The West Coast might be known mostly for surfing, liberal laws on marijuana, and perfect weather, but you might also like to know that some of our nation’s greatest fraternity houses are built on the West Coast. While most of these houses aren’t as big or as grand as some of what you’ll see down South or in the Midwest, the brothers on the “Best Coast” aren’t without ideal living spaces. They’ve even got their own style and design.
In order to come up with our definitive ranking, COED researched the greatest fraternity houses on the West Coast (including Colorado and New Mexico) and came up with these 20 winners. We listed (when possible) their amenities, how many brothers sleep there, and anything else we thought would make you excited. But most importantly, we pulled together as many photos of the interior and exterior as possible to give you the best look inside.
You should also know that we’re looking for America’s College Sweetheart, so if you’re an awesome representative for your school or know someone who is, we want to hear from them.
The winner and top ten finalists of Miss COED 2016 will be gifted a prize pack crammed with a bunch of cool products (clothes, cash, and gift cards, just to name a few). In addition to that, the winner will also get a party on campus for her and all of her awesome supporters.
#20: Phi Kappa Psi (Oregon Alpha Chapter)
SCHOOL: University of Oregon
What makes it so great: Perhaps you’ve heard of the movie Animal House. Believe it or not, Phi Psi’s chapter house at the University of Oregon is where they filmed the scenes for “Omega House,” the prestigious fraternity that seems super uptight.
Phi Kappa Psi was rechartered back in 2010, at which point the place was refurbished. The house looks really clean from the outside and we’re big fans of the classy green and white. The spacious backyard has enough room for brothers, guests, and Snowbelle The St. Bernard (@SnowbellePhiPsi) to enjoy.
#19: Phi Delta Theta (California Delta Chapter)
SCHOOL: University of Southern California
Amenities: Outdoor basketball court, in-house chef who cooks 3 meals Monday-Friday, BBQ area, Olympic-sized beach volleyball court.
What makes it so great: Once belonging to the Spanish Consulate, the Phi Delt house was scheduled for rehab in the Summer of 2005. Unfortunately it caught fire, so the chapter house had to have more extensive work done. It reopened in 2009 at a cost of $4 million (split between PDT Nationals and private donors).
#18: Delta Tau Delta
SCHOOL: UCLA
Amenities: 18 rooms (sleeps 36 brothers), full-court outdoors basketball court, study/committee meeting room, pool table, laundry facilities, dining room and kitchen, prime location.
What makes it so great: As you walk by the Delta Tau Delta house on 649 Gayley, you can’t help but stare in awe at it. The place looks absolutely incredible with the greenery and steps, but at night it gets even crazier. Check out the photos in the gallery below.
#17: Sigma Nu (Beta Chi Chapter)
SCHOOL: Stanford University
Amenities: Half-court basketball court, massive front lawn, three floors
What makes it so great: In addition to the fact that Sigma Nu’s rooms have hosted some of the best techie minds of our generation (Clinkle was started here and Instagram’s Kevin Systrom was a brother here), the place just looks like excellence. The clean exterior makes for a great view when Sigma Nu is throwing down on their front lawn.
#16: Theta Chi (Alpha Rho Chapter)
SCHOOL: University of Washington
Amenities: Pool table, finished patio, back deck, finished basement with raised DJ section
What makes it so great: Theta Chi’s fraternity house is definitely one of the more unique-looking houses at UW. The older windows give it a distinguished feel, but don’t get it twisted–the interior is definitely more modern than most fraternities you’re familiar with. Fun fact: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis performed here a few years ago.
#15: Sigma Alpha Epsilon (California Delta)
SCHOOL: UCLA
Amenities: Four balconies, literally across the street from the hospital
What makes it so great: SAE boasts one of the biggest fraternity houses on campus, in addition to also being one of the better ones. The brothers do a fantastic job of using their house for some outstanding social events, including putting their multiple balconies to good use.
#14: Sigma Nu (Delta Iota Chapter)
SCHOOL: Washington State University
Amenities: BBQ area, massive house, half-court basketball hoop
What makes it so great: Sigma Nu lost its charter a couple of years back but was able to rebound incredibly quickly and we can’t think that it was (in part) because of their fantastic fraternity house. The three-story mansion is actually a combination of two houses.
Students at WSU should expect to hear and see much more from the Sigma Nu brothers as their recruitment keeps improving.
#13: Alpha Sigma Phi (Mu Chapter)
SCHOOL: University of Washington
What makes it so great: If you’re looking for an iconic fraternity house at UW, you don’t need to look anywhere else but Alpha Sigma Phi. Alpha Sigma Phi Nationals would agree with you because they chose the Mu Chapter’s house as the location for shooting their national fundraising campaign.
#12: Theta Delta Chi (Delta Deuteron Charge)
SCHOOL: UC – Berkeley
What makes it so great: Theta Delta Chi’s house at Berkeley might not be as big as some of the other fraternity houses on this list, but that’s not keeping them from repping their letters. In fact, we think the TDX house is nicer than some of the bigger fraternity houses. The only time that their house looks a little worse for the wear is during Halloween when they transform the place into a haunted mansion to benefit charity.
#11: Theta Xi (Alpha Zeta Chapter)
SCHOOL: UCLA
Amenities: Working pool, basketball hoop, BBQ pit
What makes it so great: Theta Xi is proof that even though Los Angeles real estate can be very expensive, you can do some great things with it. Not only do they have the only working pool on UCLA campus, they were also the first fraternity to ever have a house on campus.
