When considering where to go to school, most students look at the professors, course offerings, location and the student body, among other factors, that would have the greatest impact on their educational opportunities. But underneath the raw statistics, there’s always one aesthetic factor to consider: the beauty of the campus. According to the Princeton Review’s 26th edition of “The Best 382 Colleges,” the University of San Diego is the “Most Beautiful Campus” in the U.S.
When USD co-founder Mother Rosalie Hill originally founded the school in the early 1950s, one of her goals was to create a beautiful place for students to obtain their education.
“There are three things that are significant in education: beauty, truth and goodness. But the only one that attracts people on sight is beauty. If beauty attracts people, they will come and find the truth and have goodness communicated to them by the kind of people here,” she said.
Mother Rosalie Hill succeeded, at least according to a survey of students that asked, “How do you rate the beauty of your campus?” One student said, “USD is all about manicured lawns and gardens, the tastiest cafeteria food you will ever have, classes that are so small that you and your professor can be BFFs, and a view of the ocean off in the distance awaiting you for a sunset surf.”
Other universities that made it onto the “Most Beautiful Campus” list are Bucknell University, which came in second, and the Bryn Mawr College in Eastern Pennsylvania, following in third place overall.
However, “Most Beautiful Campus” was not the only ranking where USD made an appearance. It was also ranked as a “Green University,” receiving a 99/99 rating as well as “High Quality of Life” school with a score of 92/99. The university was also ranked:
- 18th for Best Campus Food
- 13th Most Popular Study Abroad Program
For more information on the Princeton Review‘s USD rankings, visit the website.