A series of lists ranking the MIAC schools with Bethel in different ways.

By Ally O’Neil

Disclaimer: This ranking does not reflect any sort of MIAC standings or the opinions of anyone other than the reporter.

#1 Carleton College —

1. Aesthetic: Building structure has a Victorian aesthetic, which adds class to the campus.
2. Names: “The Bald Spot”, which lies in the middle of the campus, is a funny name for an outdoor courtyard.
3. Location: Northfield, MN
4. Building proximity to each other/dorms: They’re spread out, but not too far, which makes it easy to manage how long it takes to get from one class to another.
5. Uniqueness factor: Carleton has a dome observatory which is used for classes and open houses for people to view the solar system with resident astronomers.

#2 Bethel University — (Obviously, Bethel had to be close to the top because building aesthetics were important to me in my search for a campus.)

1. Aesthetic: The brick exterior gives the outside a rustic look, which continues into Brushaber Commons, creating a modern-rustic theme.
2. Names: It’s hard to keep track of all the buildings, with names like AC, CC, CLC. It’s easy to get them confused.
3. Location: Arden Hills, MN
4. Building proximity to each other/dorms: All academic buildings are connected which makes it easy to get from one class to the other. Most dorms are about a five-minute walk to the main building unless you live in North Village, then the trek is a little longer.
5. Uniqueness factor: One of the unique factors of this campus is all the academic buildings are connected as one whole building.

#3 Augsburg University —

1. Aesthetic: Augsburg exudes modern architecture that fits in with the city of Minneapolis.
2. Names: There are two buildings with Anderson as its name, a residence hall, and the music hall, making them relatively unoriginal.
3. Location: Minneapolis, MN: Near the Mississippi River, making for great sunrise or sunset photos using the exquisite skyline.
4. Building proximity between each other/dorms: All buildings are in close proximity, one side is connected with skyline walkway to the other.
5. Uniqueness factor: Nothing special on these grounds.

#4 Gustavus Adolphus College —

1. Aesthetic: Gustavus continues to update buildings, creating a contemporary look to the architecture.
2. Names: Out of the other schools, Gustavus is the only campus to have a building called Nobel Hall — a place meant to welcome royalty.
3. Location: St. Peter, MN
4. Building proximity to each other/dorms: When looking at the campus map, buildings are a good five minute what from one to the other.
5. Uniqueness factor: Eh, it’s a pretty ordinary campus.

#5 Concordia College-Moorehead —

1. Aesthetic: The stereotypical college campus. Looks older on the outside and the interior is updated.
2. Names: All the names are unique because Concordia has Norwegian influence.
3. Location: Fargo-Moorehead area
4. Building proximity to each other/dorms: Campus is separated by U.S. Highway 7, but the skyway allows students to cross from one side to the other.
5. Uniqueness factor: They have a Viking ship in one of their academic buildings.

#6 Hamline University —

1. Aesthetic: Campus is fairly modern, with some older buildings to  maintain it’s historic architecture.
2. Names: “Old Main” is named well, being one of the oldest buildings on campus.
3. Location: St. Paul, MN: Plenty of options for takeout and a coffee shop right down the street.
4. Building proximity to each other/dorms: Everything is the same two blocks radius, making it easy to locate everything.
5. Uniqueness factor: Hamline was a university before Minnesota became a state.

#7 University of St. Thomas —

1. Aesthetic: Cathedral architecture with a modern twist.
2. Names: The “Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas” brings back the good ‘ole memories of CWC, although I’m having trouble remembering what his historical  significance was…
3. Location: St. Paul, MN
4. Building proximity to each other/dorms: The campus is split by Cretin Ave, but there is no skyway available that connects the two sides.
5. Uniqueness factor:  No unique factor here.

#8 College of Saint Scholastica —

1. Aesthetic: The most prominent structure is the main building, Tower Hall, which stands above the campus.
2. Names: No names stand out here.
3. Location: Duluth, MN
4. Building proximity to each other/dorms: Nothing different here. Similar to other schools.
5. Uniqueness factor: They have a rock climbing wall in their wellness center.

#9 Macalester College —

1. Aesthetic: The architecture definitely has some Scottish influence.
2. Names: Unlike Carleton College, Macalester calls their outdoor courtyard “The Great Lawn”.
3. Location: St. Paul, MN
4. Building proximity to each other/dorms: Residence halls seem to be gathered in one area of campus, but an easy walk to the academic buildings.
5. Uniqueness factor: No uniqueness factor.

#10 St. Catherine University —

1. Aesthetic: Similar to previous schools, St. Kate’s has a cathedral influence in their architecture.
2. Names: Nothing interesting here.
3. Location: St. Paul, MN
4. Building proximity to each other/dorms: Similar to Bethel, St. Kate’s is more enclosed which means buildings are closer together.
5. Uniqueness factor: Pretty mundane, I will say.

#11 College on St. Benedict and St. John’s University  —

1. Aesthetic: Like some other institutions, the architecture resembles smaller castle structures.
2. Names: Nothing that sparked my interest.
3. Location: St. Joseph, MN; Collegeville, MN: St. John’s is slightly better because the lake almost surrounds the campus.
4. Building proximity to each other/dorms: The campuses are well spread out, which leaves curiosity for how long it takes to get from one building to another
5. Uniqueness factor: Nothing unique here.

#12 St. Mary’s University —

1. Aesthetic: Saint Mary’s is starting to update the look of their buildings, creating a more contemporary theme to the architecture.
2. Names: Nothing stood out here.
3. Location: Winona, MN: The highest college student population.
4. Building proximity to each other/dorms: I couldn’t find anything on their layout.
5. Uniqueness factor: Saint Mary’s has probably the most contemporary-looking clock tower I’ve ever seen, which looks a bit odd amidst the older buildings.

#13 St. Olaf College —

1. Aesthetic: The aesthetic is mixed. Some buildings are more modern in architecture and others show more history and character to the campus.
2. Names: They definitely have a Scandinavian influence.
3. Location: Northfield, MN
4. Building proximity to each other/dorms: Buildings are spread out but, residence halls are around campus so depending on where you live, it could be a long trek to get to classes.
5. Uniqueness factor: The campus has 100% carbon-free electrical power.