#10: Phi Kappa Psi (Oregon Beta)
SCHOOL: Oregon State University
Number of beds: 54 live-ins
Amenities: Terrace, roof deck, 26 parking spots, individual room temperature controls, basketball court, piano
What makes it so great: Oregon State University’s newest fraternity house boasts three floors, plus a basement they can use for either studying or partying. Their new house is absolutely sick and a must-see for anyone visiting Oregon State.
#9: Sigma Alpha Epsilon (Washington Alpha Chapter)
SCHOOL: University of Washington
Amenities: Basketball court, pool table, ping pong table
What makes it so great: SAE houses are always easy to recognize because of the golden lions lining their walkways, and the University of Washington’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter is no different. But even without the big cats, people would stop and stare at this gorgeous structure.
In addition to a spacious inside, they’ve got a huge outdoor area to boot.
#8: Kappa Sigma (Gamma Rho Chapter)
SCHOOL: University of Arizona
Amenities: Half-court basketball court, pool table, working fire place
What makes it so great: Many would say that fraternities at the University of Arizona have targets on their back, but thankfully there are places like Kappa Sigma that can be a haven for bros who like to kick it with plenty of space and balconies for scouting out talent. The house was built within the past ten years, so there’s minimal wear and tear (by U of A fraternity house standards) but we’re specifically big fans of the huge space in the back for whatever social or philanthropic events the brothers want to have.
#7: Sigma Chi (Upsilon Upsilon Chapter)
SCHOOL: University of Washington
What makes it so great: Sigma Chi’s fraternity house at The University of Washington is huge and they use that to their advantage. In addition to throwing some of the best parties on campus, they always try to bring in musical talent to help keep things fresh. Plenty of floor space to host events.
#6: Chi Psi (Psi Delta Chapter)
SCHOOL: University of Colorado – Boulder
Amenities: Pool table, working fireplace, BBQ pit
What makes it so great: While it might not be as large as some of the other fraternity houses at Colorado-Boulder, the Chi Psi fraternity house is gorgeous on the inside. In addition to having one of the nicest finished living rooms we’ve ever seen, the huge columns and large balconies make for one of the most classic fraternity house looks we’ve seen in a long time.
#5: Kappa Sigma (Gamma Tau Chapter)
SCHOOL: University of Colorado – Boulder
Amenities: Solar panels, beach volleyball court, pool table, moat, basketball hoop
What makes it so great: No true frat castle is complete without a moat, which is exactly what the Kappa Sigma fraternity house at Boulder has. But that’s not all, they also have a beach volleyball court in the backyard and adjacent parking space which works out perfectly when they want to host parties like “BeachAPalooza.”
Not to mention the brothers even ponied up to buy solar panels for their house, which fits in perfectly with the “Go Green” aspect that everyone respects in Boulder, CO. Dope house with great people.
#4: Phi Kappa Theta (Alpha Delta Chapter)
SCHOOL: Washington State University
Amenities: Elevator (!), full court basketball court, piano, massive kitchen, pool table, one-touch temperature control in each room.
What makes it so great: Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft (not the guy of American Psycho fame who’s currently dissolving in a bathtub in Hell’s Kitchen), was a Phi Kappa Theta brother and donated a massive amount to the fraternity to get this house built in 1996. It cost $3.1 million back then and still looks absolutely gorgeous.
#3: Phi Sigma Kappa (Omega Deuteron Chapter)
SCHOOL: University of Southern California
Amenities: Huge courtyard, redwood slats, pool table,
What makes it so great: The house was completely renovated and remodeled in 2012 by Mass Architecture and looks great. It fits in perfectly at USC where modern and sleek are the name of the game–even for fraternity houses. Perhaps the greatest part about their design is the huge courtyard that every room looks into. It’s perfect for big parties and social events.
Speaking of activities, the loft-style rooms also allow for maximum usage of space. Overall the Phi Sigma Kappa house is a real winner.
#2: Tau Kappa Epsilon (Beta Sigma Chapter)
SCHOOL: University of Southern California
Number of bedrooms: 28
Amenities: Two buildings side by side, massive courtyards, BBQ deck, finished bar, beach volleyball court
What makes it so great: TKE’s houses at USC are incredible. They have two properties (TKE West and TKE East) side-by-side which means that more brothers can live in the house which everyone will agree is best for the chapter. TKE West is the older house (although it was renovated in 2014), which means that it’s the scene for most of the events. They have the beach volleyball court (which uses the same sand at the USC volleyball team) and the big lot in the back for parties. TKE East was recently built and features some incredible housing for the brothers.
#1: Sigma Nu – Gamma Kappa Chapter
SCHOOL: Colorado University – Boulder
Number of beds: 63 brothers
Amenities: It’s a complex, total of five houses, beach volleyball court, basketball court, pool table, gym, horseshoe pit, hot tub, laundry room,
What makes it so great: One is nice, but five (the total number of houses included within the Sigma Nu complex) is better. We’re not sure, but we’d bet that all the real estate makes Sigma Nu the largest fraternity chapter in the nation. Thankfully, they use it to the best of their abilities.
They host numerous parties, and the place is insane during college football season. If you’re ever at Boulder and looking for a place to go, try and make your way to Sigma Nu. It’s a fraternity brothers’ dream.
