American colleges and universities are rich with history and beauty. Luscious campuses built across the country feature brilliant architecture and landscaping. Many buildings have become national landmarks.We have ranked the top 20 most beautiful campuses in the nation. The list of world renown architects, who helped shape these school campuses, is endless.
On April 27, 1865, Senator Ezra Cornell offered his farm in Ithaca, New York, and $500,000 for the creation of Cornell University. Today, Cornell campus encompasses 745 acres. The main campus on East Hill in Ithaca is characterized by its diverse architectural style, including Victorian, Neoclassical buildings, Gothic, and modernist structures.
18) CUNY Brooklyn
The 26 acre Brooklyn campus, designed by Randolph Evans, feature Georgian-style buildings. The liberal arts instruction blend perfectly with the cultural backdrop of New York City.
17) Sewanee- University of the South
The centerpiece of the Sewanee campus, All Saints’ Chapel was designed by Edward McCrady. The chapel was completed in 2004, when the final stain glass window was installed.
The core Vanderbilt campus is compact. The Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta designated the campus as a national arboretum for its green space and abundance of trees (over 300 species).
15) Elon University
Elon’s campus, located in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, has already been recognized by Princeton Review as one of the nation’s most beautiful campuses. The 525-acre campus is separated in seven major sections and the wooden grounds have been designated a botanical garden.
13) University of Hawaii, Manoa
Hawaii is perfect backdrop for a University campus, nestled between the city and the beach.
The 1,000 acre University of Alabama campus features several buildings in the Greek Revival style. Campus landmarks include the the Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library, the President’s Mansion (survived the Civil War) and Denny Chimes.
New College of Florida 144-acre bay front campus features several modernist architecture by I.M. Pei. The campuses main landmark are the three grand scale, Florida 1920s boom time residences listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
9 ) Scripps College
The 30-acre campus is on the National Register of Historic Places. The campus was designed by renown architect Gordon Kaufmann in Mediterranean Revival Style architecture. A lush rose garden spans between Toll and Browning Halls. Several fruit trees are scattered on the campus including orange, pomegranate, grapefruit, kumquat, and loquat.
Rhodes College campus features thirteen stone Gothic architecture buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 100-acre campus maintains its Collegiate Gothic architecture even with newly built buildings.
Yale University campus is mostly constructed in a neo-Gothic architecture style with several iconic modern building. Many stone sculptures on campus depict college personalities.
Stanford University features the largest university campus in the world. The stunning campus retains its original Spanish-colonial style, distinguished by red tile roofs and solid sandstone masonry. It remains the quintessential west coast university.
The Flagler College main buildings used to be one of the states most luxurious hotels. The centerpiece of the campus, Ponce de Leon Hall is simply breathtaking. The campus is situated in historical downtown St.Augustine and consists of fifteen buildings.
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Pepperdine University campus covers several Malibu ridges, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It features a classic Californian and Mediterranean architecture with a stylized cross, symbolizing the school’s Christian origins.
Princeton’s campus features several renown buildings, presenting a mixture of Architectural movements (Collegiate Gothic style, Greek rival temples, modern buildings). The list of iconic architects, who designed building, is endless. Contemporary additions to the campus include IM Pei’s Spelman Halls and Robert Venturi’s Frist Campus Center. Andrew Carnegie, the steel magnate, donated a man-made lake in 1830. The campus is situated one hour away from New York and Philadelphia.
