10 of the Best US Universities by the Sea

Heading to the other side of the US for the next of our top US universities by the sea, the Big Apple’s Columbia University is currently ranked 22^nd in the world and is just one of the many well-respected universities New York City has to offer. Located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Columbia University was founded in 1754 and is known for its groundbreaking research in medicine and science, as well as the arts and humanities. This huge, iconic city has 14 miles of beaches and 28,000 acres of parkland, and has been described as the cultural and financial capital of the world.

Back to California, the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) is currently ranked 44^th in the world and is part of the renowned University of California public university system. Its main campus can be found in the laid-back residential area of La Jolla (Spanish for The Jewel), 12 miles north from the city center of San Diego. La Jolla has some of the area’s most popular beaches and spectacular views, and is ideal for fans of watersports. Although somewhat overlooked compared to the likes of Los Angeles, San Diego has been nicknamed ‘America's Finest City’ for its fantastic sunny weather and extensive beaches.

More commonly associated with beautiful colonial architecture and lush green spaces, Yale University (ranked 15^th in the world) in New Haven, Connecticut, is actually a stone’s throw from a beach. The city’s Lighthouse Point Park is a peaceful place to relax outside of study hours, while the city of New Haven has been described as “large enough to be interesting, yet small enough to be friendly”. Despite being one of the northernmost US universities on this list (along with the University of Washington), it still enjoys hot summers. It’s also in a good position for a trip to New York City during your studies.

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is ranked 27^th in the world and currently has around 43,300 students. It received a record number of 119,000 applicants for fall 2016, no doubt attracted by the university’s highly regarded education as well as its position in one of the cultural capitals of the US, with Los Angeles particularly well known for being the center of the American film and television industry. As in San Diego, sunshine is guaranteed pretty much all year round, and there are many beautiful beaches to choose from – with the famous Venice Beach described as “a cultural hub known for its eccentricities”.

Texas A&M University at Galveston is a branch campus of Texas A&M University, which is ranked 159^th in the world. The Galveston campus is unique in specializing in marine and maritime programs, offering everything from marine biology to marine systems engineering, making it ideal for students who not only want to study by the sea, but are fascinated by it. Students of the Galveston campus are affectionately known as ‘Sea Aggies’ and share the same benefits as students of the main campus at College Station. Galveston itself is an attractive coastal city with a historic pleasure pier and great beaches, and is located about 40 miles south of the state’s largest city, Houston.

Although not technically located by the sea, Chicago is a good next-best option, since it overlooks the huge Lake Michigan. This means that the University of Chicago, ranked 10^th in the latest QS World University Rankings, is still a good choice for beach lovers. North Avenue Beach is considered the premier and most popular beach in the city, while the Promontory Point peninsula offers fantastic views of the city’s skyline and is also popular with swimmers and sunbathers. The university is highly regarded across a wide range of subjects, and is home to around 15,700 students. The city of Chicago itself was ranked joint 30^th in the QS Best Student Cities 2016.

We couldn’t not include an option from Hawaii! The University of Hawai'i at Mañoa is ranked joint 327^th in the latest QS World University Rankings. Hawaii’s location is ideal for those who want to get away from it all – it’s some 2,000 miles away from the southwest coast of the US mainland. The University of Hawai’i is located in the state capital of Honolulu on the Oahu island, with the campus just minutes away from the attractive beachfront town of Waikiki and other attractions. Founded in 1907, the university is the flagship campus of the University of Hawai’i System and offers unique research opportunities and a diverse student community.