Best Colleges on the Beach East Coast

August 16, 2023

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Some college campuses are located right on the beach, giving you the frantic impression that you are still near the ocean, yet most students have less time to visit the beaches during the academic year.

For some college students, there might be better options than going to a school close to the ocean, though. Attending a landlocked college may be advantageous for students who have trouble managing time or have a tendency to overindulge in the exciting social scenes seen on some beaches.

This post is for you if you want to attend college close to the ocean and are considering the top colleges on the Beach East Coast.

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Table of Contents

How Much Do the Top Colleges on the Beach East Coast?

For a student living on campus, the average cost of attendance at an east coast coastal 4-year college is $25,707 each year, or $102,828 for four years.

Students from out of state must pay $43,421 year, or $173,684 over four years. Private, nonprofit university students shell out $54,501 annually, or $218,004 over four years.

Why Should you Enroll at the Colleges on the Beach East Coast?

A trip to the beach is the ideal study break. The perfect environment for relaxing and unwinding is created by the waves, sunshine, and sand. If the beach is close by, you and your pals might quickly grab your beach towels and unwind on the sand.

Whether you are a novice or an experienced outdoor enthusiast, there is much to do outside. Most seaside communities provide a wide range of outdoor activities that are only found there. There are many of chances to go hiking, camping, fishing, or renting a kayak for the day.

It’s a great location for majors in geography or fields related to water. Studying a range of subjects requires being close to water. Here are a few illustrations:

Water resource management and coastal engineering
Archaeology
Geology
Meteorology
Marine biology and sciences
Coastal engineering and the environment

While walking to and from courses, you won’t get cold. Those who attend college close to the seashore benefit greatly from the mild winters. You only need a lightweight jacket in the winter because the Gulf of Mexico keeps the temperature rather calm.

Excellent fresh fish is available. If you’ve never had freshly caught seafood, you’re losing out. College students can eat at one of the many delectable seafood eateries near the east beach coast.

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What Criteria do Colleges on the East Coast’s beaches have for Admission?

A high school diploma or GED, a list of certain high school courses, and minimum scores on an aptitude test are often requirements for admission to institutions on the east coast’s beaches. By school, different courses and minimum test scores are required.

Having the financial means to attend college is another criteria for admission, however many candidates can do so with the help of financial aid and student loans.

Qualifications for a Diploma

The 4-year college you are applying to need official transcripts from your high school and any other universities you have attended. Homeschooled kids are becoming welcome at 4-year institutions.

They might find the diploma component simpler if they enroll in a recognized school that oversees the curriculum and issues diplomas, or if they can submit a portfolio of their high school work. Also accepted is proof of a GED certificate.

If you have an associate’s degree or at least 60 college credits, many universities will eliminate the requirement for a high school diploma.

Required Coursework

On the beachy east coast, almost all colleges have particular educational prerequisites. The following high school courses ought to have been completed by you:

Lessons in English for four years
3 years of mathematics, focusing on algebra I, geometry, and algebra II
A foreign language for three years, unless you can demonstrate fluency.
Three years of science courses, at least one of which is a laboratory course
A little social science or history

Standardized Aptitude Tests

A standard four-year college and university entry exam is the SAT or ACT. The typical or recommended minimum scores for each college’s entering class are included in school descriptions in works like Barron’s Profiles of American College.

Some institutions place less value on standardized test results than on the caliber of the applicants’ high school coursework and GPAs.

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10 Best Colleges on the Beach East Coast

There are many benefits to traveling to the beach, despite the fact that many students choose to spend their undergraduate years among the flashing lights of the major metropolis.

Check out the best universities on the beach on the East Coast if you don’t like the bustle of the city and want to attend a university where the environment will be good for both your health and your resume.

1. California State University, Long Beach.

Over 3,200 peach trees may be found at California State University, Long Beach, which also provides a view of the ocean. From campus, pet owners can quickly travel to Rosie’s Dog Beach.

Eight colleges, including arts, engineering, education, liberal arts, business, health and human services, professional and international education, as well as natural sciences and mathematics, are available for CSULB students to choose from.

Students who are interested in participating in college sports can join a club team in one of the following five “marine” activities: crew, fishing, sailing, dragon boat racing, or surfing.

The university offers an outdoor pool on campus that students can use for free throughout the academic year if they can’t acquire enough water. For the academic year 2021–2022, in-state undergraduate tuition and fees were $6,846 and out-of-state undergraduate tuition and fees were $17,142.

2. Coastal Carolina University

The first four-year degree was granted by Coastal Carolina University in 1975 after it was founded in 1954 as Coastal Carolina Junior College. In order to offer undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees in marine science, CCU takes advantage of its closeness.

More than 150 campus clubs are available to students, and those who want to experience as much as possible can alternate beach outings with rounds at the school-affiliated golf course. One of the top beach colleges on the East Coast is this one.

For the academic year 2021–2022, in-state undergraduate tuition and fees are $11,640, while out-of-state undergraduate tuition and fees are $27,394.

3. Eckerd College

Compared to other East Coast colleges, Eckerd College may have a more substantial relationship with beaches. The waterfront campus of Eckerd College looks out over Boca Ciega Bay on Florida’s Gulf Coast and is home to a variety of natural plants and animals.

Students may use their I.D.s to check out sailboats, paddle boards, and water ski equipment at the exclusive school’s 100-yard white sand beach.

College students are encouraged to study abroad during the one-month January term, which comes after the four-month fall term and before the four-month spring term because of the college’s 4-1-4 academic schedule.

