Baylor University No. 11 on U.S. News List of Beautiful College Campuses
Baylor noted for Georgian-style architecture, iconic landmarks from Pat Neff Hall to Old Main, even its football stadium along the Brazos River
Baylor University's historic Pat Neff Hall in the heart of campus. (Matthew Minard/Baylor University)
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After landing on notable lists by Architectural Digest and Condé Nast Traveler of America’s most beautiful college campuses, Baylor University has been recognized yet again for its campus beauty, this time among the nation’s 30 Beautiful College Campuses by U.S. News & World Report.
All three publications specifically noted the unified look of Baylor’s campus with its Georgian-style architecture and “Baylor Red” brick, as well as intricate details found both outside and inside many buildings across the University’s 1,000-acre campus. U.S. News also celebrated two of Baylor’s most iconic landmarks: Pat Neff Hall with its gold dome, green-and-gold lights and bell tower and Old Main with its familiar pyramidal spires, serving as markers of the historic heart of campus in Waco, Texas.
But beauty is more than buildings to U.S. News. The media outlet remarked on the “relaxing” feel of Baylor’s outdoor spaces, and even the picturesque beauty of McLane Stadium, a 45,000-seat stadium that sits along the Brazos River, “making for a unique tailgating and football game-day experience.”
In addition to U.S. News, the Arbor Day Foundation named Baylor University a Tree Campus Higher Education institution for its long history of planting, caring for and celebrating the hundreds of majestic trees across campus. In a recent Southern Living article about Waco’s “Creative Renaissance—Here's Why It Belongs On Your 2026 Travel List,” the magazine also noted Baylor’s beautiful campus – “sprawling with Georgian buildings and grand oak-lined paths” – as one of the must-see historic places to visit in Waco.
“It’s easy to take this part of the Baylor experience for granted – the daily walks across our beautiful campus grounds, among classic architecture and more modern styles, dotted by stately live oaks,” said Jason Cook, vice president for marketing and communications and chief marketing officer. “External recognition helps remind us that what we have here at Baylor University – a beautiful home-like campus that combines our Christian mission and academic excellence, vibrant campus life and Power 4 athletics – is, indeed, truly special.”
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.