College is an exciting time of growth, change, and self-discovery. It is when young adults are on their own for the first time and are learning to manage everything from the school system and homework to friendships and romantic relationships. This complex time is so ripe with possibilities that it is easy to understand why so many films are made about college students and campus life.
Every college experience tells a different story, ensuring filmmakers will never run out of material about higher education, from stories about students who study hard and stay focused on their classes to those who get caught up in the social aspect and spend their time partying with friends and experimenting with drugs and alcohol to stories about first love to forbidden romances between students and professors; the possibilities are endless.
The world of college-themed movies is vast, and this list of the best college films ranges from wild comedies that celebrate the Greek life of fraternities and sororities, like “National Lampoon’s Animal House” and “Pitch Perfect,” to introspective films that delve into the angst and confusion of early adulthood, such as “Kicking and Screaming.” The college setting is perfect for films that explore the complexities of the pressures of academic and social life.
Whichever type of college movie is closest to resembling your own college experience, we bet you will find one on the list of best college movies. From wacky comedies to existential crises, these movies cover the turbulent times of the university years and beyond. (If you love fun films, check out 15 of the Most Underrated Action Films of All Time.)
To determine the best college movies, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of May 2024, weighting all ratings equally. Only movies with at least 1,000 reviews on IMDb were considered, and documentaries were not excluded. Director information is from IMDb.
Here is the list of the best college movies:
25. Happy Death Day 2U (2019)
- IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (66,435 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 58% (3,067 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 71% (207 reviews)
- Directed by: Christopher Landon
This horror film is a sequel to the terrifying story of a college student, her friends, and a psychopath out to destroy them. We don’t recommend watching it alone.
24. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008)
- IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (28,183 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 66% (188,658 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 65% (100 reviews)
- Directed by: Sanaa Hamri
The film is a coming-of-age story about four college-aged best friends and their first summer apart. The friends share a favorite pair of pants while they learn about life, love, and loss.
23. Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)
- IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (148,719 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 64% (79,615 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 65% (218 reviews)
- Directed by: Elizabeth Banks
“Pitch Perfect 2” follows the all-girl singing group from the fictional college as they navigate the ups and downs of performing. The comedy brings back all of the key players from the original film, like Fat Amy, Becca, and Chloe, for non-stop shenanigans.
22. Fandango (1985)
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (7,744 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (5,739 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 50% (6 reviews)
- Directed by: Kevin Reynolds
Hit the road with this 1971 classic road trip film that follows five college buddies as they embark on one last road trip before starting their adult lives. The film stars a young Kevin Costner, Sam Robards, and Judd Nelson.
21. Neighbors (2014)
- IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (297,417 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 63% (131,655 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 73% (224 reviews)
- Directed by: Nicholas Stoller
Wild frat parties and unruly college students clash with their neighbors in this comedy starring Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, and Zac Efron.
20. Liberal Arts (2012)
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (37,167 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 60% (8,143 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 71% (115 reviews)
- Directed by: Josh Radnor
Follow Josh Radnor from “How I Met Your Mother,” fame, as he stars in this romantic comedy about a college advisor falling for a student.
19. Kicking and Screaming (1995)
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (13,123 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (8,649 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 57% (37 reviews)
- Directed by: Noah Baumbach
Gen X royalty Eric Stoltz and Parkey Posey star in this post-college film about early adulthood and how to avoid turning into a boring adult. The comedy is written and directed by award-winning director Noah Baumbeck.
18. Legally Blonde (2001)
- IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (199,232 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (972,425 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 70% (147 reviews)
- Directed by: Robert Luketic
Reese Witherspoon stars in this film about a young college student who attempts to win back her boyfriend by attending Harvard Law School. She is underestimated by everyone but proves herself to be more than just a pretty dumb blonde.
17. Happy Death Day (2017)
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (127,794 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 67% (16,628 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 72% (159 reviews)
- Directed by: Christopher Landon
Horror goes to college in this film about a young college student who is murdered each day only to wake up each morning. It’s a thriller that will leave you more than scared.
