10 Schools Of Magic You Wish You Could Attend

Ever get lost in a book and find yourself wishing it was reality? We do - all the time. Especially when it comes to magic - going to school never sounded so exciting! In fact, we'd have trouble choosing which of these magical campus' to enrol in...

1. The Unseen University, Discworld - Terry Pratchett

Corgi, Random House / Via randomhouse.co.uk

Let's start with a big one, and a classic. Terry Pratchett's Discworld series has 40 installments (so far!), and the Unseen University plays an integral part in 13 to date. Run mostly by inept and ancient wizards, it's the centre of magic in Pratchett's world, and a place most of us have dreamed of visiting in the real world - though imagination will have to do, we suppose!

2. The Chromeria, Lightbringer Saga - Brent Weeks

Little Brown Book Group / Via littlebrown.co.uk

Not only is the Chromeria the house of government of the Seven Satrapies - but the seat of magical education, as well. Guile is the Prism - the most powerful man in the world, able to channel all seven colours and split life itself. We'd certainly like that kind of power - though it comes at a price. Prisms never last long...

3. Armedius Academy, The Rithmatist - Brandon Sanderson

Tor, Pan Macmillan / Via panmacmillan.com

So - if you're going to go to a school of magic, it always helps to have magical abilities! That isn't the case for poor Joel, who is extremely skilled at the technicalities of rithmatics, but will never see his drawings come to life, like so many of those around him. When disaster strikes the school, though, he may just be the only one who can help...

4. Roke Academy, A Wizard of Earthsea - Ursula Le Guin

Puffin Books / Via puffin.co.uk

It is always important to understand your boundaries. Ged, a mage learning at the school of magic on Roke Island, doesn't. He tries to learn magic far more advanced than he's capable of - and begins rivalries that end in duels, to boot. Not smart. Especially when the combative spells you're casting go horribly wrong...

5. Wyverly College, The Old Kingdom Collection - Garth Nix

HarperCollins Children's Books / Via harpercollins.com

Distant enough from the Old Kingdom to be safe from Free Magic, yet close enough to allow the teaching of Charter Magic to those who have been christened with the mark. Sabriel learns much of her skills at Wyverly College - skills that will save her life on more than one occasion as she ventures across the Wall to search for her disappeared father, the fabled Abhorsen.

6. The Magicians' Guild, The Black Magician Series - Trudi Caravan

Little Brown Book Group / Via littlebrown.co.uk

When Sonea is captured by the Magicians' Guild, she has to learn to control her powers to ensure she doesn't destroy both herself, and part of the city she calls home.

7. The Invisible Library - Genevieve Cogman - Tor (Pan Macmillan)

Tor, Pan Macmillan / Via panmacmillan.com

Okay - so technically a library - but its aim is the preservation of knowledge, so I think we can all agree it counts! An inter-dimensional library between alternate worlds, the Invisible Library's librarians strive to retain copies of every book, in every place, in every world. Noble work indeed.

8. Cackle's Academy, The Worst Witch Series - Jill Murphy

Puffin Books / Via puffin.co.uk

Sometimes, the classics really are the best! Cackle's Academy has been going strong for four decades, and many of us grew up reading about Mildred Hubble and the ridiculous situations she lands herself in - usually through sheer clumsiness!

9. The White Tower, The Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan

Little Brown Book Group / Via littlebrown.co.uk

The White Tower is a place of mystery to most, where Aes Sedai hone their skills with the One Power. Girls with the ability to channel enter the tower as novices, but few gain the shawl of the full Aes Sedai. Their part in fighting the Dark One will be great, when the last battle comes.

10. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling

Bloomsbury Publishing / Via bloomsbury.com

No magical list would be complete without arguably the most famous school of all time. Who hasn't dreamed of jumping on the Hogwarts Express at Kings Cross, to be transported to the wizarding world of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Whether it's learning to play Quidditch, or to defend yourself against the most evil witches and wizards of the time - Hogwarts is the place to hone your magical skills.