Comments

August 13. 2007 05:37

I'm surprised that you left off Indiana University in Bloomington, and Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Both of these Universities have beautiful campuses, and I've seen them included in best lists in the past.

Brett

August 13. 2007 09:34

What about RIT? Brutalist architecture for the win!

spumky

August 14. 2007 08:57

UCSB in Santa Barbara beats many of those but it seems this is based on architechure and not location.

Jbones

August 22. 2007 13:52

Enjoyed this, but you should have shown some of Alabama's 150+ year old buildings instead of a fountain.

Carl

August 22. 2007 16:01

Lake Forest College is a nice campus. More of a classic college atmosphere as compared to schools in Cal, Fla, HI. Beautiful in the fall.

Jeff

August 27. 2007 09:12

You left out Belmont Abbey college In belmont , North Carolina! My daughter graduated from this college n the campus was just so beautiful. Should have done better research!!!!!!!!!

Joanne

August 27. 2007 09:16

You left out Belmony Abbey College in Belmont

Joanne

September 2. 2007 14:36

what about SMU. it is probably in the top ten...

jeff

September 3. 2007 09:44

Virginia Tech! www.vt.edu

crayne

September 4. 2007 17:14

SMU is ok. Dallas Baptist has one of the most beautiful campuses I have ever seen!!!

Wesley

September 13. 2007 15:20

University of South Florida! I'm sorry but IU Bloomington is ugly and so is Miami U of Ohio

Bonnie

September 15. 2007 22:18

What about Carleton in Northfield MN? That is a truly lovely campus.

Ann

September 26. 2007 09:24

indira is one of the best college in puna(india)

sam

September 30. 2007 04:52

Ooh i feel proud of my alma mater although im presently in stanford now.Pepperdine has it all; the location,the award winning dorms,park-like campus,scenery both high and low altitudes.......thats why they choose it for real..

aljhunne

October 5. 2007 12:07

Are you kidding me? SMU??? The school looks so phoney! I've heard the opinions that it is among the most beautiful, but is it really? Some donors name is conspicuously printed on EVERY building. Heck, there are donors names on every brick! I'm sure for $200 million or so, they would rename the school after me and put my name on the entry signs! The school is not that old and so besides maybe Dallas Hall, I find nothing impressive about the campus. I actually think the University of Arkansas has one of the most beautiful campuses up in the mountains.

Jesse

October 15. 2007 10:22

I'm surprised princeton ranked so high.

Ian at College Colosseum

October 16. 2007 16:57

The picture of Elon University doesn't do it justice...the snapshot of the upper floor of the library is not only random but not nearly one of the prettiest sites on campus, which has been rated as the most beautiful in the nation by many sources.

Matt

October 25. 2007 09:14

I agree with all of these campuses being beautiful and all, however I graduated from Oakland University in Rochester Michigan. The campus is astoundingly beautiful. It houses one of the larger mansions in the country, as well as very many extremely beautiful views from many of the buildings. I wish it would have been represented.

Kris

November 1. 2007 07:21

[...] read more | digg story [...]

All cool World News » America’s 20 Most Beautiful Colleges [PICS]

November 2. 2007 03:46

University of Tampa Flordia is much more beautiful than all of those school . NO JOKE

dontwannatellya

November 7. 2007 09:32

Ohio University in Athens is beautiful- nestled in the foothills of Appalachia.... it is so beautiful in the fall!

blablabla

November 11. 2007 21:49

What about the University of Colorado at Boulder, it is breathtaking!

benny

December 4. 2007 05:45

[...] the writer of the 20 Most Beautiful Colleges in the USA, am back with the 20 ugliest ones! I know all of you have been waiting for this. And I have to warn [...]

The 20 Ugliest Colleges in the USA — Campus Squeeze

December 4. 2007 18:24

...salve regina university, newport ri - pretty sweet school!

tom

December 4. 2007 18:27

Pepperdine? Hmm, sure its location is one of the most beautiful, but the architecture is hideous. The style just screams community college.

Zilja

December 4. 2007 18:30

Why is good 'ol Agnes only number 6? Didn't the Princeton Review rank us second (after Pepperdine - you just can't compete with palm trees)? Bah!

Maybe they subtracted points for our ass-ugly fine arts building.

Boogiebot

December 4. 2007 18:54

A little surprised that Stanford didn't make the list but still, hot dang, there are some beautiful campuses in the US!

Jonathan

December 4. 2007 19:23

You must have never been to University of San Diego

Mark

December 4. 2007 19:23

UCSC is amazing and should be on that list

Steve

December 4. 2007 19:27

Dear Author/Compiler:

You are a complete retard. I just read your "20 Ugliest Colleges in the USA" article and couldn't stop laughing at your stupidity. You've never even been to these campuses, yet you give a subjective opinion of them? As a UCSD alumnus I was almost insulted by the fact you put the school on the list, until I realized the depth of your idiocy. Our campus has won numerous awards for its tremendous aesthetic appeal, with many buildings designed by world-renown architects. On the other hand, we lack brick and ivy-covered buildings that clearly you find appealing. I bet your small apartment is stacked full of IKEA garbage, because you think it's so chic. Loser.

If you want more bashing, just read how your article is being torn apart on digg.com:

digg.com/.../The_20_Ugliest_Colleges_in_the_USA_w_PICS

Haha, you got owned.

Josh M.

December 4. 2007 19:31

university of richmond? I'd say its equal to sweetbriar

james

December 4. 2007 19:33

[...] that anyone has ever heard of it, but the Web site campussqueeze.com rated the 20 most beautiful and 20 ugliest colleges. Local colleges Rowan and Drexel were among those receiving the short end [...]

Broad & Cecil - The blog of The Temple News - » And the ugliest campus in America is…

December 4. 2007 19:35

CU Boulder is Top 5! Have you ever seen it? Enough of these small town liberal arts schools.

MYNAMEISKID!!

