The most beautiful campuses in the US Midwest

17 Jul 2018

It isn’t hard to convince people to go to beautiful places, but it can be difficult to sell the Midwest to prospective international students.

But these Midwestern universities are a different story.

At these schools, it’s the best of both worlds: beautiful surroundings from well-designed campus spaces in the US heartland.

Long overshadowed by its coastal cousins, the Midwest and its gorgeous natural landscapes are an underrated location, often overlooked by tourists and prospective international students alike.

But with the privilege of experiencing all four seasons, this region holds some of the most Insta-worthy campuses in the country. Take a look for yourself:

1. Miami University, Ohio

Located in the college town of Oxford, Ohio, UMiami’s campus is a sight for sore eyes. One of the top ten oldest public universities in the country, its sprawling, small-town campus is a tourist attraction to boot. No wonder it has been described as “astoundingly beautiful” and “gorgeous”, including by none other than the celebrated poet Robert Frost himself, who called UMiami “the most beautiful campus that ever there was.”

2. University of Chicago, Illinois

UChicago isn’t just one of the world’s greatest intellectual destinations, its campus is also located in Hyde Park, which lies on the shore of one of the five Great Lakes of North America: Lake Michigan.

Venture out of the south side, and you’ll find yourself in the Chicago metropolis with its stunning promenade, a location worthy of being the filming location for Gotham City in Batman’s Dark Knight series.

3. University of Notre Dame, Indiana

Indiana is about more than just corn fields. At South Bend, Notre Dame’s campus boasts impressive Gothic architecture and an enviable landscape. The Main Building is the centre of it all with its legendary Golden Dome and 19-foot-tall statue of the Virgin Mary and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

A crew of approximately 45 employees maintains more than 1,250 acres of campus property, landscaping new and re-landscaping existing buildings on campus, all while keeping sustainability in mind.

4. Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri

Home to nearly 15,000 gifted students, as well as 27 Rhodes Scholars and 25 Nobel laureates as alumni, WashU is also the location for the most presidential and vice-presidential debates than any other institution in the country.

Unsurprisingly, its campus scores an A+ on university review site Niche, with Forest Park – one of St. Louis’ ‘great civic treasures’, which is almost 50 percent larger than New York City’s Central Park – located nearby and used for WashU classes, athletics, student groups and community events.

5. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin

Tucked between lakes Mendota and Monona, UW-Madison is home to gorgeous sunsets over lake waters as bike-riding students take part in various activities through this active, outdoorsy university.

Less than a mile away from the 10th-ranked public university in the US is the State Capitol building, housing both chambers of the Wisconsin legislature. To the south is a botanical garden where the lilacs and flowering trees are stunning in May.