Indiana University Bloomington

IU Bloomington is a prototypical Big Ten social powerhouse — Greek life is massive with roughly 25% participation and outsized cultural influence, Kirkwood Avenue is a legitimate nightlife strip, and basketball season turns the entire town into a red-clad party. Little 500, the annual bike race immortalized in 'Breaking Away,' is the single biggest social weekend and rivals any college tradition in America. Academics range from the elite Kelley School of Business to more laid-back programs, so the pressure depends heavily on your major.

Consistently ranked among the top 10 most beautiful campuses in America, with virtually every building clad in locally quarried Indiana limestone creating extraordinary architectural unity. The woodland setting, generous green spaces, and styles ranging from Romanesque to mid-century modern all harmonize through the unifying limestone, earning the campus its own PBS documentary, 'Beautiful by Design.'