*that aren’t Harry Potter.
The Discworld books by Terry Pratchett
Unseen University is a staple of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, from the High Energy Magic Building to the mysterious reaches of L-space (navigable only by a trained librarian). I used Unseen Academicals for the graphic because it’s one of the books that focuses specifically on the wizards (they must win a football match without using magic) but all of the Discworld novels are highly recommended. GNU Terry Pratchett.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Students at the University in the world of Temerant study sympathy, artificery, naming, and alchemy. They also have access to an enormous library that contains knowledge not replicated anywhere else - a major draw for our protagonist, Kvothe. Unfortunately, just as in our world, attending college isn’t free and Kvothe is penniless (that’s just one of the conflicts in Name of the Wind, and honestly the most mundane, but darned if it didn’t stick with a young penniless student the first time she read the series…)
Gunnerkrigg Court by Tom Siddell ( @gunnerkrigg )
Gunnerkrigg Court is actually a webcomic, but it has been published in print so I’m counting it on this list. The Court is a boarding school for talented students and teaches a blend of science and magic. It exists in a state of cautious truce with the Wood outside its walls, where mythical creatures roam and do not permit technology. The comic is ongoing can be found online at http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/.
Every Heart a Doorway by @seananmcguire
I am not sorry for continually recommending this one. Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children doesn’t teach magic, exactly, but it is in part dedicated to mapping the appearance of magical doors that lead children to other worlds. Children who have been on adventures in these worlds and who come back… different… find kindred spirits at Eleanor West’s - and sometimes, a way back.
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
While I was initially disappointed that this wasn’t a faithful recreation of the fic Cath is writing in Fangirl, I got over that fairly quickly because the magic system was so delightful. Magic in Carry On works based on words or phrases that hold a popular position in the collective consciousness. It’s a wonderful concept - and the characters who attend the Watford School of Magics are delightfully interesting and more complex than they first appear.
