5 Most Scenic College Campuses Near Los Angeles

Appealing places of higher education are abundant in the Southland, offering highly skilled instructors, the latest in technological assistance and a whole host of other pluses that make going to college in this part of the country a mighty fine experience, comparable to anywhere else in the nation. Add to that beautiful campuses that are beyond gorgeous and you'll be filling out pertinent admission application forms before you know it. That said, the following are five colleges and universities in and around Los Angeles more than worthy of your consideration.

Pepperdine University
24255 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90263
(310) 506-4000
www.pepperdine.edu

The look of Pepperdine University is a dreamscape, especially so for those who love the water. The Pacific is viewed from above at Pepperdine's main campus, while on site, students marvel at the bounty of palm trees that call out to all who study at this 830-acre place of higher education. Talk about tropical. To go with that theme, many buildings, like the Keck Science Center, are built in Mediterranean Revival style, sporting red tiled roofs. In addition, the Phillips Theme Tower, a huge stylized cross, is the centerpiece of this Malibu-based campus that is ripe with lush landscaping. And, for an added benefit, there is a massive green lawn in front of the campus that students can lay out on which overlooks the ocean.

Scripps College
1030 Columbia Ave.
Claremont, CA n
(909) 621-8000
www.scrippscollege.edu

Expect to be enchanted by the Spanish Colonial Revival-inspired architecture at Scripps. Designed by architect Gordon Kaufmann, the campus is in especially good form at the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery and in the vicinity of the Margaret Fowler Garden, which features a Mediterranean-like tiled fountain and a tranquil pond. Sustainability is key on this stunning Southland campus that takes pride in its abundance of almond, orange, kumquat, grapefruit and sycamore trees. The all-women liberal arts school sits on about 37 acres, is residential in nature, and has earned a place on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

Occidental College
1600 Campus Road
Los Angeles, CA 90041
(323) 259-2500
www.oxy.edu

The Eagle Rock section of the City of Angels is centered around the beautiful Occidental College, a tree-lined school dotted with buildings that herald red tiled roofs like the ones you'll find in the Mediterranean. Architect Myron Hunt brought this European look to Southern California, making Occidental into a wonderland that is often among the most appealing campuses in the nation. Not every edifice is from Hunt's era, though. The 42,000-square-foot Hameetman Science Center is a study in modern architecture, while Erdman Hall hails back to the late 1920s.

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Loyola Marymount University
1 Loyola Marymount University Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90045
(310) 338-2700
www.lmu.edu

Look up when you are in the vicinity of the Del Rey Hills and you'll spot Loyola Marymount University, a terrific and esteemed university that dates back to 1865. This scholarly place sits on 150 acres and boasts all kinds of different building types. Still, the Sacred Heart Chapel, a Spanish Gothic-like building built in 1955, is ablaze in stained glass windows, marble pillars and chandeliers that can't be missed.

University of Southern California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
405 Hilgard Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90095
(310) 825-4321
www.ucla.edu

Father and-son architects John and Donald Parkinson were behind the wonder of the 229-acre main campus at UCLA, which was largely created in Romanesque Revival style. Royce Hall represents this appealing kind of architecture, while Kerkhoff Hall and other campus favorites are Gothic in nature. Situated in Westwood, this stunning campus offers unparalleled landscaping, including a sculpture garden, arboretum and even a Japanese garden.

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