Spectacularly Beautiful College Campuses

College is not just a place to learn, but also a place to live. These campuses are places you will want to call home.

Spectacularly Beautiful College Campuses

College campuses are as unique as their student bodies. Each has its own look and atmosphere, but a truly spectacular campus has more than architecturally interesting buildings and a desirable geographical location.

These exceptional college campuses blend seamlessly with their geography and, not surprisingly, natural features play a prominent role in their beauty. They’re composed of a mix of old and new, but in a way that flows naturally so that they appear to have always been that way, even when they contain otherwise disparate features.

University of Virginia

Location: Charlottesville, Virginia

Full-time enrollment (undergrad): 15,766

Net price per year: $16,594

The only U.S. campus to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the University of Virginia was one of the three accomplishments that designer and U.S. President Thomas Jefferson requested to be put on his gravestone. The campus was called “the proudest achievement of American architecture in the past 200 years” by the American Institute of Architects. The neoclassical domed Rotunda is modeled after the Pantheon, and it is flanked by ten pavilions with serpentine walled gardens down the length of the lawn.

More Proof of UVA's Beauty

The central green spaces of UVA would later be replicated at universities across the nation. Located just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, there is easy access to outdoor recreation both on and off campus.

University of California, Santa Barbara

Location: Santa Barbara, California

Full-time enrollment (undergrad): 21,777

Net price per year: $16,154

UCSB’s 1055-acre campus is located along the Pacific Ocean and has its own beach. The University Center sits on the university lagoon (created from a tidal saltwater flat) and is home to several endangered plant and animal species. Adjacent to the lagoon is Campus Point, a peninsula that features a beach cliff and a view of the Channel Islands. The campus also boasts its own labyrinth and is known for its extensive biking trails.

More Proof of UCSB's Beauty

The architecture on campus is influenced by the original buildings, which, in keeping with regional style, are predominately tinted and patterned concrete blocks. The 175-foot tall Storke Tower is the tallest steel and cement structure in the county. Its 61-bell carillon sounds on the hour and also plays songs on weekends and special occasions.

Duke University

Location: Durham, North Carolina

Full-time enrollment (undergrad): 6,669

Net price per year: $22,011

Duke owns more than 8,600 acres, including the 7,044-acre Duke forest. Located west of West Campus, the forest houses environmental research studies as well as 30+ miles of trails used for hiking, bicycling and horseback riding. Architecturally, the school is best known for its neo-Gothic West Campus (most of which was designed by architect Julian Abele), which is centered on the 210-foot Gothic-style Duke Chapel.

More Proof of Duke's Beauty

A mile and a half away, on 97 acres, sits the Georgian-style East Campus. In between sits the 122-acre Central Campus, which connects to West Campus through 55 acres of terraced gardens and paths.

University of Washington

Location: Seattle, Washington

Full-time enrollment (undergrad): 28,759

Net price per year: $9,443

The 703-acre campus is located near the shores of Union and Portage Bays with views of the Cascade Range to the east and the Olympic Mountains to the west. The heart of UW’s campus is Red Square, which is surrounded by landmark buildings such as the 65-foot Gothic Suzzalo Library that features 35-foot tall stained-glass windows and gilded vaulted ceilings. On the north side of campus, the Quad features 31 Yoshino cherry trees whose delicate pink petals dominate the spring landscape.

More Proof of UW's Beauty

The campus also includes botanic gardens, a farm, wetlands and its own Waterfront Activity Center, where students can rent canoes kayaks and rowboats or simply sit and enjoy the scenery. Additional outdoor activities can be found off campus.

Vanderbilt University

Location: Nashville, Tennessee

Full-time enrollment (undergrad): 6,805

Net price per year: $23,295

Sitting on 344 acres a mile and a half southwest of downtown Nashville, Vanderbilt was designated an arboretum in 1988. With more than 300 varieties of trees and shrubs, combined with wildlife sightings, it’s easy to forget you are in the heart of a city. One of these trees, the Bicentennial Oak, dates back to colonial times. Each spring, pink and white flowers line the walkways when the canopy of flowering trees drops its petals.

More Proof of Vanderbilt's Beauty

Buildings include a variety of styles and eras. Only four of the original 10 buildings still stand, including Kirkland Hall, which was rebuilt after a fire in 1905 (though with one tower rather than the original two). Initially known as the “main building,” Kirkland Hall remains the central image of the school and is featured in campus publications. The Peabody College section of campus, inspired by Thomas Jefferson’s design for the University of Virginia, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1966.

Berry College

Location: Rome, Georgia

Full-time enrollment (undergrad): 1,945

Net price per year: $26,173

Berry has the world’s largest contiguous college campus. It is made up of more than 27,000 acres of fields, forests, lakes and mountains. Students share the grounds with up to 2,500 deer and enjoy hiking, bicycling and horseback riding on over 80 miles of trails. (These are also open to the public.) Often the English-Gothic inspired buildings (many of which were funded by prominent benefactor Henry Ford) are reflected in nearby fountains and pools.

