Reading, writing, studying, and . . . surfing? For thousands of students heading off to college this year, a campus close to the beach and water is an absolute must. While some prefer the warm climes of Southern California or Florida, others crave the dark blue waters and autumn chill of New England and the Pacific Northwest. Either way, such students are in for a beautiful four years! Indeed, students who value an environment where they can easily relax and recharge will do well to consider these institutions. The schools on this list represent the 30 most beautiful coastal college campuses in the United States.
Top 30 Most Beautiful Coastal College Campuses
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Ranking Factors
These beach colleges were chosen and ranked based on the following criteria:
Location: Each campus on this list is located on the coast and within easy access to beaches.
Awards & Recognition: (2 points for an international accolade; 1 point for an American accolade; 1 point for appearing on the National Register of Historic Places): Whether a national award or an honor bestowed by a group or organization, any recognition a campus has received played a large part in its placement on this list. Generally speaking, the larger and more recent the honor, the higher the college was placed.
Student Enjoyment (1 point per notable feature): While most of the on-campus features described in this article can be appreciated visually by both students and visitors, those campuses with features that can be physically enjoyed by the school's student body (such as botanical gardens) were given higher priority.
Number of Notable Features (1 point per feature): Campuses with more than one significant or celebrated building or feature were ranked higher than those with a single notable feature. Local and privately owned beaches were included in this category.
Other (1 point each): Those campuses with other notable characteristics, such as historical significance or environmental friendliness, were also considered.
