Georgia college campus named second most beautiful in the nation

Not everyone picks their college based on the beauty of its campus, but being surrounded by “perfectly manicured lawns, stunning architecture and noteworthy landmarks” can certainly be a bonus.

Having a beautiful campus can attract tourists in addition to prospective students. In its annual ranking, Travel and Leisure named the top 25 U.S. colleges and universities based on the above criteria.

Ten of the 25 are in the South, but only one is in Georgia.

Berry College, near Rome, ranked No. 2 this year, behind Stanford University in California.

According to T&L, Berry isn’t just lovely. It “holds a lofty record: It’s the world’s largest contiguous college campus, with more than 27,000 acres of fields, lakes, forests, and mountains. Berry makes prime use of its setting too, with numerous reflecting pools and fountains situated nearby its beautiful English Gothic-inspired buildings like the Ford Dining Hall, Ford Auditorium, and Mary Hall, made possible by the school’s largest benefactor, Henry Ford.”

Berry has made the list of most beautiful campuses for more than a decade. Those who know about the college visit to check out its history too.

The 40 miles of trails at Berry College are worth exploring, but at the back of Berry’s grounds is the Old Mill, built in 1930.

“During 1985, physical plant staff and student volunteers restored the mechanism and made grinding of corn meal once again possible. The Old Mill is operated on special occasions such as Mountain Day. When available, the Oak Hill Gift Shop sells cornmeal ground at the Old Mill,” Berry’s website states.

School kids and bird lovers throughout the nation are also fans of the college’s eagle cameras, which track a feathered pair of bald eagles when they return each season. Thousands have watched, via the cameras, as new eaglets were born on the campus.

The nine other Southern colleges to make the list were: