College and university campuses are filled with students from many diverse cultures and backgrounds. Among those college students there are many who are good looking, and there are many who exhibit intellectual prowess. However, charm and brainpower may not always reside on the same campus with a few rare exceptions.
25 Top Ranked Schools Where Grandeur and Intelligence Combine
According to data collected by Niche (formerly known as College Prowler), an American company headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, that runs a ranking and review site, Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah, the largest religious university in the country, is ranked as the top school where students with both beauty and intellect can be found. Other schools which were ranked include liberal arts colleges, large state universities, and everything in between.
The top 25 schools ranked according to Niche’s data are listed in the table below. Also included are student comments which were taken from the Business Insider article titled “25 Colleges Where Students are both Hot and Smart.”
| Ranking | Name of School | Student Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | University of Wisconsin – Madison | “I love my dorm neighbor guys. I have a ton of guy friends and guys I can study with. Smart and cute is a great combination!” |
| 24 | Middlebury College | “Not only are the people at Middlebury superficially beautiful and fit, but they’re also hard working, brilliant, interesting and engaging individuals who are passionate about something.” |
| 23 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | “The people you meet is really up to you. If you’re into Greek people, then you’ll most-likely get upper class, preppy, and sometimes snooty people. If you try to meet others outside of the Greek scene, then you’re most-likely to get a more diverse range of people, which could include people who are nice, geeky, etc.” |
| 22 | California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo | “I am generally impressed with the individuals I meet on campus. They are smart, outgoing, and easy to get along with. This goes for both guys and girls.” |
| 21 | Bucknell University | “Brains, Brawns, & Bills – Bucknell boys and girls are generally attractive, fit, intelligent, fun, friendly, and wealthy.” |
| 20 | Biola University | “Be prepared to think and have more questions than answers. They work you here and you will reevaluate what you believe and why you believe it. This is not a place for indoctrination; this is a place of theological, personal, and intellectual transformation.” |
| 19 | Wesleyan University | “Sure there are lots of hipsters, but these hipsters do care about stuff. Stuff ranging from just their clothes to (of course) the environment to philosophy and even math. The social life is hoppin’ every night and most people are friendly. There is a certain amount of pretentiousness but it doesn’t get out of hand. Also, important note: there are so many attractive people (male and female on this campus it’s almost overwhelming… almost).” |
| 18 | University of California, Los Angeles | “The students at UCLA are very diverse, but a majority of the students are very attractive, interested in social events and sports, and also very focused on their studies.” |
| 17 | University of California, Santa Barbara | “Guys and girls at UCSB have a reputation for being super attractive and smart. There are all kinds of people at UCSB but people tend to dress relaxed and beachy during the day, and casual sexy at night. The culture and location here reflects the way people dress and present themselves.” |
| 16 | Wake Forest University | “The typical student is the typical overachiever who is completely stressed during the week but then everyone cuts loose on Wake Wednesdays and the weekend which makes up for the high pressure academically. There is a mix of Southern and Northern brands but definitely buy cowboy boots and bring sundresses/buttondowns and ties for tailgates!” |
| 15 | Brigham Young University – Idaho | “The people are conservative in appearance and nature. The girls always wear clothing that is modest, meaning not much skin showing, but are very attractive. The Norm is to be friendly and helpful with everyone. Generally the interests are related to; the outdoors, church, and laser tag.” |
| 14 | Miami University – Oxford, Ohio | “Miami, yes, is known for good-looking people, with good reason. Campus guys and girls are generally very attractive and keep themselves up-to-date on the latest trends and fashion. That being said, Miami tends to have a certain stereotype, ‘J.Crew U,’ but it is not uncommon for most students to wear jeans to class.” |
