Going to university can be the most magical experience in one’s life. The only thing that could possibly make it more magical is going to a magical place. And what could be a more magical place than the fabled Hogwarts itself! The Harry Potter series has captured the public imagination for decades on end, exploring the possibilities of the unreal and popularising witchcraft and fantasy amongst the mainstream. Here, we look at universities that resemble Hogwarts to shed light on your magical dreams.
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Oxford University in the UK is not only a high-ranking university, renowned across the world, but also has a magical charm to it! It is one of the most Hogwarts-like universities you could find. Several scenes of the Harry Potter movies were shot in spots across the University, one being the Bodleian library. The Great Hall where Harry, Hermione, Ron, and others dine was even inspired by the huge dining hall in Oxford. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the actors actually dine at the Great Hall of Christchurch College, Oxford University!
Some spaces at the University of Vienna are capable of making one feel like they are in Hogwarts! The stairwells look like the moving staircases connecting the floors of Hogwarts. Thankfully, these stairwells don’t move and your chances of being late to a meeting due to staircase mishaps are slim. The library at the University also looks quite like the library at Hogwarts. If you look closely, you might even find a forbidden section!
J.K Rowling, the architect of Hogwarts in the mind of all her readers, studied in Porto, a city in Portugal. It is thought that The University of Coimbra in Portugal inspired Rowling to dream up Hogwarts while she was there.
The University of Edinburgh is deeply reminiscent of the structures of Hogwarts. The Gothic architecture around the campus will remind any Potterhead of the buildings of Hogwarts. Interestingly, much of the city of Edinburgh is also similar to the world Rowling has created, because of its Gothic architecture. Diagon Alley was inspired by the city’s Victoria Street and J.K Rowling even wrote many parts of the books in cafes across the city of Edinburgh.
Scotland is also home to the University of Glasgow, another university with a striking resemblance to Hogwarts. The campus is located on a lush hilltop, much like Hogwarts, and is filled with lawns and Gothic edifices that remind one of the school of witchcraft and wizardry where Dumbledore was headmaster. The courtyards and halls of the University also look like those of Hogwarts and the streets made of cobblestone make the place feel straight out of a Harry Potter scene.
The University of Chicago is located in Hyde Park. This school is constructed in a Gothic style too, lending resemblance to Hogwarts. The university is located in a busy city, unlike Hogwarts but one can always find peaceful and quiet pockets of space across the vast campus and hop right into the magical world of Harry Potter.
The buildings of Drew University are not only crafted in a Gothic style but are covered with ivy! One could certainly imagine students in black robes scuttling between Configuration and Charms class and stressing about their upcoming OWLS on this beautiful campus.
Bryn Mawr is a liberal arts college for women, located in Pennsylvania, US. Although the fact that is a women’s college might remind you of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic that Fleur Delacour studied in, the physical space resembles Hogwarts! Bryn Mawr’s buildings are styled in a Gothic form, akin to the tall buildings of the Hogwarts Castle.
Boston College is another university that resembles Hogwarts. The campus is expansive and its interiors look strikingly similar to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It shouldn’t be too hard to picture students flying on broomsticks here!
On our blog, you will also read more about the hardest degrees in the world.