December 4. 2007 19:42

You completely missed both #1 and #2: UC Santa Cruz and the College of the Redwoods. None of the places you listed are even close to either of these two in terms of stunning beauty, except perhaps Pepperdine. Also, I have yet to see it personally, but I've heard that CSU Monterey Bay is breathtaking. I would agree with the comments mentioning the U of Arkansas and UCSB. There are plenty of pretty campuses on the East Coast and in the Midwest, but this is one area that California simply owns it all, easily.

UCSC Alum

December 4. 2007 19:46

you TOTALLY left out Stanford
http://dheera.net/photos/thumb.php?q=usa/stanford

dv

December 4. 2007 19:53

university of san diego, anyone?

susan

December 4. 2007 19:58

The University of Chicago is also very beautiful. The three components of beauty -- the architecture, the landscaping, and the bird's eye view -- are both appealing and complementary to each other's appeal, resulting in supreme aesthetic morality.

Socrates says...

December 4. 2007 20:05

I think that the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is pretty beautiful.

mary

December 4. 2007 20:18

UCLA please

UCLA

December 4. 2007 20:43

What about UCSC? Hmm? Just check out the views and how the buildings fit into the landscape.

Joaquin

December 4. 2007 21:14

I would add:

-- Dartmouth
-- Vanderbilt

I agree with Pepperdine being #1.

Mike

December 5. 2007 00:28

seriously!? you left off Stanford? you need to take another look around.

quinn

December 5. 2007 02:51

Um... UVA?

anonymous

December 5. 2007 03:58

The pic for the University of Alabama doesn't show off its beauty. That fountain is the worst thing that The University has added in years.

Allie

December 5. 2007 04:53

You left off the Univeristy of Georgia. It's one of the oldest and most beautiful campuses in the county.

Pete

December 5. 2007 05:37

Glad to see LMU made the cut

Kelly Sutton

December 5. 2007 06:30

Villanova definitely has to be on that list. its easily one of the nicest campuses on the east coast.

Don Miller

December 5. 2007 07:19

Roanoke College in Virginia should be on here

Rob

December 5. 2007 07:22

Indiana University - Bloomington!

Brian

December 5. 2007 07:35

Where's Tufts!?!

Anthony

December 5. 2007 07:37

Guy, for Mt Holyoke College, did you use a picture of the Holyoke Mall? Its a nice mall and everything, but I don't think they hold classes there.

Jamie

December 5. 2007 07:41

Notre dame campus is quite beautiful. Very well manicured green spaces, lots of flowers, and beautiful gothic influenced architecture. Dorms aren't quite as nice inside, but very nice looking campus overall.

RO

December 5. 2007 07:50

Check out Maryville College, my alma mater. Beautiful campus with a perfect view of the Smokies in a great small time.

N. Curtis

December 5. 2007 07:59

What about Vandy. I believe it remains the only college campus certified as a national arboretum.

Mike

December 5. 2007 08:03

this kid has no taste in architecture. only a narrow view of what he thinks is "beautiful" which seems to be mainly old architecture. you can't expect someone like that to like any type of modern architecture. he thinks san diego is in the ugly list of colleges because it's too "modern" for him. can we get a real architect to write this article please?

lol

December 5. 2007 08:04

There are definitely some beautiful campuses on this list. However, there is one glaring omission, especially given your criteria. How is the University of Virginia not on the list. One of our buildings is a NATIONAL MONUMENT. The architecture is steeped in history and is incredibly beautiful. You have campuses with lawns, but not the campus (Grounds) that started the lawn in the first place.

joe

December 5. 2007 08:09

Pepperdine has a view, that is it. Everything else about the school is weird! The school of many steps!

mm

December 5. 2007 08:15

Lehigh University. Several buildings on campus have been awarded architechure awards in the past. Most of the buildings are cut stone from the turn of the 20th century.

Jason

December 5. 2007 08:17

check out babson college in wellesley, ma - www3.babson.edu/customcf/flashTour/flashTour.html

Matt

December 5. 2007 08:21

Evidently, you haven't heard that there's an Army post called West Point in New York that has a school. The school is called the United States Military Academy. You can find directions on the internet. While you're at it, check out the school in Maryland called the United States Naval Academy. Good luck in your search.

Tom

December 5. 2007 08:24

Michigan State! What more do I need to say. Ugliest is the University of Michigan

Jerseyspartan

December 5. 2007 08:26

Indiana University (Bloomington) has the prettiest campus of the many that I've seen in the U.S.

Chris J.

December 5. 2007 08:31

Indiana University in Bloomington should have been on the list, easily one of the five most beautiful campuses in the country. How can you not love that Indiana limestone and all those trees and hills?

B.D.

December 5. 2007 08:36

Whatabout CU-Boulder, CO. Surrounded by the beautiful Flatirons of the Rocky Mountains with over 300 days of sunlight, a beautiful spread out campus and 3-1 ratio of women to men????

hasan

December 5. 2007 08:45

Dartmouth and Stanford should be on the list.

Frank

December 5. 2007 08:53

Can't believe Kenyon made the list and Miami (Ohio) did not. I have spent extensive time at both of them, and Miami is way prettier. It is also much cleaner and more personable.

scarlet

December 5. 2007 08:54

I think you missed the boat on some of the older universities in the country: UNC and Harvard. They're historical, have great campuses and border downtown Chapel Hill and Cambridge respectively.

jason

December 5. 2007 09:03

If you're going strictly by cmpuses you have to put on USC, UCLA, and Duke. Duke should be #1

JG

December 5. 2007 09:11

Pepperdine is there for one reason only: it has quite a view. Other than that, it's campus is prettier than some, and not as pretty as others. As for architecture and individual buildings, the University of Cincinnati is on the cutting edge--not just as a campus but as a national center of innovative, creative design. It reminds me of Columbus, Indiana, which for years has built fascinating, innovative buildings.

ides

December 5. 2007 09:15

JG is right, Duke might not be worthy of the #1 spot, but it is definitely in the Top 5. The Chapel overlooking the campus is one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen. USC and Stanford are also good choices and if you're looking at only campus beauty, Western Washington is also quite beautiful.