16. Revenge of the Nerds (1984)
- IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (51,399 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (56,519 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 69% (42 reviews)
- Directed by: Jeff Kanew
In this 1980s comedy, the nerds decide to stand up to the bullying and fight back against the popular jocks who are always teasing them.
15. Mistress America (2015)
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (26,442 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 66% (6,592 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (183 reviews)
- Directed by: Noah Baumbach
The romantic comedy “Mistress America” follows a college freshman as she navigates college life and friendship. It’s one of the first collaborations between writer and director Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach.
14. The Outsiders (1983)
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (79,779 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (138,456 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 63% (41 reviews)
- Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola takes the novel by S.E. Hinton and turns it into a touching film that started the careers of some of Hollywood’s most popular leading men like Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillion, and Rob Lowe.
13. Old School (2003)
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (222,668 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (477,318 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 60% (168 reviews)
- Directed by: Todd Phillips
Comedy legend Will Ferrell stars alongside Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn in this college campus comedy.
12. Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (53,684 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (15,655 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (244 reviews)
- Directed by: Richard Linklater
Writer and director Richard Linklater, who is best known for “Dazed and Confused,” gives audiences another teen comedy, but this time it is about college baseball. The film is set in Texas in the 1980s and follows the players as they find their way through college life.
11. Real Genius (1985)
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (32,169 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (34,790 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (31 reviews)
- Directed by: Martha Coolidge
In this 1980s comedy starring Val Kilmer, two wildly different college students come together to work on a project, and hilarity ensues.
10. The Paper Chase (1973)
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (7,559 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (4,518 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (29 reviews)
- Directed by: James Bridges
First-year law school students meet a tough professor at Harvard Law School in this early 1970s film.
9. 22 Jump Street (2014)
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (358,056 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (170,590 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (223 reviews)
- Directed by: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Baby-faced cops going undercover in high school is the premise for “22 Jump Street,” which is the sequel to “21 Jump Street,” which is based on the television show of the same name.
8. Monsters University (2013)
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (337,570 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (305,679 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (203 reviews)
- Directed by: Dan Scanlon
Pixar and Disney team up with the characters from Monsters Inc. for a new story where Mike Wazowski, voiced by Billy Crystal, heads to university, where he meets all kinds of other monsters.
7. The Sure Thing (1985)
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (20,113 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (11,796 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (34 reviews)
- Directed by: Rob Reiner
Before he was holding a boombox professing his love in “Say Anything’” John Cusack starred in “The Sure Thing” as a college student on a road trip to find love.
6. Pitch Perfect (2012)
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (289,469 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (127,299 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (154 reviews)
- Directed by: Jason Moore
The first film in the “Pitch Perfect” trilogy introduces the audience to the all-female acapella group and their fight to be the best in college competitions.
5. Love & Basketball (2000)
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (20,127 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (186,899 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (95 reviews)
- Directed by: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Basketball brings these two athletes together, and they eventually fall in love with more than just the sport.
4. National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978)
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (116,311 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (185,688 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (52 reviews)
- Directed by: John Landis
College students at a wild fraternity house party challenge the campus norms in this classic college film from 1978.
3. The Social Network (2010)
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (708,395 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (204,423 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (329 reviews)
- Directed by: David Fincher
The beginning of social media giant Facebook is the subject of “The Social Network.”
2. Good Will Hunting (1997)
- IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (900,884 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (365,042 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (83 reviews)
- Directed by: Gus Van Sant
Acclaimed director Gus Van Sant teams up with young Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in this film about two best friends in Boston and the separate paths they take in life.
1. 3 Idiots (2009)
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (415,611 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (22,683 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (13 reviews)
- Directed by: Rajkumar Hirani
The Indian film “3 Idiots” follows two college best friends as they look for their old college buddy. (For movies that you may have watched while in school, check out Baby Boomer Films Now Part of College Curriculums.)