- Travel + Leisure ranked Duke University as the 16th most beautiful campus in the U.S.
- The magazine cited Duke Chapel and the Nasher Museum of Art as notable architectural highlights.
College isn’t just where you learn, it’s often where you live, so it’s important to make sure the campus is a nice one.
Last month, Travel + Leisure released its 2025 list of the ‘Most Beautiful College Campuses in the U.S.’ The popular magazine’s editors identified campuses that not only attract prospective students and their families, but also tourists who marvel at the “perfectly manicured lawns, stunning architecture, and noteworthy landmarks.”
Several were in the south, but only one in North Carolina.
What is North Carolina’s most beautiful college campus?
Duke University was ranked No. 16 on the list. Here’s what Travel + Leisure said:
“Much of this Collegiate Gothic wonderland, including soaring Duke Chapel, was designed by Julian Abele, one of the country’s first prominent African American architects. But Duke’s campus isn’t all Gothic-inspired marvel. Among its architectural gems are the glass-walled Karl and Mary Ellen von der Heyden Pavilion and the Rafael Viñoly-designed Nasher Museum of Art — with five pavilions shaped in a loose radial pattern that house contemporary works by Andy Warhol and Kara Walker.|
What are the most beautiful college campuses in the South?
- Berry College in Mount Berry, GA
- Duke University in Durham, NC
- Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL
- Florida Southern College in Lakeland, FL
- Furman University in Greenville, SC
- Rice University in Houston
- Sewanee: The University Of The South in Sewanee, TN
- University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA
- Vanderbilt University in Nashville
- William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA
Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for Gannett/USA Today. Find him on X and Instagram @miguelegoas and email atmlegoas@gannett.com.
