20 universities known for their beautiful campuses

Nestled in Connecticut is one of the most famous higher education institutions in the entire world: Yale University. It also happens to be one of the most beautiful. Its old gothic buildings are gorgeous and formidable, creating a very prestigious atmosphere for students and visitors. 

Another Ivy League school, Harvard University, has a beautiful campus. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston, Harvard’s buildings largely follow the same color scheme, and all the landscaping is very well-manicured. 

The University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana has a lovely campus. Its buildings feature gorgeous architecture that looks plucked straight from the Old World, and it takes on new beauty in each season, looking particularly stunning in the fall. 

If you’re looking for a college campus with stunning spooky vibes, Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York is the place. Its buildings were beautifully built, and the campus has tons of character. Touring Vassar will have you convinced to attend, even if you’ve already graduated college. 

Not all beautiful college campuses are on the East Coast. Over in Stanford, California is Stanford University, and its campus is stunning, too. The landscaping features plenty of gorgeous palm trees, and against the mixture building styles, the campus screams West Coast.  

If you want to feel like royalty, visit Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. The campus is beautiful on its own, but it also makes a gorgeous backdrop for engagement photos, and it’s become a go-to spot for betrothed couples in the area. 

You might not expect anything in St. Louis, Missouri to be beautiful, but the Washington University campus stands to prove otherwise. The buildings reflect multiple styles of architecture, and its location next to the site of the 1904 World’s Fair makes it wonderfully historical. 

All of the Ivy League schools are gorgeous. Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island is home to beautiful building after beautiful building. And the insides aren’t too shabby either. The campus has a particularly breathtaking library. 

Columbia University has two things going for it: it’s an Ivy League school, and it’s in New York City. It had no choice but to be beautiful. The campus has elements that feel quintessentially collegiate mixed with elements that remind you that you’re in the biggest city in the United States. 

There are plenty of beautiful colleges that aren’t in the Ivy League, though. Duke University in Durham, North Carolina is one. Its gothic architecture is brilliant, and the Duke Chapel is particularly unforgettable. 

The name Vanderbilt likely conjures up images of wealth and extravagance, and the Vanderbilt University campus in Nashville, Tennessee lives up to those imaginations. It’s got dozens of stately buildings, and each is part of carrying the legacy of the school’s namesake. 

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is what you envision when you think of a college campus. It’s got formidable buildings and brick pathways bearing its crest. It’s got well-manicured lawns. It even has a gazebo. 

You might think that the University of Hawaii at Manoa is only beautiful because it’s in Hawaii. While that certainly helps, the campus itself is lovely. There are other higher education institutions in the state that don’t have the same beauty as the University of Hawaii at Manoa. 

Nashville, Tennessee, just knows how to build a college campus. The city is home to Belmont University, which is also gorgeous. It’s got the feel of a quintessential college campus, with ultra-beautiful buildings and grounds to match. 

Indiana University Bloomington’s campus looks like it was the backdrop for every college pamphlet in history. Obviously, it wasn’t, but the campus is that striking. It’s the ultimate location for students whose main priority in a college is a beautiful campus. 

The University of Washington campus in Seattle, Washington (not to be confused with the aforementioned Washington University in St. Louis) is a haven for those who love trees. It has so many good ones that the campus even offers a tree tour. 

The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia is almost constantly in the news for something, making outsiders wonder why students continue to attend. One reason might be the campus. It’s stunning. It has several unique buildings that serve as cornerstones to the beautiful grounds. 

Remember what we said about the Ivy League schools? Cornell University in Ithaca, New York also boasts a beautiful campus. If you’ve ever wondered what in New York is worth seeing beyond the Big Apple, Cornell’s campus is one thing. 

Escaping to Georgetown University from Washington, D.C. is like going to a different world. Washington, D.C. has plenty of beauty, but Georgetown’s campus has a totally different feel, reminiscent of what America once looked like. 

Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida had no choice but to be beautiful. It’s the best of what Florida has to offer. Seriously, the campus looks like a resort, making you genuinely feel like every week is spring break.