say it is a pretty campus!
Agree with a reviewer on TripAdvisor: “UCLA is the crown jewel of the California University system.” The campus has expansive lawns, a diverse (and labelled) collection of fascinating trees and excellent views throughout. Also a sculpture garden with renowned artists, an arboretum, an inverted fountain, and Romanesque architecture, which recalls the Mediterranean climate of Italy that we have in Southern California also. A campus worth visiting as a tourist attraction.
I think that Colby College in Waterville, Maine is one of the prettiest campuses you will find. It sits atop a hill with an arboretum and a pond and beautiful view along with buildings that fit into the surroundings. The view from the library is unbeatable on a clear day.
I don’t see any HBCUs on this list…. How could AAA allow this oversight to occur??
Hi Michelle. I think we can say that all HBCUs are beautiful. The architecture at Morgan State University in Maryland is particularly notable. And there’s a nice overview video on its website homepage.
How could you leave out Ole Miss- The University of Mississippi !