50 Colleges That Rival Ivy League Campuses in Beauty

34. University of Montana – Wilderness Meets Academia

If your idea of the perfect college setting includes wide-open skies, towering mountains, and endless trails, the University of Montana in Missoula delivers in spades. Flanked by the Clark Fork River on one side and Mount Sentinel on the other, the campus offers a front-row seat to some of the most majestic landscapes in the American West. The iconic “M” trail winds up the mountainside, giving adventurous students a chance to hike between classes with panoramic views of the valley below. The campus itself is anchored by historic red-brick buildings that evoke a sense of timelessness, while the surrounding environment invites exploration—from kayaking and fly fishing to stargazing under crystal-clear night skies. In fall, golden aspens and cottonwoods ignite the riverbanks with color, and in winter, snow blankets the peaks in quiet majesty. The University of Montana isn't just a place to earn a degree—it's a place to live fully immersed in nature, where intellectual and environmental curiosity go hand in hand.