In the academic year 2021–2022, the total cost of undergraduate tuition and fees for all students was $47,000.

4. Florida Gulf Coast University

Florida Gulf Coast University is a different college located in a well-known tourist area. The 45-minute journey to the ocean may require assistance for even the busiest FGCU students, but they can leave campus to visit the school’s beach on an 80-acre lake.

Upper-class students have a choice of apartments on the beach or a gated neighborhood two miles inland with amenities including a sand volleyball court, a swimming pool, and a grill.

The university offers a primary, minor, and graduate school degree option in global water challenges, as well as an honors college.

In-state undergraduate tuition and fees in 2021–2022 were $6,118, while out-of-state undergraduate tuition and fees were $25,161.

5. Monmouth University

Students who wish to combine vacations to the beach and cities can do both at Monmouth University. It is only one hour from New York City and Philadelphia and is located on the Jersey Shore, less than a mile from the Atlantic Ocean.

Students can participate in a variety of extracurricular activities at Monmouth, a small, private university with a 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio. On campus, there are more than 125 clubs and organizations, including 20 Division 1 sports teams and 14 fraternities and sororities.

More than 200 five-year “Bachelor’s + Master’s” program options are available to students, and most of these allow them to receive graduate degree credits during their last year of undergraduate study. In 2021–2022, the total cost of undergraduate tuition and fees was $41,680.

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6. Salve Regina University

Students can walk to Belmont Beach from Salve Regina University, a Roman Catholic university, which is located on Newport’s waterfront. One of the top beach colleges on the East Coast is this institution.

With a tiny student base, Salve Regina, which means “Hail, Queen,” offers over 40 majors and eight bachelor’s-combination master’s degrees, with a typical length of five to six years.

The 78-acre campus, which is home to more than half of the undergraduate students, is dotted with large, vibrant resident halls that entice upper-class students. Undergraduate tuition and fees came to $44,200 per student in 2021–2022.

7. St. Mary’s College of Maryland

Kayaks, paddle boards, and windsurfing gear are available to St. Mary’s College of Maryland students without charge. Anyone interested is welcome to sign up for a free trial with the school’s sailing squad, which has won 16 national championships.

Students desiring more expansive dunes can travel less than five miles to Elm’s Beach Park, which has a beachfront that extends over 500 feet and feeds into the Chesapeake Bay.

The assurance for an internship, research project, or international experience like studying abroad is available to all students. Undergraduate tuition and fees in 2021–2022 will be $31,200 for out-of-state students and $15,124 for in-state students.

8. Pepperdine University

Sand is conveniently accessible to students at the highly selective Pepperdine University, which is located in the Santa Monica Mountain foothills. Zuma Beach and Malibu Lagoon State Beach are both far from the university.

Students have a ton to do in a warm climate all year round because downtown Los Angeles is only a little over an hour away. The school’s club surfing team is open to everyone looking for an adrenaline rush from the waves.

Students at this Christian university enroll as undergraduates in the Seaver College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, where they are required to take three religion courses as part of a conventional liberal arts program. The cost of tuition for all undergraduate students in 2021–2022 is $59,702.

9. Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

According to its website, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi is the only university in the nation with an island. Students can unwind in the best possible setting on its campus, which is located near the Gulf of Mexico.

Students can participate in kayaking and surfing courses and clinics through the university’s Outdoor Adventures program. Additionally, they can check out the campus’s hike-and-bike trail. It is one of the East Coast’s beach colleges.

Although TAMU-CC provides a wide range of online courses and degree programs, students who live on campus enjoy the luxury of palm trees as they stroll between classes. For the academic year 2021–2022, in-state students’ tuition and fees were $10,533 while out-of-state students’ were $23,367.

10. University of California, Santa Barbara

The University of California-Santa Barbara owns Campus Point Beach, a popular surfing area with quiet summer tides and magnificently weathered rocks. Goleta Beach or Depressions Beach may be the destination for students who venture out on shore walks in the area.

The school offers skiing and snowboarding groups for those who like to get their adrenaline fix on dry land, as well as scuba diving classes for those interested in exploring the Pacific Ocean.

With over 400 clubs and organizations and subjects spanning from computer science to zoology, UCSB is one of the U.S. News 2022 Best Colleges in California. Undergraduate tuition and fees in 2021–2022 will cost $44,196 for out-of-state students and $14,442 for in-state students.

How We Ranked the Colleges on the Beach East Coast

Using the following criteria, we ranked these colleges along the east coast’s beaches:

50% of the distance to the beach.
30% Marine-specific academic institutions, programs, or research infrastructure.
20% Possibilities for coastal entertainment.

Colleges on the Beach East Coast

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the East’s top university?

Princeton University is the top-ranked public state university in the East, while University of Connecticut is the top-ranked public university overall.

Which state has the top universities?

California: In addition to having the most colleges per capita in the United States, California also boasts the most top-tier universities. Stanford University, Pomona College, and the California Institute of Technology are a few of the top-ranked universities on the list.

Which US college is the most competitive to get into?

3.19% — Harvard University Harvard is currently the most hardest institution to get into, with a record-low acceptance rate of just 3.19% for the class of 2026. This rate represents acceptance into Harvard College, the undergraduate program at an Ivy League university.

Conclusion

One must take the environment into account when determining where to pursue higher education. Since college is where students spend some of their most formative years, there is much more to it than just classes and degrees.

Living near a beach can offer chances for enjoyment, beauty, and education. The top colleges and institutions near the shore have been compiled by us.

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