Connecticut Colleges & Universities
Top college and university libraries in Connecticut
These college and university libraries stand out for their collections, special collections and archives. Public access varies, so each entry says how visitors can use the library.
Sterling Memorial LibraryYale University
Yale's central library opened in 1931 and holds 3.2 million volumes in a seven-story book tower, along with the Manuscripts and Archives reading room, smaller specialized libraries and regular exhibitions. Visitors are welcome in the public spaces on the first floor, including the Nave, two exhibition galleries and the seasonal Selin Courtyard. A Yale ID is required for entry after 6 p.m., and guided tours are offered.
Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript LibraryYale University
Yale's primary home for special collections is free and open to all. It preserves rare books, manuscripts and archives and is a landmark of modern architecture. Anyone may walk in to see the exhibition hall on the ground floor and mezzanine or join a regularly scheduled tour, with no charge or registration, and registered readers can use the collections in the reading rooms. Personal, non-commercial photography is allowed without flash.
Homer Babbidge LibraryUniversity of Connecticut
UConn's main library in Storrs welcomes visitors to use its materials in-house, with public computers on the Plaza Level and a guest wireless network; a UConn ID is required to enter after 8 p.m. Connecticut residents can apply for a Community Borrowers card that allows up to 25 books at a time. The library also runs the Connecticut Digital Archive, which gathers digital collections from UConn and more than 40 educational and cultural institutions around the state.
Watkinson LibraryTrinity College
On the main floor of Trinity's Raether Library, the Watkinson serves as a public research library, the college's rare book library and its archives. It holds more than 175,000 printed volumes dating from the fifteenth century to the present, 25,000 pieces of sheet music from 1720 to 1950, more than 5,000 sound recordings and thousands of prints, maps, playbills and posters. It is open to all visitors Monday through Friday, 9 to 4, and research use is by appointment.
Lewis Walpole LibraryYale University
This department of Yale Library is set in eighteenth-century buildings on fourteen acres on historic Main Street in Farmington. Its collections cover nearly every aspect of British life in the long eighteenth century, with unsurpassed holdings related to Horace Walpole and his contemporaries. No reservation is required, though advance notice is appreciated because reading room space is limited. The library also offers public lectures and exhibitions.
The most beautiful college library in Connecticut
Sterling Memorial LibraryYale University
Sterling is described by Yale as a masterpiece of Collegiate Gothic architecture. Its Nave features Eugene F. Savage's Alma Mater mural, circa 1931, and the building holds 3,301 leaded stained-glass windows. Visitors can walk the Nave and galleries on the first floor.
Last verified: November 2, 2026. Visitor rules, hours and borrowing policies change, so check the library's website before you go.
About colleges and universities in Connecticut
Connecticut is one of the smallest states in the country in terms of land mass, but is home to around one percent of the country's population. This makes the state one of the most densely populated in the country.
Having such a large population in such a small area gives the state some advantages when it comes to higher education. There are a wide variety of smaller universities and colleges to choose from as well as a few large ones.
The largest university in the state is the University of Connectictut (UConn) which is located in Storrs. UConn has a total enrollment of around 20,000 students. Central Connecticut State University in New Britain and Southern Connecticut State University are the next two largest public universities with enrollments of around 12,000 students each.
Connecticut has the distinct honor of being home to Yale University. Yale is incredibly well respected in the United States and is one of the most famous universities in the world. It's particularly well known for its law school, but it also offers degrees in business management and other disclipines.
An incredible number of famous people attended a college or university in Connecticut. Several U.S. presidents attended Yale including William Howard Taft, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. Yale is also responsible for many other famous politicians, actors, filmakers, artists and businessmen.
There are many choices for college students in Connecticut ranging from an elite private university to a wide range of public universities and colleges.