There is nothing more quintessentially college than studying outside on a quad framed with academic-looking buildings and fall leaves. When choosing a school, things like academics, finances, location and student activities often take a front seat. But what about the way colleges look?
If you plan on attending a four-year institution, you better make sure your surrounding environment won't become an eyesore.
Here are some of the most beautiful -- and ugliest -- of Illinois' college campuses, according to various websites' rankings from thrillist.com, thebestcolleges.org, theprospect.net and complex.com.
Estimated tuition and fees for in-state, undergraduate students for the 2014-15 academic year are included, though room and board, meal plans, textbooks, etc. are not.
Most beautiful:
4. Loyola University Chicago - Chicago, Ill.
Estimated tuition and fees for 2014-15 (per semester): $19,131
About Loyola University Chicago:
- Founded as a private Jesuit university by the Roman Catholic Society of Jesus in 1870, Loyola University Chicago is the largest Jesuit university in the United States.
- Situated between Evanston and Chicago. Loyola's main campus, the Lake Shore Campus, is adjacent to Lake Michigan.
3. Northwestern University - Evanston, Ill.
Estimated tuition and fees for 2014-15 (per quarter): $15,735
About Northwestern:
- Private institution founded in 1853 to serve, what was called at the time, the "Northwest Territory," which includes Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and parts of Minnesota.
- Located in Evanston just north of Chicago and along the squally shore of Lake Michigan.
- Some parts of NU's campus mirrors late 1800′s architecture, otherwise known as the "historical side," whereas other areas of campus exhibit the Brutalist architecture that was popular in the U.S. from the 1950s until mid-1970s.
Ugliest:
3. University of Illinois at Chicago - Chicago, Ill.
Estimated tuition and fees for 2014-15 (per semester): $7,294
About University of Illinois at Chicago:
- Formed in 1982 after the consolidation of two U of I campuses.
- Located in Chicago, the campus bares the Brutalist architecture that makes the school seem more like a prison than a public university.
2. Illinois Institute of Technology - Chicago, Ill.
Estimated tuition and fees for 2014-15 (per semester): $20,502
About Illinois Institute of Technology:
- Founded in 1890, the ultra modern look of the Illinois Institute of Technology's new buildings makes the campus seem like one big office park, according to the Complex. Perhaps the high-tech, modern feel of IIT lacks college appeal.
See which schools earned the monikers of most beautiful and ugliest in the state at Reboot Illinois.
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