Jan. 6, 2026, 1:56 p.m. ET
- Colleges on the list include resort-like schools in Florida and stunning architecture of Ivy League institutions in the Northeast.
- Kenyon College, with its campus-long Middle Path, Victorian Gothic Ascension Hall and the Greek Revival Rosse Hall makes the Travel + Leisure list.
An Ohio college that is one of the best in the state ranks among Cornell and Princeton in a ranking of the most beautiful college campuses in the nation by Travel + Leisure magazine.
“America’s most beautiful colleges don’t just attract prospective students and their families. Tourists flock to these impressive institutions to admire their perfectly manicured lawns, striking architecture, and noteworthy landmarks,” Travel + Leisure editors write in the article.
The travel publication’s list of 30 beautiful campuses includes colleges from “resort-like schools in Florida to the European-inspired Gothic-style universities of the Northeast.”
And in that list is one small liberal arts institution in Central Ohio, Kenyon College. Here’s what to know.
How many students? Ohio colleges see enrollment jumps in fall 2025
Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, among most beautiful in U.S., per Travel + Leisure
Kenyon College, in Gambier, Ohio, roughly 50 miles northeast of Columbus and 70 miles southwest of Canton, ranked No. 12 on Travel + Leisure’s list. According to its website, the college offers more than 50 areas of study and enrolled 1,589 students during the fall 2025 semester. Here’s what the publication had to say:
“Located in the tiny village of Gambier, Kenyon has a hilltop setting that makes for one of the country’s most idyllic college walks. The 10-foot-wide Middle Path, which extends the length of the campus, is shaded by massive trees that glow fiery orange in the fall. Veer off the path for Kenyon’s castle-like Victorian Gothic Ascension Hall and the Greek Revival Rosse Hall with its elegant columns.”
Complete list of the most beautiful college campuses in the U.S.
Travel + Leisure’s full list of the 30 most beautiful college campuses in the U.S. is as follows:
- Stanford University, California
- Berry College, Georgia
- University of Notre Dame, Indiana
- Florida Southern College, Florida
- Bard College, New York
- University of San Diego, California
- Rice University, Texas
- Cornell University, New York
- The University of the South, Tennessee
- University of Washington
- Princeton University, New Jersey
- Kenyon College, Ohio
- Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania
- University of Virginia
- Yale University, Connecticut
- Duke University, North Carolina
- University of Colorado Boulder
- University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Wellesley College, Massachusetts
- The College of William & Mary, Virginia
- University of Chicago, Illinois
- Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania
- Furman University, South Carolina
- Vanderbilt University, Tennessee
- Flagler College, Florida
- University of Hawaii
- University of Georgia
- University of Michigan
- Northwestern University, Illinois
- Lewis & Clark College, Oregon