More Proof of Berry College’s Beauty

Mountain Campus is home to both Mirror and Swam lakes, the latter of which is named for the birds frequently found on its calm waters. The campus may look familiar to some as several movies and television shows were filmed here, including “Remember the Titans” and “Sweet Home Alabama.”

Bryn Mawr College

Location: Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

Full-time enrollment (undergrad): 1,325

Net price per year: $28,450

Bryn Mawr’s Pembroke Hall is the first example of Cope and Stewardson’s Collegiate Gothic style, which has been copied on college campuses throughout the nation.

More Proof of Bryn Mawr's Beauty

The design of the tree-covered grounds of the 135-acre campus was created with assistance from Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of New York City’s Central Park. The campus also features a duck pond surrounded by trees and in the spring, an abundance of blossoming trees.

Colgate University

Location: Hamilton, New York

Full-time enrollment (undergrad): 2,854

Net price per year: $22,182

Colgate’s campus consists of 575 acres of rolling hills and an abundance of trees, including sugar maples and northern red oaks as well as Taylor Lake, which until 2015 was home to multiple pairs of swans, dubbed Adam and Eve. Taylor Lake and the adjacent Willow Path were 1903 additions to the campus, thanks to the vision of math professor James Taylor and the work of landscape architect Ernest Bowditch.

More Proof of Colgate's Beauty

The stone buildings were designed intentionally in a “singular architectural language,” providing continuity, regardless of whether the structures were built in 1827 or 2019. West Hall, the school’s oldest, was built by faculty and students using stone mined from the quarry owned by the school.

The College of William & Mary

Location: Williamsburg, Virginia

Full-time enrollment (undergrad): 6,199

Net price per year: $17,415

The second-oldest college in the nation, William & Mary blends seamlessly into the historic town of Williamsburg and retains the charm of this early settlement. The Wren Building, believed to be based on a design by English architect Sir Christopher Wren, was completed sometime between 1695 and 1700 (even before the founding of the college), and is the oldest college structure in the U.S.

More Proof of The College of William & Mary's Beauty

The red brick buildings of Old Campus (surrounding the Wren building) are architecturally similar to the Georgian and Anglo-Dutch buildings seen in nearby Colonial Williamsburg. The buildings on the adjoining New Campus match the old in style, with a modern twist. Features such as sunken gardens and brick pathways that wind around college buildings and through the 1,200-acres of campus woodlands and gardens add to its charm.

To the west of campus is the college-owned man-made Lake Matoaka, (over 150 hectares of the adjoining forest has been set aside as a nature preserve). Crim Dell, a small pond tucked away in the forest, features an arched wooden bridge known as the most romantic spot on campus and a popular place for both students and visitors.

Dartmouth College

Location: Hanover, New Hampshire

Full-time enrollment (undergrad): 4,360

Net price per year: $22,303

Dartmouth’s main campus is centered on a five-acre “Green” and features not only buildings from the 1820s, but also the modern Hopkins Center for the Arts designed by architect Wallace Harrison (who later designed New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center and the United Nations Building). Most of the college’s buildings are Georgian-style; new buildings are specially designed to blend in with the old. The Baker-Berry Library may look familiar to some; it was inspired by Philadelphia’s Independence Hall.

More Proof of Dartmouth's Beauty

The largest private landowner in the town of Hanover, the 269-acre campus is adjacent to the Connecticut River, and includes about 200 American elms and a portion of the Appalachian Trail, which goes right through campus, providing just one of many options for outdoor activities. The college also owns 4,500 acres in the White Mountains and 27,000 acres in northern New Hampshire, known as the Second College Grant. Both provide outdoor recreation opportunities for students and the public alike.

Bucknell University

Location: Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Full-time enrollment (undergrad): 3,585

Net price per year: $37,817

Bucknell is situated on 450 acres along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. Malesardi Quad, the heart of campus, offers views of the Susquehanna River Valley and the Appalachian Mountains. Paved paths and stairways on rolling hills lead through the Grove, which is home to trees older than the school itself.

More Proof of Bucknell's Beauty

Georgian-style architecture runs throughout campus, effectively blending the old and the new. Though technically not part of campus, the single-screen Campus Theatre in downtown Lewisburg operates through a partnership between the college and a non-profit and offers diverse film programming. The historic art deco building is also utilized for classes and university performances.

Gettysburg College

Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Full-time enrollment (undergrad): 2,404

Net price per year: $34,705

The 225-acre campus is adjacent to Gettysburg National Military Park. Its central building, the Greek Revival-style Pennsylvania Hall, was used as a hospital during the Battle of Gettysburg and was occupied by both Union and Confederate armies. There is a mix of architectural styles on Gettysburg College’s campus, with one of the most notable buildings being Gladfelter Hall. This Romanesque Revival building made of red brick and gray stone boasts a 143-foot tower.

More Proof of Gettysburg College's Beauty

The tree-covered campus also features the man-made Quarry Pond, which attracts a variety of birds to campus, including the purple martin and the curiously named Stine Lake, which is not a lake but a quad that in the past was prone to flooding.

