This Is the Best College Campus in the U.S., According to New Report

Hint: it's in sunny California.

Campus life is a significant part of the college experience — from dorms to get-togethers at the cafeteria or attending special events and activities. According to Niche.com's latest rankings, the prize for best campus in 2025 goes to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

The website uses statistics and data from the U.S. Department of Education and student reviews to identify universities with outstanding classrooms, laboratories, performance venues, and housing. "Within our surveys, UCLA received exceptionally high ratings for the quality of its facilities, classrooms, and dorms. Additionally, UCLA achieved top scores for campus resources, reflected in its No. 1 rankings for student life and campus food, and its number 12 ranking for best professors," Zach Chatham, Niche.com's communications manager, told Travel + Leisure.

In a poll, 74 percent of students said that the overall dorm quality in the 419-acre campus is excellent, and 87 percent of the surveyed described feeling extremely safe and secure there. Campus housing varies from sorority and fraternity housing to apartments for married students and co-ed dorms.

Varsity sports are also a big part of campus life for 70 percent of students, where they can choose between 125 sports teams.

UCLA's current campus is set against the Santa Monica Mountains and is located six miles from the Pacific Ocean in Westwood. It was opened in 1929 and originally had four Italian Romanesque-style buildings: Royce Hall, Powell Library, Haines Hall, and David and Renée Kaplan Hall, known as "the quad."

It now has over 227 buildings and 85 facilities, including a planetarium, theaters, gardens, athletic fields, and a medical center. The campus is home to several architectural gems, such as the Inverted Fountain, added in 1968, where water flows inward; Kerckhoff Hall, a stunning castle-like building with spires and stained glass windows; and the striking Bunche Hall with its grid of glass openings.

UCLA also tops U.S. News' 2024 ranking of the top public schools, sharing the first spot with the University of California, Berkeley.

Concordia University and the University of St. Thomas, both in St. Paul, Minnesota, are second and third on Niche.com's list of the best college campuses.

You can see the full report on niche.com.

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