The Most Beautiful College in Every State

By Chris Abell
March 15, 2017
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A good-looking university does much more than attract potential students. Handsome quads, manicured footpaths, and photo-worthy architecture are often utilized (and appreciated) by everyone in town, including tourists. Even if you finished your degree decades ago—or have no interest in academia—the beautiful college campuses scattered across the United States are worthwhile destinations for travelers. 

Some states, like California, have impossible riches of eye-catching schools; others, not so much. But every state has at least one collegiate gemstone. From small liberal arts colleges to huge state universities, Ivy League classics and relatively new institutions, this list highlights the diversity of America's most attractive campuses.

When selecting the most enchanting school in every state, we considered the setting and scenery; the design of the buildings (it’s no surprise that many of these colleges also appear on our list of schools with the best architecture); and the upkeep of the campus grounds. And we took plenty of other details into account, too, including knowledge from campus visits, in-depth virtual tours, first-person references and word of mouth, extensive general research, and hours upon hours of examining campuses from images shot at just about every imaginable angle.

Sure, picking the most beautiful college in every state of the union isn’t an exact science. And some states have so many absurdly gorgeous schools that the final decision almost felt like a toss-up. But for travelers seeking an all-around positive experience—whether you're on a college tour with the kids or looking for a place to wander on a balmy afternoon—these scholarly institutes all get top marks for good looks.  
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University of Alabama 

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A classic southern belle, Alabama’s campus features plenty of green space, manicured landscaping, and an amazing variety of architecture. Highlights include the Greek Revival-style President’s Mansion and the Beaux-Arts museum of natural history. Sure, this large state university has a powerhouse athletic program (and a state-of-the-art stadium to boot) but there's nothing lacking about its Southern charm.

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University of Alaska Fairbanks  

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With such a small population, Alaska has a limited number of colleges, and the majority of the buildings seem built for function. But the Fairbanks campus of University of Alaska has a new museum building, designed by architect Joan Soranno in 2005, with a gleaming, white aluminum exterior and swooping angles meant to evoke glaciers and alpine ridges.

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University of Arizona

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This Tucson school scores the top spot in Arizona by virtue of a palm tree-lined mall, incredible views of the Santa Catalina Mountains, and plenty of red brick (and red-roofed) halls.

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Hendrix College in Arkansas

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Several buildings belonging to this suburban Arkansas college are on the National Register of Historic Places. There's also a charming gazebo, and an abundance of varying tree types for enthusiastic arboriss.

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Pepperdine University in California

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You’d be forgiven for mistaking Pepperdine’s Malibu campus for a luxury seaside resort. The school moved to its current location in 1972, and it’s not hard to see why: the tiered landscape along the Pacific Coast Highway offers expansive views on the ocean.

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University of Colorado Boulder

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Nestled in a bustling college town in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, this university's location made it a no-brainer for the list. Views of the Flatiron rock formations and unique, Tuscan-inspired architecture don’t hurt either.

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Yale University in Connecticut

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Connecticut has a number of contenders, but the towering and intricate Collegiate Gothic architecture of Yale University, in New Haven, can't be ignored. And that's to say nothing of the school's Georgian-style hall or glass-and-pink-marble library.

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University of Delaware

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If you want to visit the prettiest college in the state of of Delaware, you can find it less than an hour from Philadelphia, an hour from Baltimore, a little more than an hour from the Delaware beaches, and just over two hours from New York City. But that’s not what’s important here. UD’s campus is green and manicured, with red brick buildings that evoke though not on the same level the stunning University of Virginia (more on that later).

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Flagler College in Florida

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Founded just 48 years ago, Flagler eagerly inserted itself into the compendium of America’s most breathtaking college campus. Its architecture is about as unique as it gets among colleges, largely because it operates out of the former Ponce de León Hotel (a Spanish Renaissance masterpiece built in 1888 by Standard Oil co-founder, Henry Flagler). And neither students nor visitors can complain about its location in equally-attractive St. Augustine.

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Berry College in Georgia

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If you're looking for a college that could double as the setting of Downton Abbey, Berry College runs away with the award—and the campus actually has been used as a filming site for movies including Remember the Titans and Sweet Home Alabama. Though the student body is quite small, Berry boasts 27,000 acres of hills, streams, meadows, and beautiful architecture, making it the largest contiguous campus on Earth.

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University of Hawaii at Mānoa

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Granted, it shouldn’t betoo difficult to create a beautiful campus in Hawaii, but the state university's campus at Mānoa still stands out. Its campus offers volcano views, sits near Waikiki Beach, and plays host to frequent rainbows.

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University of Idaho

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The University of Idaho features an arboretum, a grove of trees planted by various figures including Teddy Roosevelt, a golf course, and more trees. Lovely views and gorgeous architecture make UI our pick for Idaho.

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University of Chicago in Illinois

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Illinois had several contenders (especially Northwestern), but we gave the top spot to the University of Chicago. Its largely Gothic campus played host to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition—a celebration of the 400th anniversary of Columbus landing in the Americas—and today features many modern design elements alongside its classic halls.

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Indiana University Bloomington

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The state university beat out the likes of Notre Dame with its impressive landscaping and bright limestone halls. The Sample Gates entryway in the Old Crescent, also hewn from Indiana limestone, are particularly stunning.