PB

December 5. 2007 09:22

[...] under Uncategorized Campus Squeeze recently took a tour of college campuses across the country. Here is the link for the most beautiful Here is the link for the [...]

Top 20: Most Beautiful and Ugliest College Campuses « Bridge Blog

December 5. 2007 09:29

How could this list leave out Indiana University! The campus has its own mini forrest, brick sidewalks, limestone buildings, beautiful trees, flowers and landscapping... one of the prettiest campus in the nation!

Duke, Georgia, Wisconsin... where are they!

Peachy

December 5. 2007 09:31

The University of Virginia is the only place in the entire United States with a United Nations protected building. Have you never visited the Lawn and seen the Rotunda? One of the most storied and beautiful places you will find anywhere.

Thomas Jefferson

December 5. 2007 09:42

Oklahoma State University-Stillwater and University of Colorado-Boulder has some of the nicest campuses around.

David

December 5. 2007 09:44

I am surprised Purdue was left off this list. Also, Indiana University Bloomington should be on the ugliest list. It's bad.

Matt

December 5. 2007 10:01

It looks like they were focusing on architecture. Both UCSC and UCSB are in stunning locations, but tend towards the "California mid-century hideous" style of architecture. (You know, the "we love rebar and cinderblocks" style.)

Ian

December 5. 2007 10:05

Please... I've been to both UC Santa Cruz and UC San Diego! Their buildings and dorms are mostly outdated and quite drab and hideous. The surrounding areas are nice.

EK

December 5. 2007 10:12

Furman University, Greeneville, SC, deserves to be on the list.

Jason

December 5. 2007 10:21

Hampton University (Hampton, VA)...right on the Bay!

Kyle

December 5. 2007 10:27

UC Sant Cruz actually lays out the campus to fit into the towering Redwood forest inwhich it sits. On a hilltop overlooking the Monterey Bay. Truly breathtaking and #1 on my list

Mike UCSC

December 5. 2007 11:03

Willamette in Salem has a beautiful campus. That's really the only good thing I have to say about the place.

James

December 5. 2007 11:07

I have to be honest, i really don't think there was a ton of research. University of San Diego may be the most beautiful campus I've ever been on, and i've been on a lot of them. Spanish architecture style, view of the San Diego Sea World Bay, nightly firework shows. Intereiors of the buildings are gorgeous, while some of the dorms do show a bit of age. The new buildings are simply immaculate, and leave many visitors speechless. Show me another campus that spray paints the brown spots in the grass.

www.sandiego.edu
Check it out.

Brent

December 5. 2007 11:10

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI FTW!

D

December 5. 2007 11:11

You left of Virginia.

anon

December 5. 2007 11:17

Should have included UNC-Chapel Hill, the Old Well & Old East, its the oldest public university in the nation. Others: UVA (lawn); Duke (west campus); also Hampton Univ in Virginia. But Alabama???? come on!

JayP

December 5. 2007 11:17

please. that picture of Elon is slightly similar to what you'll find at UVA, only not nearly as beautiful. you clearly haven't set foot on the lawn.

Any "most beautiful campus" list that doesn't include Virginia is laughable

Rich

December 5. 2007 11:17

What about Central Georgia Technical College outside of Perry Georgia? My friend Kelvin McGallon attended that school and said it was as cool. He drank so much he became as bloated as a Spanish walrus at a Christmas Eve party.

Kelvin's friend

December 5. 2007 11:25

You lost all credibility by omitting UVa.

JB

December 5. 2007 11:30

You lost all credibility when you named University of Maryland: College Park in the top 20 ugliest schools. There obviously was very little research done.

But, for this list, what about the University of Texas at Austin?

Greg

December 5. 2007 11:32

CU-Boulder is a beautiful campus 5000 feet up, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains -- top 3 for sure, unless you hate Italian villa-style architecture. Seriously, check it out.

And UVirginia is amazing. Thomas Jefferson even says so, right here on this comment page!

Poor research.
---
Also: Purdue? Seriously, Matt? It's a nice-enough campus, but not even the best-looking in the state -- Notre Dame has that distinction.

Brandon

December 5. 2007 11:33

Duke's west campus is the worst beutiful place I hav ever been....if you're going by area nowhere is even close to UCSB

JG

December 5. 2007 11:37

*most beutiful

JG

December 5. 2007 12:11

what about the university of virginia? the campus is a UNESCO world heritage site

tom

December 5. 2007 12:13

Old Dominion University in Norfolk VA is, hands down, the ugliest campus in the universe. Plus, it's built on a dump.

joe blow

December 5. 2007 12:19

Slippery Rock University!!! You'll be so drunk it'll seem beautiful

gaffey

December 5. 2007 12:19

easily UNC should be on there along with possibly Emory.

anurag

December 5. 2007 12:19

You ought to look into Covenant College which sits atop Lookout Mountain, overseeing the Tennessee River Valley and the city of Chattanooga. Absolutely Beautiful!

Ryan

December 5. 2007 12:27

Texas has some beautiful spanish renaissance buildings, there's also a lot of bad industrial looking buildings but overall a very pretty campus.

SJ

December 5. 2007 12:27

I've gotta agree with the guy who mentioned the U.S. Naval Academy. It should probably be number one, so I'm surprised it's not even on the list at all. West Point is ok, but it's a bit too spread out and in the middle of freaking nowhere. USNA however has gorgeous buildings, landscapding, etc., and is a resident of the equally beautiful city of Annapolis, MD.

John

December 5. 2007 12:30

I agree CU- Boulder should be on there, its a great campus. What about the University of Texas- Austin? I mean come on, its the 40 Acres. Its quite beautiful.

Ryan

December 5. 2007 12:32

I'm so glad to see Mercer made the list! It is absolutely gorgeous here...

