These California colleges are among ‘most beautiful’ in US. Did yours make list?
There are a lot of things to consider when choosing where to attend college.
There are campus and class sizes, as well as study areas, research opportunities and the overall quality of education. Of course, having a picturesque campus can’t hurt, either.
U.S. News and World Report recently identified 30 of the “most beautiful college campuses” across the country, showcasing universities with “stunning architecture, picturesque settings or spectacular landscaping.”
“The beauty of a campus influences a prospective student’s first impressions and can sway the decision about college choice,” U.S. News said in a Jan. 30 article.
Three campuses in California ranked among the nation’s best bets.
Is your alma mater on the list?
What is the most beautiful college campus in California?
When you think of scenic spots in California, does Malibu come to mind?
That’s where the most beautiful college campus in the Golden State is located, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Thanks to its location “atop a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean,” Pepperdine University in Malibu “gives students and faculty a view most college students don’t get,” U.S. News said.
According to the Los Angeles Conservancy, the university was “crafted to adapt to the dramatic hillside location with its sweeping ocean views.”
“The campus’ ‘front door’ is an open meadow that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway to the first major knoll, which contains the main core of campus,” the conservancy said, adding that the Mediterranean Revival-style buildings “complement the oceanside setting.”
U.S. News also highlighted the campus’ “wide variety of tree, brush, succulent and flower species, including Canary Island palm trees and Moreton Bay fig trees.”
Pepperdine University posted several photos showcasing the stunning views on campus in a Facebook post on March 5.
“That has to be the most beautiful campus in the country if not the world!” Facebook user Leecia Bruce Penrod wrote in a comment.
Which other California universities made the list?
U.S. News also showcased San Diego State University and its “Mission-style buildings with white stucco facades and red tile roofs.”
The Southern California university’s “design plays off its sunny environment ... with open outdoor corridors lined with palm trees, flower gardens and buildings with large windows,” U.S. News said.
Stefan Hyman, associate vice president for enrollment management at San Diego State University, told U.S. News uses “value-sensitive design” to accommodate students — such as providing lanes for skateboarders to travel across campus.
“So it’s not just the beauty, it’s the character that’s displayed in the values,” Hyman said. “Whether on a conscious or unconscious level, that impacts student perception.”
Northern California also boasts one of the most beautiful campuses in the state, according to U.S. News.
Stanford University in Palo Alto, about a 40-mile drive south of San Francisco, features “a blend of Romanesque and Mission Revival architecture,” according to U.S. News.
U.S. News said the general plan for Stanford University’s “ambitious and architecturally brilliant design” was the brainchild of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed Central Park in New York City/
The massive campus is “full of grassy fields, eucalyptus groves and rolling hills as well as native California plants, exotic trees and rare cactuses,” U.S News said. “The Main Quad, the heart of the campus, features eight palm-filled oases.”
Where are most scenic college campuses in the West?
A number of colleges in the West made U.S. News and World Report’s list of the nation’s most stunning college campuses.
They include Lewis & Clark College in Oregon, the University of Washington in Seattle and the University of Colorado Boulder.
This story was originally published March 10, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "These California colleges are among ‘most beautiful’ in US. Did yours make list?."
