21 College Campuses That Look Like They Belong in Europe

13. Vassar College (Poughkeepsie, NY): French Flair & Gothic Grace

Vassar offers a fascinating blend, most famously with its Main Building, designed by James Renwick Jr. with inspiration drawn directly from the Tuileries Palace in Paris, lending a distinct Second Empire grandeur. This French château feel is complemented elsewhere by classic Collegiate Gothic structures, like the stunning Thompson Memorial Library with its intricate tracery and Perpendicular Gothic style tower. This unique architectural mix gives Vassar a distinctive character, merging continental palace elegance with the scholarly ambiance of English university design.