Top 10 best college campuses in the United States

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:College Rover also just came out with a list of the most beautiful college campuses: https://collegerover.com/campus-library/news/108/most-beautiful-college-campuses

At least this one cites an actual methodology that makes some sense.

Beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder. Looking at this list, I had to question how 45% of people could describe Stevens Institute of Technology as "beautiful". I get the methodology but having spent time at SIT, I certainly wouldn't think of the campus in that regard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:College Rover also just came out with a list of the most beautiful college campuses: https://collegerover.com/campus-library/news/108/most-beautiful-college-campuses

At least this one cites an actual methodology that makes some sense.

+1
Appreciate the detailed explanation of the rankings. Kudos to College Rover.

[Anonymous]

College Rover's methodology is dumb--only looked at most visited schools according to Trip Advisor. It's a popularity contest by random visitors.
Architectural Digest has a list of prettiest colleges:
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/most-beautiful-colleges-in-america

And one with the best architecture:
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/most-beautiful-colleges-in-america

[Anonymous]

Just toured Virginia Tech--it was way better than we expected. Wouldn't rank it in top 10 prettiest, but it was pretty good. Maybe the "best" rank includes on-campus offerings. VTech has tons of on-campus food and amenities to accommodate 40,000 in the middle of Blacksburg.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We visited UCLA over Christmas and were totally underwhelmed. Maybe it was becasie it was winter?
USC was much prettier IMO.

Hmm interesting. A lot of this is subjective and what gives you the “feels.” I live in So Cal and visited UCLA/USC with my daughter. Both are pretty campuses, but I found UCLA to be more grand and majestic. Truly beautiful IMO. USC felt smaller, more contained. My daughter preferred USC though!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:College Rover also just came out with a list of the most beautiful college campuses: https://collegerover.com/campus-library/news/108/most-beautiful-college-campuses

At least this one cites an actual methodology that makes some sense.

Beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder. Looking at this list, I had to question how 45% of people could describe Stevens Institute of Technology as "beautiful". I get the methodology but having spent time at SIT, I certainly wouldn't think of the campus in that regard.

I’m sure they were referring to the setting, right on the water with the skyline in the background. Looks kind of cool in pics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This list is utter trash! My list of 10 best campuses based on all the ones I've visited:
10) UVA
9) Washington
8) West Point
7) William & Mary
6) Columbia
5) Cornell
4) Stanford
3) Duke
2) Princeton
1) Yale

Honorable mentions: Santa Clara, Emory, UC Berkeley, Fordham, Colgate

I was underwhelmed with the following:
(1) Harvard
(2) Brown
(3) MIT
(4) UCLA
(5) UNC
(6) Dartmouth

Of the campuses I've never visited but appear to be beautiful campuses:
(1) U Chicago
(2) Naval Academy

Your list is much better that the list the OP linkked to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This list is utter trash! My list of 10 best campuses based on all the ones I've visited:
10) UVA
9) Washington
8) West Point
7) William & Mary
6) Columbia
5) Cornell
4) Stanford
3) Duke
2) Princeton
1) Yale

Honorable mentions: Santa Clara, Emory, UC Berkeley, Fordham, Colgate

I was underwhelmed with the following:
(1) Harvard
(2) Brown
(3) MIT
(4) UCLA
(5) UNC
(6) Dartmouth

Of the campuses I've never visited but appear to be beautiful campuses:
(1) U Chicago
(2) Naval Academy

Your list is much better that the list the OP linkked to.

From the original list , Rice, Wash U, and Ole Miss deserve consideration. Notre Dame, Indiana, And Colorado, and some LACs also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been meaning to ask this but didn't want to start a thread. I recently toured a few Va schools: JMU, VT, ODU, UVa, CNU in July. One thing that surprised me was the lack of landscaping maintenance at UVa. We toured it last and I thought that there were more weeds growing in the sidewalks, flower beds and on the lawn compared to other Va schools. It looked a lot like my yard at home, not bad but not great CNU and VT stood out as having more maintained landscaping, far fewer weeds growing in the grass and more flowers planted. I had always assumed UVa would have superior landscaping. Am I alone in noticing this about UVa?

All that being said, I'd be thrilled if my daughter went to UVa. It is definitely a reach but if accepted I'd really prefer she go there.

PP, you need to understand that there is a difference between public and private schools. My own private, a SLAC, is now more beautiful than it ever was because that's what it thinks will attract private school dollars . But it's now $90K a yea and not worth it! As a taxpayer in VA,, I don't want to see UVA pumping money into landscaping - I'd rather see it go to scholarships for those that need it. Read here. https://www.wsj.com/articles/state-university-tuition-increase-spending-41a58100?st=dzzp1ht2989c6jw&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

I wouldn't assume UVA (or any other Virginia school) isn't wasting large amounts of money. Higher Education spending has been 3-4X above the rate of inflation for 40 years.

