Princeton Review Names Hudson Valley University Top 25 Most Beautiful

The Hudson Valley is rich with a number of colleges and universities, so it should be no surprise that many of our local higher education institutions are constantly receiving recognition. From academic offerings and student achievements, to student leadership, campus facilities, and everything in between, you'll see Hudson Valley based institutions popping up across so many categories.

A Poughkeepsie College recently earning University status received notable recognition based on their beauty.

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Marist University Recognized For Beauty

Perhaps you recently passed by Marist University on your way to the Dutchess County Fair, or maybe it has been a while since you were in the area of this Poughkeepsie school that just this year earned University status. One thing that hasn't changed when it comes to Marist, is the stunning backdrop that surrounds the school.

Marist was recently named one of the 25 Most Beautiful campuses in America, appearing in The Princeton Review publication of The Best 391 Colleges. Coming in at number 25, the ranking is based on real student ratings of the beauty of their campuses.

As demonstrated in the photos shown here, it doesn't matter the season, the views outside a Marist University window are simply picture perfect.

Metrics for how the ranking (for beauty and all of The Princeton Review's list) are based on what students who attend the schools report about their experiences and feelings.

We tallied the rankings lists in the current edition of The Best 391 Colleges (published August 2025) based on the data from our surveys of 170,000 students at the 391 schools in the book. Our student survey has 98 questions in four sections. We ask students about: 1) their school's academics/administration, 2) life at their college, 3) their fellow students, and 4) themselves.

Marist College, Now University

In late 2024, the official news was released about an upcoming 'name change' at Marist. Known as Marist College for nearly 100 years (2029 will mark the centennial), effective January 2025, the school officially became a University. According to a statement from the university during the transition from college to university:

As we expand our global reach, the name Marist University provides important clarity to prospective international students, who typically associate the word 'college' with secondary education, while also highlighting the strength of our graduate programs. University designation will ensure every person fully appreciates the range of our degree and certificate programs, along with the rich array of academic and co-curricular experiences we offer our students.

Marist offers nearly 50 majors across six academic schools, and is home to more than 6,000 students at both the undergraduate and graduate level.