32 Hidden College Campuses That Look Like Something Out of a Dream

14. Deep Springs College (California, USA): Ranch Life & Radical Intellect

Perhaps the most unusual college in America, Deep Springs is an all-male (historically, now transitioning) two-year institution on a remote cattle ranch in the California high desert. Around 25-30 students engage in rigorous academics (transferring to top universities) while also performing demanding ranch labor and practicing intense self-governance. This extreme isolation, demanding physical work, and profound intellectual community creates an unparalleled, almost monastic environment focused on developing character, leadership, and a unique perspective entirely removed from mainstream society.