Where You Can Walk Straight Onto the Beach

What do you think of when you hear the word "university"? For some, it'll be hallowed halls of intellectual discussion built inside beautiful, gothic, stone buildings. For others, it's big football games and tailgates on the lawn. For others still, it's big scientific research equipment in state-of-the-art laboratories. College means a lot of things to a lot of people, but you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who thinks of beaches and rolling waves when it comes to universities.

That's because beachfront schools are a real rarity, but that doesn't mean they don't exist! Today, we're going to be looking at a few schools near the ocean, and even a few that are right on it. If you're looking to shred some crazy waves, play some real beach volleyball, or even just chill out in the sun for the next four years, read on because we've got the colleges that are just right for you.

The List

Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL

The archetypal beachfront college, Florida Gulf Coast University-or FGCU-sits right along the gulf coast of Florida, so you know the beaches are top shelf. But don't think you'll have to drive anywhere to get your beach on because at FGCU, they have their own beach called the FGCU Waterfront. Yeah, you read that right. Students can go chill out on the sand and sunbathe if that's all they're after, but they can also rent boating equipment, kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, etc. directly from the school, making water sports extremely accessible for all students.

With a decently sized campus of almost 14,000 students and a 77% admission rate, this school is pretty achievable for a whole range of students. If a school with a campus beachfront located in one of the country's premiere vacation regions sounds up your alley, check out FGCU today on College Rover.

Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL

Eckerd is another Florida college sitting right on the waterfront and-not unrelatedly-located in one of the country's biggest vacation towns. Their 100-yard white sand beach is called South Beach, and they're rightly proud of it, asking a rather provocative question on their website: "Who needs Miami?" If nothing else, it's pretty obvious that Eckerd College is a school that knows how to party and boogie down at the beach.

Fortunately, there is a good bit else. With a great study abroad program, a cozy size of under 2,000 students, and a comfortable acceptance rate, Eckerd College might just be the perfect college for you.

University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA

What? A Southern California college with easy beach access? Has Hell frozen over? We're kidding of course. Nowhere in America outside of Hawai'i is as associated with surf culture as much as Southern California, and UC Santa Barbara-with it's comfortable 37% acceptance rate and laid back atmosphere-provides a perfect spot for people to go chill out on the sand as well as hit the waves on their Campus Point Beach. Campus Point Beach is known as a surf beach perfect for beginners, which is a lucky break for everyone moving to California from far and wide hoping to get in on the famous surf culture of the region.

And like all UC schools, Santa Barbara excels in more ways than just great beach access. Stellar academics, a beautiful campus, and tons of networking opportunities in one of the country's biggest regions (and only a road trip away from Hollywood!), UC Santa Barbara is an amazing place for surfers and non-surfers alike.

University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI

It seems like we really write about this school a lot. Wonder why! With just about the most perfect location in the world (situated right in the heart of paradise) and undisputed status as a research powerhouse (one of only a few schools in the country to have federal land-, sea-, and space-grants), UH at Manoa is an absolute dream of a school. Oh yeah, it's also right by Waikiki Beach, arguably the most famous surfing beach in the world. And if the waves aren't for you, who among us would judge you for just relaxing on the sand or hitting up the clubs in downtown Honolulu just nearby?

As mentioned, we write about this school a lot. From great foreign language classes to literal scholarships for competitive gaming (we're serious), UH at Manoa might just be the perfect school for you if you want your college experience to be slightly off-the-beaten path.

University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI

Even if less traditionally beachy than its counterparts in more tropical regions, the University of Rhode Island has a campus beach all the same at its Narragansett Bay campus and plenty of beaches near to the main campus in Kingston. There are probably plenty of people for whom a beach is a beach, but for most, a cold New England beach isn't quite the image of beautiful tropical relaxation as a Florida or California beach, so maybe don't expect big waves or killer surfing. Regardless, the University of Rhode Island takes plenty of pride in its beaches and puts them to great use with plenty of classes and research programs oriented around the beach. What does this mean in practice? Depending on how you set up your schedule, beach time and class time could be one in the same.

And as a public university with a high acceptance rate of 76%, the University of Rhode Island is a totally achievable goal. Don't expect your beach time to feel like a tropical vacation, but definitely consider this great public university if you can see yourself loving the shore in and outside of the classroom.

Coastal Carolina University, Conway, SC

We're rounding out our list with a Southern school that might serve as a great midpoint between the tropical surfing beaches of Florida and Southern California and the more temperate beaches of the Northeast. Coastal Carolina University has developed a well-deserved reputation for killer Division 1 athletics, and its superb location near the classic vacation destination of Myrtle Beach makes it no surprise that it's been able to attract loads of talented athletes. And like the University of Rhode Island, they put the nearby beaches to good use with excellent marine sciences programs that put students directly on the shore during their studies.

They sport an acceptance rate of around 70% and a relatively small class size of 9,500, so it's another pretty accessible option for prospective students. They've got plenty of great academic programs, and their athletics are no joke. Like the rest of the schools on this list, you shouldn't use their access to the beach as the deciding factor, but luckily CCU has plenty else to recommend it for a variety of students.

How College Rover Can Help

Proximity to the beach can only be one factor among many when deciding where you'll spend the next four years, and while it's easy to figure out which schools have the best beaches, it's not as easy figuring out, well, everything else! That's why we made College Rover where you can compare all of your top colleges using all of the metrics that matter to you with the best data available. Whatever you need to know to figure out this process, chances are we've got it. Clink that link today!