Colleges That Feel Like Hogwarts

"You're a wizard, Harry." You are still waiting for an owl to deliver your middle school acceptance letter. It likely got lost in the mail. But you can still spend four years living in a castle. You do not need a wand to feel the magic of these campuses. Some American colleges trade modern glass for stone towers and hidden courtyards. They feature gargoyles on the walls and long wooden tables in the dining halls. If you want to study by candlelight under a vaulted ceiling, these schools are for you.

Bryn Mawr College (PA)

Bryn Mawr is famous for its "Collegiate Gothic" style. The buildings have gray stone walls and narrow windows. The Thomas Great Hall looks exactly like a wizarding dining room. It has high ceilings and dark wood carvings. Students even hold traditional lantern-lighting ceremonies that feel like ancient rituals.

Yale University (CT)

Yale is the closest thing to a medieval city in the United States. The university has hidden courtyards and iron gates. Sterling Memorial Library looks more like a cathedral than a place to store books. Many of the residential colleges have their own dining halls with long wooden tables and stone fireplaces.

The University of Chicago (IL)

This campus is full of ivy-covered stone and gargoyles. The Hutchinson Commons was actually modeled after Christ Church at Oxford. That is the same hall they used to film scenes in the Harry Potter movies. It features high rafters and portraits of past leaders on the walls.

Rhodes College (TN)

Located in Memphis, Rhodes College is built entirely in the Gothic style. Every building uses the same type of stone. Even the newer buildings match the old ones. It creates a very consistent look. The campus is small and wooded, which adds to the mysterious feel.

You do not need a flying car or a train ticket from Platform 9-3/4 to find these places. Just pack your trunk and pick a campus that feels like home. Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you, but these colleges are ready to welcome you now.