April

December 5. 2007 12:34

Has anyone been to the College of Charleston's campus????

marc

December 5. 2007 12:34

Putting Alabama on there and leaving off Georgia or LSU is when I stopped taking this article seriously. Damn, just damn, that is dumb.

Joshua

December 5. 2007 12:36

WashU is more beautiful than half of these campuses!

Doug

December 5. 2007 12:37

smu definitely ranks in the top 5. the landscaping is gorgeous, there is unity among the campus/frat/neighboring buildings, there is a sense of campus life energy all around AND the academics are top-notch! oh, and the people are pretty, too. and isn't this what the list is all about: "most beautiful colleges"

mustang sally

December 5. 2007 12:45

While it's obviously impossible to expect you to see every campus in preparation for your report, and there are certainly some great ones left out, I find it interesting that you would omit both North Carolina and Virginia from the list. Historically speaking, both campuses are well known for their beauty. And both towns have been listed in just about everyone's top ten over the years, from US News & Report to Discovery and A&E channels. When it comes to architecture, scenery and just plain beauty overall, there aren't many that rival UNC and UVA.

BuddhaMike

December 5. 2007 12:49

Come on: you left out Colgate, the most beautiful campus in the nation, and Santa Clara, the most beautiful on the west coast, and you included the University of Hawai'i at Manoa which any Hawai'ian would admit is butt ugly.

Mike

December 5. 2007 13:06

Robert Frost even said Miami of Ohio (where I graduated) is the prettiest campus in the nation. the weather sucks but the campus and the girls (#2 in play boy at one time) make up for it

Tom

December 5. 2007 13:10

Don't forget about The University of Dayton. Great, classic-looking campus that has recently been updating its buildings with the same classic look. Go Flyers!

Dave

December 5. 2007 13:19

Chaminade University Hawaii makes UH Manoa look like a ghetto.

mike

December 5. 2007 13:21

Have Ever been to Boulder Colorado? How could you possibly leave this school out ?

Morgan

December 5. 2007 13:31

California State University Chico - We got the hoes and the brick covered crap. Nevermind the 2nd largest municpal park in the US runs RIGHT THROUGH CAMPUS with a year round creek.

I haven't heard of many of these schools and neither have most people who aren't on the debate team in college.

Lewis

December 5. 2007 13:45

What about the College of Charleston? Have you ever seen it in the spring with all the azaleas and wysteria in bloom lining the brick sidewalks?

Mark

December 5. 2007 14:23

For as much as Furman University (Greenville, SC) spends on landscaping, I had hoped that they would make the list. The buildings aren't the most outrageously beautiful ones like some of the colleges on the list, but the campus and belltower/lake make for some great scenery. It's usually impeccable.

Joe

December 5. 2007 14:43

What about The University of Toledo.???....check it out..

Ben

December 5. 2007 15:02

I have to put in good words for the University of Virginia, Dartmouth College and Iowa State University. All deserved to be somewhere on the list.

Vincent

December 5. 2007 15:16

UNC is freaking ugly. Only these UNC folks would try to spin it into something it isn't.

I agree though about West Point and Annapolis. Both should be added to that list.

Jack

December 5. 2007 15:25

I agree that Carleton College in Northfield, MN is a beautiful campus...this campus has some wonderful, old (but well-preserved) 19th-century buildings in a lovely pastoral setting. The Goodsell Observatory is like something out of a Jules Verne novel!

Jackie

December 5. 2007 15:37

I didn't go there, but West Point could've made this list, so could my alma mater Niagara, but only from the front side!

Chris

December 5. 2007 15:42

I cannot believe that Alabama-Tuscaloosa made that list. It looks like a military institution. Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Auburn and UGA all blow it away. You need to get out more. lol

John

December 5. 2007 15:45

OK New College is basically a giant field and a parking lot with some weird buildings on it. Plus it smells like patchouli everywhere.

Jonathan

December 5. 2007 15:50

Bucknell University is deserving...beautiful, especially in the Fall.

Matt

December 5. 2007 15:51

It's not your traditional college but the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD is gorgeous.

T.J.

December 5. 2007 15:53

What about Northwestern? That campus is amazing! Right on Lake Michigan.

SMP

December 5. 2007 15:55

I am trying to find a way to express all of these SoCal schools keep getting brought up. With the notable exception of San Diego it is akin to beautiful woman on a zits face.(Yes that was not backwards) It is really hard to notice the beautiful woman. The towns/cities/backdrop for these location are crime-ridden steaming dungpiles. I have lived in both SoCal the Central Coast and the Southeastern US. Cali is WAY overrated. Most of the folks that prefer SoCal to the Southeast generally can't get over the disparities in lifestyle (so much for socially progressive) and can't appreciate the South....if they have ever even been there. Alot of folks from Cali talk about how great it is and have never even been anywhere else.

Leaving off the Naval Academy, UVa, and UNC is a blogging travesty.

Surferman

December 5. 2007 16:05

COLGATE, look it up.

AK

December 5. 2007 16:15

Yes, Mike,

I'm from Hawaii and I'll be the first to admit that UH shouldn't be on this list. Granted, it's in a beautiful area (in a valley). However, the buildings are falling apart and there's no sense of design to any of them

This writer definitely never visited the campus.

NDHWN

December 5. 2007 16:16

University of Delaware....
A citation in the Princeton Review once referred to the UD campus as “absolutely the most gorgeous anywhere,” and a 2007 Washington Post story noted, “with its elegant, elongated Green, [UD] is a stunning landscape of Georgian Colonial red-brick, white-columned architecture to rival anything conceived by Thomas Jefferson.”

Rich Gannon

December 5. 2007 16:54

Rollins College - Winter Park, FL

J

December 5. 2007 17:06

What about BYU? This place is stunning...well, not right now...

A-Dawg

December 5. 2007 17:07

Another vote for the University of San Diego. Amazing.

