Maybe it’s just me, but I have a thing for fictional colleges. I vividly remember watching the first Pitch Perfect and obsessing over Barden University: The campus looked beautiful, the dorms had day beds and flatscreen TVs, and Skyler Astin could pop out of the woodwork and serenade me at any point. A dream, honestly.
Even after I learned that most universities in films aren’t real, that doesn’t stop me from researching every single fictional college I come across — and getting to the bottom of their original whereabouts. So, naturally, after watching Season 4 of You and seeing Darcy’s College’s library, I became obsessed pretty quickly.
But is Darcy College a real place? And if it isn’t, where did they film the university scenes? If You Season 4 served as a prospective Darcy College tour, then you’re in luck: Here’s what you need to know.
Is Darcy College real?
You’s Darcy College is like the quintessential English university: It’s in the heart of London, and it’s big with cool gothic architecture, which is all an academic can ask for. Well, except for the fact that one of the professors (*cough* Joe Goldberg *cough*) is a serial killer. Doesn’t seem like the safest place to spend four years, but what do I know?
I really hate to break this to you, but Darcy College is not a real university. In fact, the actual filming location isn’t in London at all. You actually used two different locations to create Darcy College. The good news? The university scenes are filmed at a real college, so your dream of living out your Darcy College fantasy isn’t broken just yet.
The campus and classroom scenes for You Season 4 were filmed at the prestigious Royal Holloway, University of London. If you’re serious about attending Joe Goldberg university, then it’s best to hit the books ASAP: Royal Holloway has an acceptance rate of around 17%, and is one of the most prestigious research-based universities in the world. But if you get in, be sure to bring me as a plus one.
Unfortunately, Royal Holloway is about a 40-minute train ride from central London, but who doesn’t love a bit of countryside chic?
As for the (gorgeous) library, Netflix filmed these scenes at Lincoln’s Inn. IRL, it’s a club made up of several buildings for lawyers and judges to work, read, network, and more. While it’s not likely that you’d be able to stop in, talk to your secret serial killer professor, and study for your midterms here, Lincoln’s Inn is in the heart of London, so you can at least walk by and daydream.