As a college student, I’m always on the lookout for movies and shows that depict the college experience, either in a realistic manner or in a fun, highly exaggerated way. However, I’ve noticed that high school centric media seems to dominate both the silver and small screen in comparison to media that centers around college students.
From The Breakfast Club and Clueless to Glee and The O.C., stories centered around aspects of the high school experience have been produced for decades—creating fandoms, cult followings, and pop culture moments. So, why does high school endure in the minds of filmmakers and showrunners? From a marketing standpoint, it makes sense to create media that captures teenagers, a target demographic who make up a large percentage of the moviegoer audience. Adolescents also happen to be chronically online, forming fan pages with edits and memes that go viral and promoting media through word of mouth.
For many, high school is a formative time in which people discover their identity and go through important life experiences for the first time. High school is a universal experience, evoking feelings of nostalgia and comfort for viewers of all ages. Though college is also a time filled with discovery, change, and transitions, the experience is much less universal and campus happens to be a decentralized setting compared to the high school classroom. While there may be a slightly smaller selection of college themed films and television shows, the genre still has a plethora of offerings for students to enjoy.
Below are some of my favorite college-themed films and tv shows of all genres that depict intimate portrayals of college life and transport viewers into the worlds of fictional colleges — from the iconic Hillman College of A Different World to the superhero-led Godolkin University of Gen V.
Movies
- Happy Death Day (2017)
- Pitch Perfect (2012)
- Mistress America (2015)
- Monsters University (2013)
- Higher Learning (1995)
TV Shows
- Gen V (2023- )
- Felicity (1998-2002)
- Normal People (2020)
- The Magicians (2015-2020)
- Dear White People (2017-2021)
- Grown-ish (2018-2024)
- Community (2009-2015)
- Scream Queens (2015)
- Greek (2007-2011)
- The Sex Lives of College Girls (2021-2025)
- Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo (2016-2017)
Bonus: The HBCU Experience
- A Different World (1987-1993)
- School Daze (1988)
- Stomp the Yard (2007)
- Drumline (2002)