(That would be USD, and NOT UCSD or SDSU.)

www.sandiego.edu

MHL

December 5. 2007 17:08

Well, I think you should do one for only public colleges and universities. These private schools have a lot more money then the public schools do. Maybe it would serve better to split the list and do one for public and one for private. Just my opinion. Oh, and Clemson University has one of the most beautiful campuses around. Amazing views. Granted some of the buildings are old, but it is an old school and originally was a military college....you can't beat the overlooking views of all the hills and the lake. lovely. I was blessed to wake up there and walk around campus.

Melissa

December 5. 2007 17:19

what the.........ya left out notre dame

lew

December 5. 2007 17:26

Notre Dame

phil

December 5. 2007 17:32

Considering the entire campus, not just part of one, no university in the USA is more beautiful than that of UNC-CH.

Fred

December 5. 2007 17:44

Way to go UC San Diego,

We may be the 13th ugliest school, but we get to live in La Jolla, and it's a much better school than Pepperdine.

Luke

December 5. 2007 17:45

what about Oklahoma and the surrounding trailer homes

Merkin

December 5. 2007 17:49

Not the most thoughtful list, I thought. For one thing, beautiful ought to include both location, view, and architecture, not just one or the other. A few of choices are kind of silly. Some are great views, like Pepperdine, but not very attractive buildings. Princeton is a handsome old campus, but there are others even more beautiful. Where's Yale? Cornell is better than a few of these schools, but the architecture is really a mixed bag. Colgate University has an extraordinary location on a hillside with a beautiful view, a lake with swans, a willow path, plus gorgeous grey-stone buildings, some very old and some modern but all complementary to each other.

Scripps is very pretty, but not as attractive as Middlebury College, for example. Rhodes is good looking but tries too hard to look serious--college gothic in the 21st century is a bit much. This looks to me like a list put together from too few schools mostly looked at through their websites. Come on! You have to go and actually look at them!

DHM

December 5. 2007 17:57

miami oh and loyola md def should have been on the list. also maryland being on the ugliest list is a joke. maryland is the shit.

oliver

December 5. 2007 18:01

Man, those colleges are cool AND p-r-e-t-t-y. I work at wingzone in austin, tx but graduated from A&M, yall guys need to put A&M up there man. So nice lookin. If yall feel me call me at 254-205-0027. No niggers or chinks!

Randy Loggins

December 5. 2007 18:02

Man, those colleges are cool AND p-r-e-t-t-y. I work at wingzone in austin, tx but graduated from A&M, yall guys need to put A&M up there man. So nice lookin. If yall feel me call me at 254-205-0027.

Randy Loggins

December 5. 2007 18:06

call me at 254-205-0027 so we can talk about purdy schools!

Randy Loggins

December 5. 2007 18:07

ring me up @ 254-205-0027 so we can talk about purdy schools!

Randy Loggins

December 5. 2007 18:27

Kenyon instead of Denison? I always found Kenyon to be creepy - and Denison's campus is one of the reasons I went there.

And who said Wisconsin? Obviously you haven't been in Brogden Hall...eew.

DW

December 5. 2007 18:31

I can't believe you left University of Virginia off the list. That is the most beautiful campus I have ever seen! US Naval Academy is really nice also, but UVa definitely needs to be on that list

Nick

December 5. 2007 18:38

Robert Frost called Miami University (OH) the "prettiest campus that ever there was". If Robert Frost said it, it must be true. Plus he actually stepped foot on the campus and did not just sit down at his desk and look at the website. Come on guys, do your homework before you write an article!

TC

December 5. 2007 18:48

Melissa is right. I'd like to see a public university list or maybe a Div 1-A list.

I've been through Clemson a few times and it has a beautiful campus. Right on the shore of Lake Hartwell and at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

JAM

December 5. 2007 19:21

I think that Columbia University and Barnard College should be on this list as examples of "urban oasis" institutions.

Bertha Fox-Dominguez

December 5. 2007 19:37

I've seen a lot of college campuses (it comes with my profession). My top two favorites, coincidentally they're 10 miles apart, are Susquehanna University and Bucknell University.

Jay

December 5. 2007 20:05

UNC hands down! One of th emost beautful and historic campuses in the US.

tmeezy

December 5. 2007 20:17

How about the University of Washington? Pretty sweet campus, if you ask me.

Grant

December 6. 2007 00:50

What about LSU? I think the correct phrase to describe that school would be 'botanical paradise'. Statley oaks and broad magnolias litter that campus.

dave

December 6. 2007 03:37

[...] For those who are wondering, Pepperdine was ranked No. 1 in their list of the nation’s 20 most beautiful schools. [...]

The 20 Ugliest Colleges In The U.S. « Professors R-Squared

December 6. 2007 03:58

UNC has a hodge podge of architectural designs which do not complement each other and the campus is dirty. The are near the hospital is disgusting. All concrete. For UNC folks to try to say it should be on this list is absurd.

Lou

December 6. 2007 04:30

[...] The 20 Most Beautiful in the USA [...]

BagOfNothing.com » College Campus Beauty

December 6. 2007 04:35

Good choices for the top 2. I went to UCLA and that campus is gorgeous, but I visited Pepperdine one day and it was breath-taking. And Princeton is just extremely beautiful, gothic and stately, and the surrounding area is superb.

josh

December 6. 2007 04:39

mercer?? you've got to be kidding me. even though i'm an alum i still have to say the campus bored me to tears. i actually looked for it on the ugliest campuses. now sewanee was my first choice, and going from there to mercer was the most depressing decision i ever made.

cam

December 6. 2007 05:22

Auburn University...Auburn, Alabama...beautiful

Taylor

December 6. 2007 05:25

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder (though it does seem questionable to me the way in which the writer of this list beheld these campuses.) Still, it's just one person's opinion, and not the official "these are the top 20 most beautiful college campuses that everyone must follow" list, y'know? It amuses me the amount of people saying "but you forgot this college!" Um. It's a top *20* list. That means only 20 colleges could be included on it. Out of *how* many in the USA? Seriously, it's not even like this list is law- it's just someone saying "hey, I think these 20 are the most beautiful." If you think College A deserves to be on this list...well, who's stopping you from making your own list, hmm?

