When Beauty Shapes The Experience
College tours often leave lasting impressions; however, not all are positive. While some campuses captivate with stunning architecture and scenic surroundings, others, by contrast, disappoint with bleak designs or confusing layouts. As a result, prospective students may find themselves enchanted—or entirely underwhelmed. With that in mind, let’s first take a look at ten of the ugliest campuses in the country.
1. University Of Massachusetts
UMass Amherst's heavy-handed Brutalist architecture draws frequent criticism for its bleak concrete façades and looming towers. While some admire the campus for its academic energy and evolving green spaces, others feel the cold, utilitarian buildings overshadow its otherwise vibrant student life and scenic Pioneer Valley setting.
Lion Hirth (User:Prissantenbär) on Wikimedia
2. Illinois Institute Of Technology
Designed in part by Mies van der Rohe, IIT is a landmark of modernist architecture—but not everyone’s a fan. Stark steel-and-glass boxes dominate the landscape, leaving many to describe it as sterile and emotionally detached. Admirers call it sleek, though.
3. SUNY Albany
SUNY Albany’s stark symmetry, concrete canopy walkways, and rigid grid design evoke a more dystopian feel than a collegiate one. Some appreciate the mid-century vision behind it, but the overwhelming sense of grey and uniformity earns it regular spots on “ugliest” lists.
4. University Of Illinois
UIC’s campus is a Brutalist icon, depending on who you ask. Many students and architects find its sculptural concrete forms fascinating, but others see the dense, windowless buildings as institutional and oppressive. However, recent renovations aim to soften its image.
5. California State University
Despite a prime hillside view of downtown Los Angeles, Cal State LA’s architecture fails to impress. Boxy buildings and a fragmented layout leave visitors underwhelmed. Some recent projects have added greenery and color, but the overall look remains more practical than picturesque.
6. Boston University
BU’s city-integrated campus stretches along Commonwealth Avenue like a patchwork of clashing eras. The mix of Brutalist blocks with outdated dorms and modern high-rises makes for a jarring aesthetic. Urban charm has its perks, but many say BU feels more like a city street than a cohesive campus.
7. Georgia State University
Located in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia State’s urban campus blends into the city grid a bit too much. While the students appreciate its access to downtown, critics often point to a lack of green spaces and architectural cohesion.
8. University Of Texas
Despite its academic excellence, UTD struggles with establishing an architectural identity. The campus is often described as sterile, characterized by repetitive buildings and limited inviting outdoor areas. Efforts to add modern art and landscaping are ongoing, but many feel it still lacks the charisma of Texas’s flagship universities.
9. University Of Cincinnati
Known for its mix of brutalist and dated mid-century buildings, Cincinnati’s campus often feels fragmented and harsh. The concrete-heavy architecture lacks cohesion, and many students describe it as drab and uninspiring.
10. University Of California, Riverside
Surrounded by scenic hills, UCR’s natural beauty contrasts sharply with its featureless, generic buildings. The campus architecture appears uninspired and utilitarian, lacking the style typically found in other UC schools. Despite its location, the concrete and glass structures struggle to impress aesthetically.
Thankfully, not every campus suffers from design missteps. Some are so breathtaking they become part of the college’s appeal, drawing students in with ivy-draped halls and postcard-worthy views.
1. Stanford University
Palm trees, sandstone arcades, and terracotta roofs bask under California’s golden sun—Stanford feels more like a serene Mediterranean resort than a tech empire’s birthplace. The campus sprawls with intention, blending natural and architectural harmony. It’s as Instagrammable as it's intellectually iconic without trying too hard.
2. University Of Virginia
Thomas Jefferson’s “Academical Village” remains one of America’s most architecturally revered campuses. The red-brick rotunda, white columns, and sweeping lawns aren't just photogenic—they’re UNESCO-protected. History breathes through UVA’s classical design, yet the campus never feels frozen in time. It’s beauty with brains and gravitas.
3. Princeton University
Princeton is what you'd picture if Hogwarts had ivy. Its Gothic spires rise over leafy courtyards, each building whispering stories of legacy and learning. Even in winter, snow makes it feel like a living storybook. It's not just elite—it's enchantingly, intimidatingly beautiful.
4. Pepperdine University
It’s hard to focus on a lecture when dolphins leap in the Pacific below. Perched in Malibu, Pepperdine’s sun-drenched campus is a pure California dream. White stucco buildings and ocean vistas combine academia and vacation vibes. It may just be the only school where beach breaks are literal.
5. University Of Notre Dame
Golden dome, Gothic chapels, football lore—Notre Dame balances grandeur and reverence like few others. Walking its quads feels sacred, whether you’re religious or not. Every corner holds a story, from stone archways to shadowed libraries. It’s a campus that demands you slow down and look up.
6. Sewanee: The University Of The South
Tucked atop Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau, Sewanee offers misty mornings, forest trails, and collegiate Gothic architecture that is truly stunning. It’s not flashy but hauntingly beautiful. You stumble into Sewanee and instantly feel like you've crossed into a hidden world where academia meets poetry in stone and sky.
7. University Of Washington (UW)
Come spring, cherry blossoms explode across UW’s Quad in a moment that feels cinematic. Add Mount Rainier in the background, Neo-Gothic libraries, and rain-kissed greenery—Seattle’s gloom never looked so good. It’s a campus that evolves with the seasons but never loses its magic.
Cody Logan (aka clpo13) on Wikimedia
8. Berry College
Size matters—especially when it’s 27,000 acres of lakes, forests, and fields. Berry is a private national park. Gothic towers overlook cow pastures, and students bike past deer on the way to class. It’s wild and breathtakingly unique.
9. College Of William & Mary
History and beauty coalesce on this Colonial-style campus in Williamsburg. Red-brick buildings framed by age-old oaks exude warmth and tradition. The Wren Building, America’s oldest academic structure, anchors a campus where everything feels intentional, lived-in, and charmingly scholarly, like a well-worn leather-bound book.
10. Kenyon College
Kenyon has a quiet, literary soul, and its beauty reflects that. Its hilltop perch in rural Ohio reveals stone buildings, ivy-wrapped halls, and Middle Path: a storybook trail under trees that change with the seasons. Intimate and picturesque, it’s a writer’s campus through and through.