Washington & Lee University

Location: Lexington, Virginia

Full-time enrollment (undergrad): 1,823

Net price per year: $25,029

Washington & Lee's campus sits on 415 acres at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains, adjacent to the city of Lexington in western Virginia. The buildings central to campus, including the majestic Colonnade, have been named a National Historic Landmark District; the nearby Lee Chapel is a part of that district, and also a National Historic Landmark on its own.

More Proof of Washington & Lee's Beauty

Meandering paths lead through campus and to a boardwalk through the trees near Woods Creek, where a bridge leads to the athletic fields and upper-class housing. Woods Creek Trail runs through campus, and the Maury River and Blue Ridge Mountains are a short drive away. However, you don’t have to leave campus to catch breathtaking views of sunsets; these are a regular sight on campus.

Lewis & Clark College

Location: Portland, Oregon

Full-time enrollment (undergrad): 2,067

Net price per year: $35,872

Lewis & Clark College sits on Palatine Hill, adjacent to the 645-acre Tryon Creek State Natural Area. The campus is surrounded by dense Pacific Northwest forests and has more than 100 species of trees on 137 acres. Named for the explorers Lewis & Clark, the heart of campus is the Frank Manor House, purchased by the two men in 1942.

More Proof of Lewis and Clark College's Beauty

The rest of the campus was built around this 35-room mansion, which features a man-made waterfall and terraced reflecting pool, as well as a clear view of Mount Hood.

College of the Atlantic

Location: Bar Harbor, Maine

Full-time enrollment (undergrad): 330

Net price per year: $17,213

Named the top Green College by the Princeton Review, College of the Atlantic allows students to choose their own course of study in what it calls “human ecology,” the aim of which is “to remind us that we are part of a complex and interactive living world.” What better place to ponder this reality than a campus steps from the ocean surrounded by rustic former cottages with weathered wood shingles and old stone walls?

More Proof of College of the Atlantic's Beauty

While you won’t find brick or cinder block structures, there are some lovely Queen Anne style stone buildings throughout campus. Wandering the school’s 37 acres you will also find tucked away gardens and two organic farms. The school’s main landmark is a giant finback whale skull.

Middlebury College

Location: Middlebury, Vermont

Full-time enrollment (undergrad): 2,528

Net price per year: $22,841

Just west of the charming town of the same name, Middlebury’s main campus sits on 350 acres between the Green Mountains and the Adirondacks. Granite marble and limestone buildings are set among quads and open spaces. Old Stone Row (which includes the school’s three oldest buildings) is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and its admissions office resides in the Emma Willard House, a National Historic Landmark.

More Proof of Middlebury's Beauty

The 1800-acre Bread Loaf Mountain Campus is home to the college’s ski mountain (which, in addition to providing recreation for students and the public alike, is also the site of February graduations). The college also owns the adjacent 150-acre Robert Frost Farm, which is open to the public during daylight hours.

Sewanee — The University of the South

Location: Sewanee, Tennessee

Full-time enrollment (undergrad): 1,687

Net price per year: $34,001

Sitting on 13,000 acres on the Cumberland Plateau overlooking the Tennessee Valley, Sewanee’s Domain (its name for the sprawling campus) includes Gothic-inspired architecture surrounded by natural features: forests, lakefront bluffs and a garden ravine that follows a stream through campus.

More Proof of Sewanee's Beauty

There are three chapels on campus, most notably the All Saints’ Chapel, which was designed by American architect Ralph Adams Cram and is reminiscent of both Notre Dame and University Church at Oxford. The rose window in the All Saints’ Chapel is based on one in Notre Dame in Paris.

Smith College

Location: Northampton, Massachusetts

Full-time enrollment (undergrad): 2,505

Net price per year: $26,734

Located near the Connecticut River, much of Smith’s landscape was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (who also designed New York’s Central Park) at the request of the college’s first president, Laurenus Clark Seelye. Seelye’s vision of campus was that it should be a botanic garden to provide both scientific and aesthetic value.

More Proof of Smith's Beauty

While the academic buildings are traditional brick, rather than dorms, students live in 35 houses on campus, which are all different styles and sizes. A favorite feature on campus is Paradise Pond, which is fed by the Mill River. The pond is a favorite of locals and visitors, and is included as a point of interest on the Calvin Coolidge Walking Tour, as well as in several guide books of the area.

Flagler College

Location: St. Augustine, Florida

Full-time enrollment (undergrad): 2,591

Net price per year: $23,473

Situated in one of the nation’s oldest cities, Flagler’s 19-acre campus includes what was once the Ponce de Leon Hotel. Designed by New York-based architects Carrère and Hastings, the hotel was the first to be made of “poured in place” concrete. It opened in 1888 and was also one of the nation’s first buildings to have built-in electricity.

More Proof of Flagler's Beauty

The college has maintained the original flavor of the architecture, including the Tiffany stained glass windows.