Rowan

December 6. 2007 06:15

I was so hoping that the University of Rochester (NY) would somehow end up on this list - just to piss off the RIT folks who made the 20 Worst list. The UofR was built on an old, hilly golf course and is right on the Genesee River (which looks nice as long as you don't stare at the brown water). Lots of really nice classical Greek architecture in the older buildings. The newer ones are so-so.

Tom Woolf

December 6. 2007 06:20

It's nice to see the Garnet Tide up at #11, although I'm surprised that the photo was of Parrish, rather than the ampitheatre (then it would've been #1) - of course, Jake's giant Adirondack chair really does take the cake!

ska

December 6. 2007 06:21

Yeah, you definitely left out Belmont Abbey... It's SO gorgeous with it's architecture. I slow down on the highway every time I pass it going down i85.

Liz Winfrey

December 6. 2007 06:23

Alabama? What are you smoking?

ATX

December 6. 2007 06:27

What about Temple University?

Clay

December 6. 2007 06:29

To all the individuals that have never been on Miami University's Oxford, Ohio campus, it has without a doubt, one of the most beautiful college settings in the nation. Vanderbuilt University and UCLA are two others that are beautiful as well.

Mike

December 6. 2007 06:39

Pepperdine University - I agree.
This Georgia country boy was wow'ed while visiting.

Rake

December 6. 2007 06:49

UVa should be at least top 5...

joe

December 6. 2007 06:55

University of Virginia! Sweet Briar is on there, but the one of the most original and ever-lasting architecture schools in the country..founded and designed by Thomas Jefferson!! One of the first Domed buildings in the history of the US?!?!? Serpentine walls on 'The Lawn" White columns on rich brick buildings..com'n it's got to be on the list!

Kurt Mueller

December 6. 2007 06:59

This poll has a rural/suburban bias - how about city schools? George Washington has a beautiful, historic and evolving urban campus in the heart of Washington, DC.

LoyalColonial

December 6. 2007 06:59

Wellesley College should have been #1, hands down!

Jerry

December 6. 2007 07:05

I can't believe you left of the University of Kansas!!! It has great architecture and the campus is gorgeous.

John

December 6. 2007 07:06

Last time I checked OleMiss is the only college with a little thing called the grove. Just cause the football sucks does not mean you can keep The Great American Public University off of your list.

T.J.

December 6. 2007 07:10

[...] 20 Most Beautiful/Ugliest Colleges in USA Posted December 6, 2007 20 Most Beautiful Colleges in USA [...]

20 Most Beautiful/Ugliest Colleges in USA « Net Notables

December 6. 2007 07:10

Pepperdine is in Malibu and LMU is in Westchester. Both have awesome ocean views. That means that they are both very close to beautiful places. That DOES NOT mean that they are beautiful places. Pepperdine looks like an office park that was built next to a megachurch, and although LMU is certainly more beautiful than Pepperdine, it feels like it's Disney's interpretation of what a California college should look like; everything is just a little too planned and perfect.

Josh

December 6. 2007 07:12

Quinnipiac

James

December 6. 2007 07:15

Radford University should be #1, and University of Richmond should be # 2

Marc Capistrant

December 6. 2007 07:29

[...] may not be (according to this guy) in one of The 20 Most Beautiful Colleges in the USA (although I haven’t been in any of them I must say that I really like the campus at [...]

spinning world : Blog Archive » phew!

December 6. 2007 07:33

You really should rank campuses that you have been to. There isn't one college that doesn't have a great look from the right angle. Ranking out of school websites should be classified as "who puts the prettiest pictures up for recruiting".

My votes: Michigan State, Notre Dame, Yale, UM

Moukai

December 6. 2007 08:26

West Point! NO ONE beats that!

Allen

December 6. 2007 08:33

Got a good laugh out of your best, worst.
Guess you are paid to stir the pot.

Bobby G

December 6. 2007 08:55

As a Pepperdine alumni, I must agree that it definitely deserved to be #1. You can't get much better than Malibu!

Melanie

December 6. 2007 09:53

Ummmm....No UVa.? Are you joking? Do you live in a hole?

Sally Hemmings

December 6. 2007 09:58

University of Tampa, Florida Southern College (Frank Lloyd Wright!) and Rollins College should all be considered... next year.

Kelly

December 6. 2007 11:56

I agree with Jason and Joe. Furman University has an unusually beautiful campus with meticulous grounds.

Brett

December 6. 2007 12:46

Take a look at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va.... my alma mater. The Colonnade is on the National Register of Historic Places and did (and still has ) captured my heart.

Steph

December 6. 2007 14:07

You people have terrible taste. I'm glad I don't go to those "beautiful colleges."

Anon

December 6. 2007 16:07

can you put on some good colleges that people have heard of?

Russell

December 6. 2007 16:29

Its funny that you also have the ugliest college campuses in the USA. I totally know a bunch of people that go there too!

Johnny

December 6. 2007 17:20

Leaving off UVa is laughable. Also, I have personally visited Furham and it is beautiful.

John

December 6. 2007 19:20

Yea, Sewanee's right!

Becky

December 6. 2007 20:26

UNC?

JOHN

December 6. 2007 22:37

There were several attractive campuses on this list, but I definitely think you've missed the mark by not including the University of Georgia. It has a lovely sense of history, beautiful buildings, and gorgeous green-spaces. If you revise the list, you should definitely consider including UGA.

Karen Smith

December 7. 2007 04:53

I just wanted to let you know, since the comment section on your '20 ugliest colleges' article doesn't work, the picture you have of "Northeastern University" isn't from our campus... I don't know where you got that picture but it is not of a building that's part of the campus. I guess you're still entitled to your opinion, but I'd fix that if I were you. It's hard to be taken seriously if you don't even know what you're talking about.

husky

December 7. 2007 06:32

The University of Tampa...Plant Hall..Hillsborough River running right through the middle of campus....and the girls! Incredible...difficult place to study!

