5 Most Scenic College Campuses Near Detroit

College campuses are well-known throughout the country as some of the most scenic places in a state. Michigan is home to a number of some of the top schools in the country, including the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. But the Mitten State and Detroit area also boast of a number of smaller schools that are just as beautiful in their own right, though perhaps not as publicly-known as larger schools.

Michigan State University
220 Trowbridge Road
East Lansing, MI 48824
(517) 355-1855
www.msu.edu

The original land grant university, Michigan State University is everything that a beautiful college campus should be. Founded on the principles of good agriculture and stunning grounds, MSU originally got its start in East Lansing, focused on all things scenic. The campus, which makes up more than 5,000 acres and the bulk of the city itself, is home to more variety of trees than any other campus in the United States, which in a country of beautiful college campuses, says it all right there. Since 1855, Michigan State University has been perfecting their campus, and students who have strolled through the grounds have been grateful ever since.

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
500 S. State St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
(734) 764-1817
www.umich.edu

The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor may be a perfect blend of urban oasis and wooded scenery. Ann Arbor itself is a large city, and plopped right in the center of it all is the U of M campus, giving students an interesting mixture of the city and natural settings. Unlike Michigan State's campus, which is separated from the rest of the city, Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan are interspersed, giving visitors a seamless quality to what happens on campus. Ann Arbor in the fall is one of Metro Detroit's natural highlights each year and can be appreciated by more than just the students on campus.

To see the total beauty and splendor of Detroit from many different angles, there really is no better spot than the campus of Wayne State University. Nestled into the Midtown and Cass Corridor districts of Detroit, Wayne State University may have a smaller campus than schools like U of M and MSU, but their urban setting is perfect for students and visitors who want to get a taste for the city life while still staying close to academia. Although WSU is surrounded by city, what they lack for in organic beauty, they certainly make up for in urban scenery with a perfect view of the splendid Detroit skyline always just to the south.

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Rochester is renowned in Metro Detroit for its many, many trees and lush landscapes, and the campus of Oakland University is lucky enough to be a major part of that. While not as big of a campus as some of the other schools in the state, Oakland University is home to a very beautiful landscape, and the outer perimeter of the school is surrounded by the amazing scenery Rochester has to offer. With over 1,000 acres, a natural forest surround and the scenic Meadow Brook Hall, OU is a great place to get some good natural scenic views on a college campus.

The area of Mt. Pleasant is home to two things for Detroiters: casinos and the Central Michigan Chippewas. Mt. Pleasant is a wonderful campus that has the incredible surroundings of the northern parts of the lower peninsula. Much like the campus of Michigan State University, Central Michigan's campus is more enclosed with a lush interior and surrounded by a number of hilly and beautiful scenic sights.

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