Three Pennsylvania colleges have been identified by a popular travel publication for having some of the most beautiful campuses American universities have to offer.
Condé Nast Traveler released its list of the “54 Most Beautiful College Campuses in the United States” Feb. 18, and named Swarthmore College, Bryn Mawr College and Lehigh University among them.
“If you’re looking at undergraduate options, thinking of grad school, or just need some visual inspiration, these are the places to know about,” Condé Nast writes.
The list is organized alphabetically, rather than in ranking style, and highlights colleges in more than 20 states and the District of Columbia. Here’s a quick overview of the three Pennsylvania institutions on the list and a bit about their campuses.
Sharing a name with its location, Bryn Mawr is a women’s only, private liberal arts school near Philadelphia founded in 1885. The college offers 35 undergraduate majors, as well as postgraduate degrees.
Condé Nast Traveler’s focus, however, was Bryn Mawr’s stunning architecture.
“Thanks to its Collegiate Gothic architecture, you can see nods to Oxford and Cambridge all over Bryn Mawr: the towers and gables of the Marjorie Walter Goodhart Theater, the open courtyard of the Cloisters, and the beloved Pembroke Hall, where original fireplaces still roar in the winter,” the publication writes.
Brywn Mawr itself highlights the campus as a “pioneer” in Collegiate Gothic architecture, a spokesperson for the school noted.
The student body is small, with roughly 1,360 enrolled undergraduates, according to its profile with U.S. News & World Report. Tuition and fees come to almost $66,000 annually.
Bryn Mawr is about a three-hour drive from State College.
Another private institution, this time focused on research, Lehigh University dates back to 1865.
Condé Nast Traveler pointed to the campus’ stone architecture, which features alumni sculptures atop many buildings. Founded from Antebellum railroad money, the campus showcases American industrialism, a university history overview notes.
“The school is also home to the Lehigh University Art Galleries which has over 16,000 works, including some by the likes of Pablo Picasso, Gustave Courbet, and Marsden Hartley,” Condé Nast says. “Step into the sculpture garden, where art students are often spotted sketching pieces as practice.”
Lehigh’s enrollment is just under 6,000 students, U.S. News reports, and tuition and fees come to around $65,000 each year.
The university did not respond to a request for comment on making the Condé Nast Traveler list. The campus less than three hours from State College.
Another private liberal arts school, Swarthmore College was also selected by the travel publication for its uniquely beautiful historic buildings.
“Situated in its namesake Pennsylvania town, Swarthmore College was founded in 1864 and many of the buildings still standing on campus were built shortly afterward,” Condé Nast Traveler writes. “In fact, Parish Hall, built in 1869, was the first building on campus. Technically, it burned down a decade or so later, but it was rebuilt to look exactly like the original. The Escheresque-style building separates the academic buildings from the residential ones on campus.”
Founded by Quakers, Swarthmore’s campus covers 425 acres, and stewardship of natural resources is touted among the school’s core values.
The college is also relatively small, U.S. News reports an undergraduate enrollment of around 1,600 students and tuition and fees that amount to more than $65,000 annually.
The college was not immediately available to comment on the Condé Nast designation. Located near Philadelphia, Swarthmore is roughly a three-hour drive from State College.
JS
Lexington Herald-Leader
Jackie Starkey is the service journalism editor for the Lexington Herald-Leader, Centre Daily Times, Belleville News-Democrat and The Wichita Eagle. She is a graduate of UNC Asheville and worked as a political reporter and managing editor in coastal North Carolina. She is based at the Herald-Leader in Lexington, and has a particular focus on civic engagement and elections.