Trey

December 7. 2007 07:24

A lot of people have been talking about how he has no sense in modern architecture for leaving off UCSD and putting it on the ugly list. I like modern architecture as much as the next person, but UCSD is not only piecemealed, the euctalyptis trees are also extrodinarily dull. So I completely agree with him on that college.

UCSD undergrad

December 7. 2007 07:38

The United States Military Academy at West Point is one of the most beautiful campuses in the country

Al

December 7. 2007 08:37

No University of the North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It is the oldest public university in the nation with buildings over 200 years old. Carolina's campus would be top 5 on this list if you strolled through it. You might want to consider it next time cause our campus is one of the jewels of the South.

Chris

December 7. 2007 10:17

What about Duke?

Dave

December 7. 2007 11:28

The New College is on your list of most Beautiful! HA! You have never been to these places, have you? I remember thinking when I visited that school, "wow I hope all colleges are not this ugly."

Jim

December 7. 2007 12:41

[...] No ACC school made the list of the "20 most beautiful colleges in the USA" [...]

Two ACC schools among the "20 ugliest colleges in the USA" | ACC Football Photos Blog

December 7. 2007 20:01

Any list of the 20 most beautiful campuses that does not include at least one of Wake Forest, UVa. or Dartmouth is a complete joke. All three are, without question, among the Top 20. To not include one of them demonstrates a lack of judgement.

Bob

December 8. 2007 09:51

I guess you've never been to Arizona State, it is like a country club it's so nice.

Adam

December 8. 2007 10:41

Virginia Tech should be on there. Absolutely beautiful campus located in the Appalachian mountains with amazing limestone cathedral like buildings throughout the campus.

JB

December 9. 2007 07:50

so funny to see all the dallasites claim SMU as being a winner... since most dallasites have never even seen an out-of-state campus, they couldn't possibly know if SMU is a "top 5" school...

most people out of texas have never heard of SMU, by the way...

former dallasite

December 10. 2007 10:02

what about Rowan??

boo

December 10. 2007 10:02

what about Rowan???

boo

December 12. 2007 07:01

Anyone who puts Princeton (the ugliest of the Ivies, excepting Penn, which doesn't even count) in the top 20 is just plain delusional.

steve

December 12. 2007 07:12

Amusing to see this... It shows pretty well what kind of ideas many Americans have about "good taste" and nice historical buildings. Some of these top 20 campuses are in gothic style but are actually built several hundred years after the gothic period ended! It's not historical buildings, it's Disneyland all over again.
And the IIT is in the top 20 ugliest?? With at note saying that 'they need to get better architects'? IIT was designed by Mies van der Rohe, one of the greatest most influential architects of the 20th century, and IIT is widely regarded as one of his most important works...
so... maybe Americans have bad taste, or maybe we Europeans just have our heads too far up our own bottoms. Who knows.

regards from Scandinavia,

- Fred

Fred

December 12. 2007 08:25

You listed CMU as an ugly college? Wow ... I will give you that it has a few ugly buildings ... but the campus is really quite nice ... and they've been making it nicer for years now. Maybe you should actually visit.

CMU Alum

December 12. 2007 09:49

Texas Tech University is beautiful as well. It has great consistent architecture all over the huge green grounds.

TTU

December 12. 2007 12:40

What?! No Duke, no UNC, no UVA?

Jonny

December 12. 2007 12:59

Check out University of Toledo they actually won an award for the top 100 landscapes and architectures in the country

Steve

December 12. 2007 13:00

oh and only 22 universitys in the country made the list

Steve

December 12. 2007 13:20

I agree with previous mentions of Miami of Ohio, and the US Naval Academy.

Also - Tulane University - incredibly beautiful, even after Katrina, great mix of old and new architecture.

Scholar

December 12. 2007 17:14

Vassar, Vassar, Vassar!

Jacob

December 13. 2007 06:05

I've seen plenty of campuses around the South and I'm a student at UA. I think the University of Alabama has a beautiful campus. It is the right distance from everything in the town and just about every building is in good repair. It may be cliche but I love the Greco-Roman architecture. The quad is beautiful on a clear Spring day. Smith Hall is a straight up science research temple. The football stadium and coliseum are in touch with the rest of the campus' look and feel.

Also, Dr. Witt has done a better job than previous administrations at focusing on maintaining a clean and consistent look around campus. The new dorm facilities on the "river" side of campus are comfortable living areas that look great. He's also championed many new building projects and they are currently working on a new "Arts and Sciences quad" with a collection of new science/engineering buildings around Smith Hall. The South endzone of Bryant-Denny Stadium will soon be expanded to make BDS one of the largest on-campus stadiums in the nation.

BTW, The original campus design was actually based on UVA's.

rgw

December 13. 2007 19:44

If you haven't, you need to check out the University of Kansas. Believe it or not, it's beautiful! It sits atop the rolling hills of eastern Kansas (no, Kansas is not completely flat) and is actually very picturesque. The architecture is really lovely as well. You can find pictures on www.ku.edu.

Sarah

December 14. 2007 05:39

wheres WCSU ?!

Marlon

December 14. 2007 05:53

What about Boston College? Classic gothic style architecture in a suburban setting. Nothing looks better in the snowy Boston winter.

Pat

December 14. 2007 06:31

Missed University of San Diego fool. Pepperdine is maybe only school in the country more beautiful than USD.

steve

December 14. 2007 07:25

I love it when people say....to not include so and so is a lack of research, taste, etc.

Anyone realize how many colleges there are in the US? Have you visited them all? I doubt most of you have so how can you say UNC, UVA, Wake, Duke, any of these schools belong in the top 20? While they may be aesthetically pleasing, they didn't make the top 20 of this guy's list. If you don't like it, go start your own website and make your own top 20 with your bias at the top.

