UW News

November 10, 2014

UW top tier among best-landscaped West Coast colleges

The UW and other Washington schools hog half the spots on a new list of the West Coast’s 10 best-landscaped colleges, with the UW coming in at No. 4.

UW Quad in spring.

UW Quad in spring.Mary Levin/U of Washington

The amount of green space, unique landscaping and attention to lawns earned the UW its ranking. The list was created by inspecting hundreds of photos, interviewing students, alumni and faculty, and scanning message boards.

The accompanying website shows an image of the Quad and says: “University of Washington, a ‘public ivy’ and one of our nation’s top research institutions, hits our list at #4 – and with good reason. With their ‘boat-gating’ and their metropolitan location, it may come as a surprise that UW is covered in illustrious turf. Its quad is a famous feat of landscaping, and their campus has been the backdrop of numerous movies.”

Other Washington schools on the list compiled by the firm LawnStarter were Whitman, ranked No. 3, Gonzaga University, Pacific Lutheran University and Washington State University. There were four California schools on the list – with Stanford claiming the No. 1 spot overall– and one Oregon school.