UVA isn’t listed in the article as one if the offending institutions that has been overspending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been meaning to ask this but didn't want to start a thread. I recently toured a few Va schools: JMU, VT, ODU, UVa, CNU in July. One thing that surprised me was the lack of landscaping maintenance at UVa. We toured it last and I thought that there were more weeds growing in the sidewalks, flower beds and on the lawn compared to other Va schools. It looked a lot like my yard at home, not bad but not great CNU and VT stood out as having more maintained landscaping, far fewer weeds growing in the grass and more flowers planted. I had always assumed UVa would have superior landscaping. Am I alone in noticing this about UVa?

All that being said, I'd be thrilled if my daughter went to UVa. It is definitely a reach but if accepted I'd really prefer she go there.

PP, you need to understand that there is a difference between public and private schools. My own private, a SLAC, is now more beautiful than it ever was because that's what it thinks will attract private school dollars . But it's now $90K a yea and not worth it! As a taxpayer in VA,, I don't want to see UVA pumping money into landscaping - I'd rather see it go to scholarships for those that need it. Read here. https://www.wsj.com/articles/state-university-tuition-increase-spending-41a58100?st=dzzp1ht2989c6jw&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

I wouldn't assume UVA (or any other Virginia school) isn't wasting large amounts of money. Higher Education spending has been 3-4X above the rate of inflation for 40 years.

UVA isn’t listed in the article as one if the offending institutions that has been overspending.

That is self-evident. But it doesn't mean there isn't significant waste there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been meaning to ask this but didn't want to start a thread. I recently toured a few Va schools: JMU, VT, ODU, UVa, CNU in July. One thing that surprised me was the lack of landscaping maintenance at UVa. We toured it last and I thought that there were more weeds growing in the sidewalks, flower beds and on the lawn compared to other Va schools. It looked a lot like my yard at home, not bad but not great CNU and VT stood out as having more maintained landscaping, far fewer weeds growing in the grass and more flowers planted. I had always assumed UVa would have superior landscaping. Am I alone in noticing this about UVa?

All that being said, I'd be thrilled if my daughter went to UVa. It is definitely a reach but if accepted I'd really prefer she go there.

PP, you need to understand that there is a difference between public and private schools. My own private, a SLAC, is now more beautiful than it ever was because that's what it thinks will attract private school dollars . But it's now $90K a yea and not worth it! As a taxpayer in VA,, I don't want to see UVA pumping money into landscaping - I'd rather see it go to scholarships for those that need it. Read here. https://www.wsj.com/articles/state-university-tuition-increase-spending-41a58100?st=dzzp1ht2989c6jw&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Plenty of public schools have pristine landscaping as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just toured Virginia Tech--it was way better than we expected. Wouldn't rank it in top 10 prettiest, but it was pretty good. Maybe the "best" rank includes on-campus offerings. VTech has tons of on-campus food and amenities to accommodate 40,000 in the middle of Blacksburg.

Why was it way better than you expected? Tech is known to have a beautiful campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Excellent troll job- liberty, JMU and VT all ranked in the top 10

What is your point, exactly? I don't know anything about Liberty, but JMU and VT both have great campuses.
NP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just toured Virginia Tech--it was way better than we expected. Wouldn't rank it in top 10 prettiest, but it was pretty good. Maybe the "best" rank includes on-campus offerings. VTech has tons of on-campus food and amenities to accommodate 40,000 in the middle of Blacksburg.

Why was it way better than you expected? Tech is known to have a beautiful campus.

+1
It's lovely - gothic architecture and pristine landscaping surrounded by mountains.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been meaning to ask this but didn't want to start a thread. I recently toured a few Va schools: JMU, VT, ODU, UVa, CNU in July. One thing that surprised me was the lack of landscaping maintenance at UVa. We toured it last and I thought that there were more weeds growing in the sidewalks, flower beds and on the lawn compared to other Va schools. It looked a lot like my yard at home, not bad but not great CNU and VT stood out as having more maintained landscaping, far fewer weeds growing in the grass and more flowers planted. I had always assumed UVa would have superior landscaping. Am I alone in noticing this about UVa?

All that being said, I'd be thrilled if my daughter went to UVa. It is definitely a reach but if accepted I'd really prefer she go there.

PP, you need to understand that there is a difference between public and private schools. My own private, a SLAC, is now more beautiful than it ever was because that's what it thinks will attract private school dollars . But it's now $90K a yea and not worth it! As a taxpayer in VA,, I don't want to see UVA pumping money into landscaping - I'd rather see it go to scholarships for those that need it. Read here. https://www.wsj.com/articles/state-university-tuition-increase-spending-41a58100?st=dzzp1ht2989c6jw&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Plenty of public schools have pristine landscaping as well.

You’re missing the point. The point is that before bashing a public institution on flower beds you should think. There is a difference. My slac now plants annuals everywhere (never did when I was there) and has wasted millions of dollars in aesthetic “improvements “ so I’m not donating anymore. Publics should not be wasting taxpayer dollars with gardening tricks, as the pp who critiqued uva seems to think it should.