Classes are important and you love your friends, but we all know the real reason you love your campus is its Instagram potential. Whether you’re a Hudson, X-Pro II or Amaro type of girl, we can all admit to snapping a few typical Instas of the most gorgeous parts of our school. But is your school one of the most Instagram-worthy campuses in the country? Check out HC’s list!
10. THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
Between the Coker Arboretum, the Old Well and the perfectly kept lawns, UNC-Chapel Hill could give you a full four years worth of Instagrams. On senior day, you can climb up the Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower to grab the aerial view, or, if you can’t wait, just snap a pic of the bell tower itself—you’ll join the ranks of the other Tar Heels crazy for their gorgeous campus!
“I think that UNC is so Instagram-worthy because of its old architecture, distinct locations (such as the Old Well and Arboretum), abundance of plants and trees and the general happiness of the student population that can be seen shining from pretty much every student that you pass,” says Morgan, a senior at UNC.
Morgan cites the Old Well, the quads, Wilson Library and The Pit as common Instagram subjects from UNC students. With this gorgeous campus, who isn’t dying to be a Tar Heel?
9. THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON (Seattle, Washington)
Can you say “#cherryblossoms?” This campus doesn’t even need a filter—with fountains, gorgeous architecture and, of course, the infamous pink trees that adorn the campus in spring, you’ll have a gold mine of material for Instas and almost unlimited throwbacks (“#tbt to when it wasn’t raining…#Seattle”).
“At University of Washington, you are surrounded by spectacular buildings that look like they could be the set of Hogwarts Castle in the Harry Potter films, beautiful people with unique personalities reflective of Seattle's quirkiness and breathtaking views of both Lake Washington and Mount Rainier,” says Ben, a senior who has taken summer classes at UW.
We don’t care about the rainy Seattle weather—we’re ready to transfer!
8. THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER (Boulder, Colorado)
Our phone cameras are dying to capture these gorgeous buildings with the Flatiron rock formations in the background. No wonder so many students are so proud to be Buffaloes!
“Our campus is right under the Flatirons and it makes everywhere you turn Instagram-worthy,” says Natalie, a senior. “I chose CU when I was 12 because I visited the campus on a road trip with my parents and fell in love with the mountains. Hiking after class is almost an everyday thing, and it kind of allows you to escape from everyday craziness.”
There’s nothing like looking out your dorm room window to a beautiful mountain range every morning!
7. DUKE UNIVERSITY (Durham, North Carolina)
Whether you’re in the mood to Instagram the Duke University Chapel or the beautiful quads, this school’s Gothic architecture is bound to make any Insta-holic swoon. Could you maybe get a little bit ugly, Duke? Just to make us feel better?
“The Chapel is probably a common sight on Instagram,” says Kamry, a junior. “It stands at the center of the university and makes a great opportunity for a photo op, whether it's surrounded by snow or backlit by the sunrise. And the stained-glass windows are even more beautiful from the inside.
“The Duke Gardens and Cameron Indoor Stadium/Krzyzewskiville also make Duke pretty Instagram-worthy, especially when the weather's nice or there's a basketball game that day,” Kamry adds. They may be good at basketball, but Duke could win the 2014 Insta Championships, too.
6. CORNELL UNIVERSITY (Ithaca, New York)
What initially stands out among Cornell students’ Instagrams is, of course, Ithaca’s gorges. “The most clichéd quote about us is ‘Ithaca is gorges’ because we have a lot of gorges everywhere,” says Torie, a junior at Cornell. “In the summer, people go gorge-jumping and take pictures that look really cool.”
But what makes the Insta-holics stick around after snapping a few too many pictures of their friends gorge-jumping are the cherry blossoms, pink magnolias, fall foliage, clock tower and the on-campus dairy bar, where Cornell makes its own ice cream. We can’t get enough of their Instagrams—even if we’re not down with the snow.
5. FLORIDA SOUTHERN COLLEGE (Lakeland, Florida)
With much of its architecture designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Florida Southern College has a campus with clean, modern architecture that reflects the perfect Florida weather! If you’re lucky enough to visit (or even luckier enough to attend), you’ll love to ‘gram the Water Dome, the gorgeous trees and the white of the buildings against the blue Florida sky!
“If you're a student and you don't have a picture of the Chapel and Water Dome in the day, at night, in the rain or at sunset, I question if you really even go here,” says Bethany, a junior at FSC. With gorgeous architecture and the beautiful lake nearby, it’s amazing that these kids ever go to class!
4. LEWIS & CLARK COLLEGE (Portland, Oregon)
If a gingerbread house became cuter, came to life and took in about 2,000 lucky students as its gingerbread people, we would find the situation at hand at Lewis & Clark College. With the mountains, the fall foliage and the most charming set of stairs we’ve ever seen, this college captures everything that is beautiful and rustic in one fell swoop!
“The campus is seriously so beautiful,” writes a sophomore on Niche. We definitely agree!
3. FURMAN UNIVERSITY (Greenville, South Carolina)
Clock tower? Check. Water feature? Check. Lakeside location? Check. Yeah, we’d get married here, too! Furman boasts charming lakeside gardens and beautiful brick architecture, and, seriously, the Clock Tower by the lake gets us every time. We’re ready to transfer.
“Furman is Instagram-worthy because it has a hundred hidden facets that are so beautiful that you want to share them with other people,” says Jasmine, a 2014 graduate. “It’s the little things at FU that make you remember to slow down and enjoy the present.”
Whether you’re drooling over the fall foliage or dying to swim in that beautiful lake, Furman looks like the perfect place to snap an Insta as you enjoy your beautiful walk to class.
2. KENYON COLLEGE (Gambier, Ohio)
Though Kenyon College is small, every part of the campus—from the idyllic Middle Path to the Hogwarts-esque dining hall—is just begging for some Hudson or Valencia. The Gates of Hell, Ascension Hall and even the stray cats of Gambier prove to be frequent subjects for everyone who’s scrolling Insta during econ.
“The Kenyon campus is the perfect storm for photographers,” says Emily, a junior. “You've got these gorgeous Gothic buildings, an unpaved gravel path — Middle Path —that goes from one side of campus to the other and is lined with trees and flowers, and then the actual village of Gambier, which is quaint and filled with white, shingled houses and the occasional Amish horse and buggy. There's literally something worthy of a picture every place you go.
“I love going to Kenyon because even when I’m having a horrible day, I just look around me and automatically say, ‘This place is gorgeous,’ and everything's fine,” Emily says. We don’t mind the cold Ohio winters when there’s such a gorgeous campus surrounding us!
1. THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO (San Diego, California)
Is this college or paradise? This small university boasts stunning white architecture, flowing fountains, lawns more regularly manicured than our fingernails and signature California palm trees. If only we could Instagram the smell of the ocean nearby…
“[USD] has so many Instagram-worthy features: palm trees, fountains, a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean during the sunset,” says Courtney, a 2014 graduate of USD. “But mostly it's because the typical experiences of college become that much more photogenic when they happen in such a surreal setting … we live where you [go on] spring break.”
Basically, we can’t believe this is a place where people actually go to class. Someone needs to pinch these students to wake them up from this fairy tale… oh, wait, it’s real.
Check out the rest of Her Campus's 2014 College Rankings here!
