The 20 Best College Campuses In The US

Poughkeepsie, New York

The liberal arts college has a student body under 2,500 total students, but still managed to rank in the top ten of Princeton Review's best college library ranking.

Founded in 1861 as an all-women's college, Vassar began admitting male students in 1969. Today, approximately 56% of the student body is female.

Source: The Princeton Review. To learn more about our methodology, click here.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Located in the heart of New Orleans, Tulane ranked second in Princeton Review's City Gets High Marks ranking and sixth on the Quality of Life ranking.

The 110-acre campus sits along the oldest streetcar line in the country, and the historic St. Charles streetcar makes the four mile trip into the downtown and French quarters of New Orleans easily accessible.

Source: The Princeton Review. To learn more about our methodology, click here.

Crawford, Indiana

This small, all-male liberal arts college took home the top spot in Princeton Review's Easiest Colleges To Get Around ranking. All of the college's academic buildings are built around a grassy field, called the “mall,” giving the campus an intimate feel. Wabash also ranked no. 7 in career services.

Source: The Princeton Review. To learn more about our methodology, click here.

West Point, New York

Aside from training the future leaders of America's armed forces, the United States Military Academy — better known as West Point — also takes good care of its cadets, and was ranked number five on Best Health Services.

The school's library, also highly ranked by Princeton Review, boasts strong military archives, as well as collections relating to West Point history, including the iconic class rings.

Source: The Princeton Review. To learn more about our methodology, click here.

New Haven, Connecticut

Yale's 260 acre campus in urban New Haven, Connecticut is famous for its Gothic Revival architecture, although the school is peppered with contrasting modernist buildings.

The Ivy League institution was highly ranked for its library, and its Rare Book and Manuscript Library has a Gutenberg Bible on permanent display.

Source: The Princeton Review. To learn more about our methodology, click here.

Sweet Briar, Virginia

Sweet Briar's 3,250-acre Virginia campus may seem a bit large for its just over 700 students, but the women's college is well known for its architectural beauty.

Its Italian Ville style Sweet Briar House is home to the school's president and is on the National Register of Historic Places, as are 21 of the school's 30 academic buildings.

Source: The Princeton Review. To learn more about our methodology, click here.

Clemson, South Carolina

Perhaps best known for its football program, Clemson ranks first in Princeton Review's Town-Gown Relationships Are Great. It also has an excellent career services program, ranking fifth overall.

The campus borders Hartwell Lake's 900-plus miles of shoreline, where students enjoy swimming and boating. Clemson's also a top research university, and students have access to over 100,00 ebooks.

Source: The Princeton Review. To learn more about our methodology, click here.

Claremont, California

The women's college of the Claremont system, the school's 30-acre campus is on the National Register of Historic Places. The school is known for its Spanish Colonial inspired dorms, all of which have courtyards and fountains.

There's a student tended rose garden on campus, and orange trees line the paths near the residences.

Source: The Princeton Review. To learn more about our methodology, click here.

Houston, Texas

Rice is known for its residential college system, in which students are sorted into one of 11 different colleges. Rice ranked second in quality of life, and fared well in financial aid, too.

The Houston, Texas university was also included on the list of strong town-gown relations and its on-campus coffeehouse and pub are often frequented by members of the broader city community.

Source: The Princeton Review. To learn more about our methodology, click here.

New York, New York

Located in New York City, Columbia's location is one of its greatest selling points.

The university's neo-classical campus occupies six city blocks in Manhattan, taking up a little over 30 acres and offering a respite from the hustle and bustle outside its gates. Columbia was ranked fifth on the Best College Library list, and currently hosts more than 10 million volumes.

Source: The Princeton Review. To learn more about our methodology, click here.

Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State is the number one employer in its hometown of Manhattan, Kansas, which may explain its high ranking the Town-Gown Relations are Great list.

The city also hosts an area known as "Aggieville," which is filled with college bars and stores. Overall, Kansas State ranked third in Quality of Life.

Source: The Princeton Review. To learn more about our methodology, click here.

University Park, Pennsylvania

Penn State's career services office — which regularly holds fairs for post-graduate jobs and schools — was ranked number two by the Princeton Review. It also took home the top spot in the Health Services ranking.

The University Park campus holds one of the largest student bodies in America, and takes up around 5,500 acres.

Source: The Princeton Review. To learn more about our methodology, click here.

Bowdoin got extraordinarily high rankings in several Princeton Review categories that have immediate impacts on students, including the number one spot on the Best Quality of Life, and high spots on the best food and best dorms lists.

The school kicks off each new school year with a "Welcome Back" lobster bake for all students.

Source: The Princeton Review. To

Dallas, Texas

SMU got a high ranking in the Princeton Review's lists of college cities and overall quality of life. Although physically distant from the Ivy League schools of the Northeast, SMU's colors of Harvard Crimson and Yale Blue tie the Texas school to a tradition of academic excellence.

The campus notably houses the recently opened George W. Bush Presidential Center.

Source: The Princeton Review. To learn more about our methodology, click here.

Claremont, California

Students at the So Cal college received a high ranking for their quality of life, as well as the career services and financial aid that the school offers and Claremont's food.

The Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum on serves as a meeting point for faculty and students, and regularly brings big name speakers on campus for talks to the Claremont community.

Source: The Princeton Review. To learn more about our methodology, click here.

Walla Walla, Washington

Whitman's Walla Walla, Washington campus doubles as an outdoor art museum, with over 20 sculptures located around the school.

The school is centered around a main quad, and was included on the Princeton Review list of Easiest Campus to Get Around and Best Library.

Source: The Princeton Review. To learn more about our methodology, click here.

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech's campus has the exclusive use of Hokie Stone, a combination of different colored limestone, which adorn most of its buildings and other campus features, including a memorial to the 2007 massacre at the school.

Blacksburg, Virginia, where the campus is located, is the largest town in Virginia and boasts close relations with the university. V.T. also took home the top spot in campus food.

Source: The Princeton Review. To learn more about our methodology, click here.

Wash U is well known for its residential life facilities, and took the top spot in Princeton Review's list of best dorms. Many students live on a 40-acre part of campus known as the South 40, which includes residential colleges for upperclassmen students.

The university also fared well in several other categories, including best food, career services, and overall quality of life.

Source: The Princeton Review. To learn more about our methodology, click here.

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