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The 20 Most Beautiful College Campuses in the U.S.

Harvard

The United States is home to some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the world today. It is also the location of some of the most beautiful, and aesthetically pleasing. These institutions of higher learning value their reputations and entertain some of the most important people in the world through fundraising and informational events. It is only fitting that the environment offers a pleasing visual and sensory experience for students as well as for distinguished guests. Here are the 20 most beautiful college campuses in the United States as of 2019.

Scripps College, Claremont, California

20. Scripps College, Claremont, California

Scripps College has a beautiful campus that is set in a Mediterranean theme. The school is a liberal arts college for women in a residential area of the city. The grounds span 37 acres and the setting is dotted with buildings that feature a Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. Gordon Kaufmann is the architect who designed the buildings. The master plan for the grounds was established when the college was founded in 1926. The warm climate offers the ideal setting for kumquat, grapefruit and orange trees and a rose garden is maintained to add a beautiful aesthetic to the grounds. The Margaret Fowler Garden is also a sight to behold, featuring a Mediterranean-style wall fountain and a small fond.

Pepperdine University, Malibu, California

19. Pepperdine University, Malibu, California

The next most beautiful college on our list is the prestigious Pepperdine University. The campus sits in the background of one of the most spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. The institution was first founded in 1937 in Los Angeles, but a new campus was built in 1972 with a more aesthetically pleasing environment. The main campus is set on an 830-acre parcel with an ocean view and palm trees which give it the feeling of being in the tropics. similar to Scripps, the architecture features a Mediterranean Revival design with white stucco walls and red-tiled roofs. Architect William Pereira designed the lovely buildings that reek of charm and dignity. Pepperdine is one of the most attractive campuses in the United States as well as the world.

Rice University,

18. Rice University, Houston, Texas

Rice University is a school with a small campus of just 295 acres, but it doesn't take a lot of space to create a stunning and beautiful landscape. The wooded areas offer a lush green backdrop for the 4,200 shrubs and trees which have been planted in the Lynn R. Lowrey Arboretum. This offers an excellent environment for training new botanists in an integrated program that combines the grounds of the school with programs of study. The architecture of the University was constructed in 1911, just one year prior to the establishment and opening of the university. Lovett Hall is a Mediterranean themed building of stone and brick based on the genius of architect Ralph Adams Cram, along with input from Edgar Odell Lovett, former faculty member, and inaugural Rice president.

Cornell

17. Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

From a distant view of the prestigious Cornell University, one can see that the Ivy League institution was set on one of the most advantageous parcels of ground to achieve the most spectacular natural beauty for the surrounding environment. The main campus grounds encompass 4,800 acres with densely wooded areas and other trees and shrubbery. The view from East Hill offers a spectacular picture that is frame-worthy. Several of the buildings on campus are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Among the most notable is Bailey Hall, the largest structure with a huge auditorium built in a Greek Revival style in 1912. The structure is the design of architect Edward Green who was also an alum of Cornell. The college was officially founded in 1865. The University sits on a tract of land that was donated by former senator Ezra Cornell.

Yale

16. Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University is one of the top three American Universities among the elite class of Ivy League schools. The main campus sits on an 837-acre parcel of land which has been carefully laid out with some of the most sophisticated and richly decorated structures in the area. The architecture is styled in a Gothic Revival design, and one of the most awe-inspiring among them is the Sterling Memorial Library. The architect in charge of design was James Gamble Rogers, who completed the first structures in 1931. The level of intricate detail on the interior and the exterior along with the reliefs, stained glass window panes and gargoyles gives the building a one of a kind sensory impact upon admirers. The school was founded in 1701, with it's official opening in the New Haven location in 1718 as Yale College, receiving the new name Yale University in 1887.

Berry College, Mount Berry Georgia

15. Berry College, Mount Berry Georgia

One of the most sophisticated and beautiful campuses in the United states is found at Berry College. The school is set upon a parcel of 27,000 acres of forests, fields and there is a mountain in the background to complete the natural and spectacular aesthetics with stunning viewpoints. although the environment is breathtaking, the architecture of the buildings on the campus are sophisticated and dripping with charming magnificence.

Princeton

14. Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton University is one of the most magnificent campuses to behold. When you look at the school from the front you are taken with the Gothic architecture of the front of the structure. The buildings are linked together via a grand archway and clocktower with a passageway through the center, in an English Gothic theme. The entrance is surrounded by a lush green offering of trees and a terraced portion leading to the front with ample greenery. The interior of the campus grounds features modern buildings designed by a variety of creative geniuses including the Lewis Library by architect Frank Gehry with some of the more noteworthy buildings being the Carl Icahn Laboratory by Rafael Vinoly and Spelman Hall by architect I.M. Pei.