| 13 | Yale University | “Not only are they hot, they are smart! I am partial to the people at Yale because the impression that I got was that they were much more down to earth and relaxed than people I’ve been introduced to before.” |
| 12 | Boston College | “People at BC are very attractive and very desirable. They’re often the whole package. However, BC is a hookup school, not a dating school. That can be tough in 4 years when all your high-school friends have long-term relationships from college but you graduated single.” |
| 11 | University of Miami – Coral Gables, Florida | “Students at Miami are known for being attractive. There are quite a number of students into athletics. However, quite a number of students are also very studious.” |
| 10 | Santa Clara University | “All the guys and girls at Santa Clara are super attractive. Everyone is friendly, good looking and intelligent. There are always a few exceptions and you do find some weirdos but in general, people are extremely attractive. My friends and I joke its an admission requirement!” |
| 9 | University of Southern California | “I love USC because there is a variety of people who attend. Everyone is an over-achiever but they can also be a great support system.” |
| 8 | Howard University | “Howard University, is an HBCU with style, class, personality and diversity. The guys and girls are good looking people, starting with their fashion first. Fashion is a big part of Howard culture meaning that most guys and girls are very fashionable.” |
| 7 | Colgate University | “The vast majority of people at Colgate are very well put-together and preppy (and also usually really good looking). Students are also pretty well-rounded and like to participate actively in campus life. Students are hard-working when it comes to classes but they also work pretty hard to keep an active social life!” |
| 6 | Vanderbilt University | “You’ll find a lot of different people at Vandy but the majority of girls and guys are preppy and good-looking. We get a lot of northern people and they definitely bring their style down here. Expect Sperry’s, sundresses, pastel polos, and cowboy boots. Despite the ‘Vandy Girl’ stereotype, girls are smart and the fratty boys are smart too. All are friendly!” |
| 5 | Stanford University | “There is a HUGE range of people here at Stanford, even more than at most other schools, so unless you’re a recluse and don’t ever get out or do much, you’ll have no trouble finding hotties of every shape, size, talent, hobby, personality, and sexual orientation. Trust me. When I first got into Stanford I was really afraid that everyone here would be a super awkward nerd or a huge snob, but the complete opposite is the case.” |
| 4 | Georgetown University | “There’s a sporty atmosphere so quite a few students hit the gym often; however, the library is never empty (and the 2nd floor study space’s coffee shop makes it a social hangout). Most social interactions take place through clubs and campus groups (ask any Georgetown student what they’re involved in on-campus and you’ll get a list of at least 4 clubs and/or a sports team). The campus groups are often the ones hosting the parties, but at the same time, they give you a chance to know guys and girls pretty well through daytime activities.” |
| 3 | University of Virginia | “UVA has a lot of very, very attractive people. It has a reputation for having students that are stuck up, but that’s surprisingly not the case. The fact that people here are ridiculously good looking has not made them jerks. Most people are down to earth and friendly.” |
| 2 | Pacific Union College | “Because we are such a diverse school, you will find guys and girls from all over the world. This just allows you to go out of your dating comfort zone, you are to open to a ton of new cultures. You are never limited to the kind of people you can date.” |
| 1 | Brigham Young University – Provo, Utah | “Mormons are attractive. I don’t know why but they are. And smart. Everyone is hot and smart here and it’s crazy! They can come off as a little judgmental, but most of them aren’t, they just seem like it because they’re stereotyped that way.” |
Someone has wisely said, “Beauty alone is not impressive. Put an Attitude to be attractive and add Brain to be sophisticated.” This is a statement that is sincerely echoed by the students attending the top 25 schools that have been ranked as having students who are both good looking and intellectual.
Keith L. Brown is a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, having been born and raised Baptist. He was studying to be a Baptist minister at the time of his conversion to the LDS faith. He was baptized on 10 March 1998 in Reykjavik, Iceland while serving on active duty in the United States Navy in Keflavic, Iceland. He currently serves as the First Assistant to the High Priest Group for the Annapolis, Maryland Ward. He is a 30-year honorably retired United States Navy Veteran.