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Iowa State University

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The iconic Campanile bell tower and Memorial Union are about as impressive as college structures come. But Iowa State even features a campus lake—complete with swans—and a spectacular central lawn.

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Kansas State University

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Kansas has an impressive number of attractive schools: Friends, Kansas University, and Kansas Wesleyan, just to name a few. But the oldest public university in the Sunflower State is also our pick for the prettiest. Plenty of green space (more than 2,000 collective acres) and limestone buildings make K-State a true beauty.

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University of Louisville in Kentucky

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The main campus, known as Belknap, is set in historic Old Louisville and includes stunning Grawemeyer Hall. There's even a cast of the famous statue, The Thinker, and plenty of foliage flanking the classic red brick structures.

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Tulane University in Louisiana

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A combination of tropical palms and evergreen oaks gives Tulane an unmistakable New Orleans vibe, and the manicured grounds and variety of stately buildings make it a spot worth visiting even for the non-matriculated. Majestic Gibson hall faces Audubon Park just across St. Charles Avenue, and behind it lies acres of lovely campus.

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College of the Atlantic in Maine

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America’s easternmost state has no shortage of beautiful campuses—Bowdoin, for example, was a top contender. But the stunning scenery and unique atmosphere of the College of the Atlantic made its campus the winner. Nestled on an island in Bar Harbor, any part of the tiny college could be mistaken for a private coastal estate. Though the Turrets building, in particular, looks like a storybook mansion.

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United States Naval Academy in Maryland

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A domed chapel, a Versailles-like palace that is the world’s largest single dormitory, and an idyllic setting on the Severn River and Chesapeake Bay. This military academy is where our country’s navy grows up, and it couldn’t be much prettier.

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College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts

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Massachusetts is the seventh-smallest state in the country, but it might have the largest selection of stunning college campuses. After all, the Bay State is home to Harvard, Smith, Boston College, Williams, Mount Holyoke, and Amherst. On and on it goes. But the winner right now is Holy Cross, perched on a hill above the city of Worcester. The school has received numerous accolades for some of the best landscaping in the country, and both the Fenwick and O’Kane Halls are on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Kalamazoo College in Michigan

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Leafy, suburban Kalamazoo College is probably best described as pleasant. Understated but attractive red-brick buildings make up the majority of campus structures: Hodge House, the president’s residence, is a good example.

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St. Olaf College in Minnesota

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Winters at St. Olaf, about 40 miles south of Minneapolis, can be brutal. But goodness do they make for a picturesque scene. The fall foliage here is fierce, too, and beautiful structures like Old Main and Holland Hall help complete the picture.

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University of Mississippi

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Towering oaks, the grand Lyceum, blooming flowers, the lovely town of Oxford: Ole Miss has no shortage of beauty or Southern charm. Other highlights at this state school include the tailgating spot, The Grove, and beautiful Ventress Hall.

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Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri

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How many schools can say they’ve hosted a World’s Fair? How about the Olympic Games? It just so happens that Washington University has managed to do both. In 1904, what's now known as Danforth Campus was the site of both international events. The grandeur continues to be embodied by the Collegiate Gothic architecture and sprawling green lawns.

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University of Montana

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The red-brick clock tower of Montana's University Hall stands silhouetted against Mount Sentinel, on which a giant concrete "M" serves as the university's version of the Hollywood Sign. The Oval at the center of campus and a majestic valley setting make this a particularly stunning state college.

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Creighton University in Nebraska

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Nebraska’s Jesuit university takes the honor here primarily because of the architecture. St. John’s Parish and the new Harper Center represent old and new beauty on Creighton’s Omaha campus.

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Sierra Nevada College in Nevada

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It's easy to confuse this college with a luxury cabin retreat in the hills above Lake Tahoe. The Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences features impressive woodwork and masonry, and seamlessly fits the Tahoe-area vibe. We're also willing to argue that it's one of the most unique colleges on this list.

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Dartmouth College in New Hampshire

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Perhaps President Eisenhower said it best when he described Dartmouth in 1953: “This is what a college should look like.” The school and adjoining town of Hanover sit on a hill above the Connecticut River, just across the border from Vermont. Classic architecture and a magnificent quad are highlights of the pristine campus.

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Princeton University in New Jersey

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Another Ivy to perform as well aesthetically as it does academically, Princeton's Collegiate Gothic campus is an exercise in Ivy League splendor. On a visit here, don't miss Nassau Hall, the beautiful archways, or the adjacent golf course. There's also plenty of literal ivy at Princeton.

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St. John’s Santa Fe in New Mexico

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Actually a satellite campus of Maryland’s runner-up (St. John’s College in Annapolis), St. John’s College Santa Fe sits in the trees at the base of Monte Luna, offering students a mountain experience with lots of greenery.

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Colgate University in New York

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It proved particularly hard to choose a school to represent New York—from Columbia to Bard and from Union to Cornell, the Empire State teems with pretty colleges. But there’s just something about Colgate University that makes it stand out. Perhaps it’s the fact that it’s in the middle of nowhere, but the whole place just seems unspoiled. Entire forests, rolling hills, and a campus lake are a perfect complement to the traditional collegiate architecture.

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