Stanford

13. Stanford University, Stanford, California

The campus of Stanford University features the work of architects Frederick Law Olmstead and Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge which were associates of the late Henry Hobson Richardson. A prestigious institution was deserving of the greatest minds in the architectural world for the design of the campus. The most eye catching part of the campus is the Main Quadrangle. It is designed in a California Mission style and exudes the sophistication and elegance of one of the most highly regarded institutions of higher education in the United States.

Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio

12. Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio

Kenyon College is one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. The small liberal arts school has the aesthetic of ancient stone, and it is a historic building. The moment you cast your eyes on the structure, it's as though the wisdom of the ages in contained within the walls. The campus is not large, but it is certainly one of the most breathtaking and it has a way of transporting one back in time, simply by taking in the view of the magnificent old school architecture.

Colgate University, Hamilton, New York

11. Colgate University, Hamilton, New York

Colgate University is set in the village of Hamilton. The main campus is set within a serene rural area with a countryside feeling. The main structure was built in 1918, and is known as Colgate Memorial Chapel. No details were spared in the intricate design work built into the main building of the campus, with other structures exuding the same yesteryear charm.

Flagler College

10. Flagler College, St. Augustine, Florida

Flagler College is the most beautiful campus in the state of Florida. This institution of higher learning is nothing short of a Spanish Renaissance masterpiece. It was constructed in 1968, originally as the Ponce de Leon Hotel, built for splendor and luxury. Flagler College acquired the building and its grounds and transformed it into one of the most breathtaking campuses in the United States.

University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado

9. University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado

The Univerisity of Colorado Boulder is located at the picturesque Rocky Mountains of Colorado. With such a magnificent backdrop, the university architects were obliged to create structures which would complement the spectacular environment. With the view aside, the buildings were styled with sandstone walls and red tiled roofs, designed by architect Charles Klauder.

University of Virginia

8. University of Virginia, Virginia

The University of Virginia is one of the most admired building in the United States, in part, due to its rich history in our nation's past. The architecture is Jeffersonial in style, conceptualized by founding father Thomas Jefferson. The use of octagonal shapes with white columns and red brick construction offers a significant attraction for both tourists and serious students with an interest in the history of architectural design.

Furman University, South Carolina

7. Furman University, South Carolina

Furman University features Georgian style architecture in the main structures. The Bell Tower offers an iconic image for guests and students alike. It is further complimented by areas of greenery and a lovely Japanese Garden. The view of the campus from any angle is what you would expect to see on a postcard or a jigsaw puzzle. It's aesthetically captivating.

Notre Dame

6. University of Notre Dame, Indiana

The University of Notre Dame is easily recognized with its iconic golden dome which sits above the main administration building. The original dome was destroyed in a fire, but has been rebuilt after the catastrophe. This is one of the most iconic landmarks in the United states and is home to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, featuring the largest collection of 19th-century French stained glass on the planet.

University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Hawaii

5. University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Hawaii

The University of Hawai'i at Manoa is set in one of the most scenic locations in the world. On the exterior is a lush green alley featuring tropical flowers and palm trees with the beach nearby. The University even owns its own coral reef which is used by faculty and students for the purpose of marine research, integrated into program curriculum.

Bryn Mawr College,

4. Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania

Bryn Mawr is reputed for its magnificent viewpoints. The school is a small private liberal arts college which has a rich history as a women's only school. It's one of the first institutions of higher education in the country to implement the application of a Gothic architectural style in its design. The campus encompasses a 135-acre area featuring rows of trees that bloom in a spring and a lovely duck pond.

College of William and Mary

3. William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary is one of the oldest college buildings in the United States. The campus and the school were founded before the United States ever became a country. It was originally founded in the year 1693. The Wren Building is the design of the famous British architect Sir Christopher Wren, and it was completed in the year 1700. This campus and its buildings stands as a landmark and a significant piece of the history of the American nation.

Harvard

2. Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

One of the most beautiful views for Harvard University is from across the river at nightfall. This spectacular and prestigious institution of higher education is the oldest college in existence in the nation. One of the most striking visuals is the Georgian redbrick application for the buildings . These are set around Harvard Yard and the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts is Le Corbusier's only work in the USA

Dartmouth College Campus

1. Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire

Dartmouth College is not only one of the more prestigious colleges in the nation and in the world, it is also the most visually appealing. The historic structure, the Baker-Berry Library was built under the inspiration of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and architect Robert Venturi gave it a modern addition and upgrade. Dartmouth College is the most beautiful campus in the United States for 2019.

Garrett Parker

Written by Garrett Parker

Garrett by trade is a personal finance freelance writer and journalist. With over 10 years experience he's covered businesses, CEOs, and investments. However he does like to take on other topics involving some of his personal interests like automobiles, future technologies, and anything else that could change the world.

Read more posts by Garrett Parker

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