America's Prettiest College Campuses

From big Ivy Leagues to teeny tiny liberal arts colleges,
there's no shortage of gorgeousness when it comes to
higher education. These are our 11 picks for the most
beautiful academic establishments in the United States.
Cornell University: Ithaca, New York. View Panoramic. A
mix of historic and modern, the quad--overlooking the
Cayuga Lake area and its many gorges--features a hall
designed by Rem Koolhaas and an art museum by I.M.
Pei, which acts like an outdoor movie screen on summer
nights.
University of Washington: Seattle, Washington. View
Panoramic. Known as "U Dub," this city school counts
the majestic Mount Rainier as its backdrop. In the
springtime, 30 Yoshino cherry blossoms decorate the
campus in pink.
Bard College: Annandale-On-Hudson, New York. View
Panoramic. This small liberal arts campus is famous for
the Frank Gehry-designed Fisher Center for the
Performing Arts--a modern spectacle of undulating
glass and brushed steel.
Furman University: Greenville, South Carolina. View
Panoramic. This Southern school's landmark Bell Tower
overlooks the campus lake. There's also a former
Buddhist temple and a replica of Henry David Thoreau's
home.
Swarthmore College: Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. View
Panoramic. Well known for its Scott Arboretum outdoor
amphitheater, this university with Quaker-inspired
ethics emphasizes sustainability and has three green
roofs on campus.
Florida Southern College: Lakeland, Florida. View
Panoramic. Here's a great piece of trivia--this relatively
unknown university has the largest collection of Frank
Lloyd Wright buildings in the country.
Yale University: New Haven, Connecticut. View
Panoramic. Frequently referred to as an outdoor
museum, the campus is one of the best examples of
American architecture over the last 100 years--from
Georgian-style brick to buildings by Eero Saarinen to an
upcoming project by Norman Foster (the guy behind
Apple's spaceship campus).

University of Virginia: Charlottesville, Virginia. View
Panoramic. This grandiose Jeffersonian village is the
only college in the U.S. to be named a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
Vanderbilt University: Nashville, Tennessee. View
Panoramic. For good luck, students are urged to kiss the
statue of school founder Cornelius Vanderbilt their first
night on campus.
Indiana University: Bloomington, Indiana. View
Panoramic. IU's colorful flagship campus is planted with
80 varieties of trees.
Pepperdine University: Malibu, California. View
Panoramic. Sometimes referred to as heaven's gate, this
sprawling campus is perched on the bluffs high above
California's rugged coastline. It's a wonder how anyone
gets any work done here.
Below are pictures of Cornell University, Bard College and Pepperdine University Respectively.