Dave

December 14. 2007 12:45

I can sum up this idiot's idea of an attractive campus:

Does it have stone, ivy and look like it should be in england? PRETTY!

Does it have glass windows not in individual panes? UGLY!

bob

December 14. 2007 13:30

Since i couldn't comment on the ugliest schools, i will comment here.. i really not think the photo of Pitzer college did our school justice. This may be a waste of my time...


dhttp://www.pitzer.edu/phttp://www.pitzer.edu/.../slide18_mountains.jpghttp://www.pitzer.edu/.../slide2_grove.jpgo not think the photo of Pitzer college did our school justice. www.pitzer.edu/phototour/images/slide1_tower.jpg

sam

December 14. 2007 18:49

Miami University is one of the most attractive schools around. Georgian architecture, large quads, and trees throughout the campus, not to mention two bell towers and a very clean atmosphere. Like people said, Robert Frost said it was the prettiest campus around.

I think William and Mary deserve to be on the list, as does Notre Dame, also.

Mike E

December 14. 2007 21:40

Let's set something straight. SMU is not that pretty. Heck, it's not even the best in Texas. The best five (in no particular order, and in my own opinion) are Rice, Texas, and Baylor. Both Trinity and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi have gorgeous landscapes. Trinity's on the side of a hill (kind of) and TAMU-CC is on an island.

SMU's problem is that it looks fake. The buildings look like they have donor names all over the place and their just doesn't seem to be any variety. Just my opinion though.

My personal favorite is the old Paul Quinn College campus in Waco. It's a little run down now, but it still looks awesome. It's a shame they moved to that eyesore they're in now.

T. Miller

December 14. 2007 22:12

Wow, jackass takes a few online tours and suddenly is somehow qualified to make best and worst lists... not impressed.

jimbo

December 15. 2007 15:37

Eh, you could go on forever naming college campuses such as Baylor, Harvard, and especially many more Northeastern colleges that are beautiful, but I like this list because it's not just the pretty campuses that everyone has heard about. Rather, it's comprised of the ones which people haven't.

I like this list for its originality. Unfortunately there are far more than 20 pretty colleges, but these are the ones most people don't hear about.

Very cool list.

Brandon

December 15. 2007 16:14

How many more idiots are going to say, "Ooh, you missed (name) college, I/my kid/my friend/second cousin once attended/visited/worked at/saw pictures of the college and it is beautiful!" We get it. There are more than twenty beautiful college campuses in the country, this is just the author's list of what he considers the twenty best. Big fuckin' deal. Grow up.

Taft

December 16. 2007 00:07

MIAMI OF OHIO should be top 10 easily. old red brick buildings. even the parking garage is red brick, looks like you would want to live in it from the outside...and its a parking garage. Duke or NC probably couldve been on this but miami definitely shouldve been. I'd like to see an explanation from this dude who wrote this for why he didn't put miami on the list.
WE HAVE HOTTER GIRLS TOO. WHY DO YOU THINK THEY GO THERE? NOT THE WEATHER THATS FOR SURE.

Denny

December 16. 2007 13:11

I'd like to second the Washington and Lee.

Trey

December 16. 2007 16:00

gayyyy! pepperdine? really? its easy on the eyes but there are way better looking campuses out there, UW quite is charming for example. pepperdine is just a 70's style adobe campus built on a friggin hill

butt sexxx

December 17. 2007 10:03

If you have University of Alabama up surely THE University of Mississippi should be up there also, our campus is way nicer!

Nick O

December 18. 2007 05:30

here is a real bottom of the barrel institution.
Their buildings are fallling apart, they glue the tiles back on the walls each semester in the education building where I used to work. Why? Because they can't afford to replace them and the buildings are sinking in the red river mud. Also, each winter you feel like you are waking through the fire swamp as the steam pipes burst under the ground all around campus and leave steam coming up through the ground. They put nice little warning signs over teh steam outlets so that you don't step on them....As if watching hot steam pouring out of the ground wasn't a good enough reason not to step there! Of course, the student body is pretty impaired, so it is no surprise that these signs are needed!

ugly schools! been there done that

December 18. 2007 06:11

Hey, how about some love for your Western New York roots? St. Bonaventure is 1,000 times prettier than CUNY-Brooklyn and Elon.

Bonnie

December 18. 2007 10:46

Sharing a thought and some bias, but noting Spring Hill College, Mobile Alabama. Atop a beautiful hill, historic restored buildings, hundred year old oak trees, and new buildings that blend in the style that fits. College even has a golf course.

John

December 18. 2007 10:47

OK

John

December 18. 2007 12:21

The Cornell University campus in Ithaca, which you mention briefly in your dis of Ithaca College in the ugliest list, is way more beautiful than several of those listed here, both for buildings and for location. There is a good reason why the college song is "High Above Cayuga's Waters". Ditto Wellesley College, which is a tiny perfect jewel of a campus.

chip

December 18. 2007 21:52

Colgate is stunning (in Hamilton, NY). I've driven by it a few times and it is absolutely beautiful, the architecture and the landscape.

jo

December 19. 2007 05:27

I read your "ugliest college" crap and you should be ashamed of yourself. Carnegie Mellon an ugly campus? You've never been there you ass! CMU is one of the nicest campuses I have ever seen. The mix of old and new buildings on the border of a gigantic city park is really nice. And that leads me to your Pittsburgh bashing. Who the hell do you think you are? I've been to cities all over the world and Pittsburgh is definately one of the best out there. Its beautiful and the people are wonderful. Oh- and they don't like it when assholes like you say bad things about it when you haven't even been here. Go to hell!

Kevin

December 19. 2007 07:34

The University of Virginia...it is one of the few World Historic Sites in the US and one of the most beautiful campuses in America...tsk tsk.

Ike

December 19. 2007 18:08

Tulane gets my vote!!!!!!! Audubon Park across the street is a bonus!

K

December 20. 2007 22:41

seriously, you missed Wiscousin

Hafiz