It’s said that your environment has major effects on your mood and happiness—so when searching for colleges, you should be looking for schools in settings that will bring you peace, invigorate you, and make you happy. If you love the outdoors and being away from busy city centers, then life by the water may be your best choice for college location. Below is a list of colleges with beautiful campuses on or near lakes and rivers to give you the best of nature and the best education. You can connect with any schools of interest quickly and easily by clicking the green “Connect me” button below each listing. Start exploring and find a dreamy lacustrine hideaway today!
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public land-grant university in Fort Collins, Colorado. CSU’s 586-acre campus offers over 300 days of sunshine per year and access to 35,000 acres of natural areas on 10 miles of river, and there’s a lot to do just a short drive away in the Rocky Mountains: summit a peak, reel in a big catch, or just lounge beside a mountain lake. The University’s 27,218 students benefit from 70+ undergraduate majors, 100+ graduate programs, and hundreds of concentrations to choose from.
Commonwealth University—Lock Haven
Lock Haven University is a public comprehensive university in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania—30 miles west of Williamsport and 70 miles north of Harrisburg—and one of three campuses in the University system. The University offers 57 majors and 41 minors to choose from as well as opportunities for Honors programs, study abroad, and internships. The University sits on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River in the scenic mountains of central Pennsylvania, and historic Lock Haven boasts a vital downtown with tree-lined streets and beautiful Victorian homes in a safe and quiet environment.
Florida Southern College
Florida Southern College is a private comprehensive college in Lakeland, Florida. The College enrolls over 3,500 students from all 50 states and 50 countries who appreciate the small classes in more than 70 undergraduate and graduate degree programs that engage them with hands-on activities, discussions, presentations, guest speakers, and more. Florida Southern's 113-acre lakeside campus is ideally located between Tampa and Orlando—named one of the best places to live and fastest growing metropolitan areas.
Grace College
Grace College is a Christian college and seminary on a 180-acre campus in Winona Lake, Indiana. Grace sits on the shores of picturesque Winona Lake and offers many recreational opportunities with a nearby resort town, The Village, just two blocks from campus. The area boasts the best of lakeside recreation, fine dining, artisan shops, cozy cafés, and biking the scenic Greenway Trails on your way to weekends of boating, skiing, paddle boarding, and more. The College offers more than 100 majors, minors, and concentrations as well as a variety of master’s programs to over 1,900 students.
Mercy University
Mercy University is a private nonsectarian college with a 66-acre main campus located in Dobbs Ferry, New York—25 miles from New York City—with branch campuses in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Yorktown Heights. Approximately 9,000 students are enrolled in five schools and over 90 degree and certificate programs led by faculty that include Fulbright Scholars, national best-selling authors, and leading experts. The University’s scenic, 66-acre campus is nestled along the Hudson River, just 30 minutes from Manhattan, giving students the best of both a small-town home and access to city life.
Mid-Atlantic Christian University
Mid-Atlantic Christian University is a private liberal arts and sciences university on a riverfront campus in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The heart of the University is its bachelor’s degrees but with the understanding that some students have academic goals beyond MACU, they also offer associate degrees and two certificate programs to a close-knit community of just over 130 students. Mid-Atlantic is located in a historic city on the banks of the Pasquotank River, only three blocks from the downtown business district and waterfront.
Ohio University
Ohio University is a comprehensive public university on a 1,800-acre campus in Athens, Ohio—75 miles southeast of Columbus. Named the best college town in the state, OHIO’s Athens campus—complete with its own golf course—offers a perfect combination of city life, rolling hills, flowing rivers, and a national forest, which provides access to hiking trails, camping locations, and more. The University also offers more than 250 programs and 500 student organizations to over 15,000 undergraduates.
Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma State University is a public comprehensive land-grant research university on an 840-acre main campus in Stillwater, Oklahoma—70 miles west of Tulsa. OSU is home to more than 35,000 students who benefit from 30 on-campus housing options, study abroad programs in over 50 countries, more than 500 clubs and organizations, diverse student associations, and dozens of intramural sports teams. Beyond campus, Stillwater offers outdoor activities at nearby Boomer Lake, local boutiques downtown, and iconic dining spots.
Saint John’s University
Saint John’s University is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college for men on a 2,500-acre campus in Collegeville, Minnesota—75 miles north of Minneapolis. The campus sits among the woods and by a lake—with hiking trails, a private beach, and paved biking paths—while also offering access to the St. Cloud metropolitan area only an hour away from campus. The University has a close partnership with the College of Saint Benedict, a women’s-only college, to offer more than 37 majors and 40 minors in 60 areas of study to their combined 3,218 undergraduate students.
SUNY Maritime College
SUNY Maritime College is a multipurpose public college for maritime and other related industries in Throggs Neck, New York. On a narrow peninsula bordered by the Long Island Sound and the East River, the 55-acre campus in is the perfect place for the College’s 1,800+ to learn through specialized academic courses and offerings. While this school may be in a less rural area than other schools, it’s the one that guarantees you maintain a life on the water because from here you can sail on a commercial vessel, design and build ships, restore ecosystems, and so much more.
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University of Illinois Springfield
The University of Illinois Springfield is a public comprehensive university in Springfield, Illinois—90 miles from St. Louis. UIS’s more than 4,000 students engage in the process of active teaching and learning through more than 100 degree-granting programs across four colleges. Springfield is home to more than 30 public parks for biking, hiking, disc golf, swimming, and more; Lake Springfield for boating, fishing, and water sports; and world-renown features like the botanical gardens, rose gardens, and two arboretums.
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont is a public comprehensive university on a 460-acre campus in Burlington, Vermont—220 miles northwest of Boston, 300 miles north of New York City, and 90 miles south of Montreal, Quebec. Just a mile from Lake Champlain, UVM students can take advantage of a beautiful waterfront park, a 12-mile bike path along the shore, and three beaches with stunning views. The University offers over 100 bachelor’s, 57 master’s, and 26 doctoral programs to 12,790 total students.
Viterbo University
Viterbo University is a Roman Catholic liberal arts university in La Crosse, Wisconsin—150 miles from the Minneapolis–St. Paul area. Viterbo offers more than 50 traditional and online academic programs to 2,400+ students, who also take advantage of the award-winning Identities Project program. The University's campus is close to thriving downtown La Crosse—home to live music events, shops, restaurants, theatre, and art—with the city nestled between scenic bluffs and the Mississippi River.
Not sure if lake life is your thing? That’s okay! You can explore even more colleges and universities in other beautiful locations with our lists of featured colleges by landscape.
