Do you ever wish you could go back to college for a weekend? It sure sounds like a great idea, but I can promise you it’s not. You’re just feeling nostalgic. Have you forgotten that all the floors are sticky and the food is nasty? Don’t make me remind you of the smell of Raspberry Smirnoff.
But, if you’re just a wee 18 year old who has been anticipating for college to come so you can go through all of the cringey things above, welcome. Life is about to be a wiiiild ride. There’s gonna be lots of parties, hookups, cupped noodles, and trips to the library, but it’s gonna be the freakin’ best. PROMISE. Take it from someone who’s been there—cherish all the daygers and sleepless nights.
So, If you’re here just trying to relive all your fave memories or wanting to pre-game before the four-year party there’s probably a college movie that will do the trick. Head into your very adult living room (you have coasters now!!) or turn on your T.V. that you’ve had since you were in middle school and watch one of these 18 films.
1
21 & Over
People dream of celebrating their 21st birthday, so the mentality should be “go big or go home.” But maybe don’t do it like the guys of 21 & Over and rage the night before a big interview. Celebrating can wait, y’all.
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2
Bring It On Again
I always wondered what it’d be like to be on my college’s cheer team—there seemed to be so much glitz and ~drama.~ Thankfully this movie exists so I can live it and be very much entertained without being involved. Love. This. For. Us.
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3
Swiped
Honestly wish that I came up with the brilliant idea to create a dating app when I was in my college prime. In this movie, two dudes work together to create an app, but run into some love troubles of their own while putting it together.
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4
Drumline
Nick Cannon? In a 2002 comedy about a drumline with a battle-of-the-bands-style competition? Sign us up.
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5
Slackers
A guy discovers that three of his college classmates are scamming the exam system, so he threatens to snitch on them. But, he says he won’t say anything if they agree to help him get the attention of his crush (aka the most popular girl in school). Classic.
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6
The Rules of Attraction
Okay, this is kind of a total hot mess of a movie, but, in fairness, so is college! Just try to keep up with all the relationship drama in this film.
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7
Love and Basketball
This movie doesn’t take place exclusively on a college campus, but close enough! If you wanna see two childhood friends become professional basketball players and also fall in love, this one’s for you.
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8
Legally Blonde
College movies don’t have to be about undergrad, you know. Legally Blonde is, like, THE college movie. Besides, even if you didn’t go to law school, you probably used an Elle Woods quote for your graduation Instagram caption.
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9
Everybody Wants Some!!
College in the ’80s looks…so fun? I just feel like maybe the Sunday Scaries would’ve been significantly easier to deal with if Snapchat and Instagram Stories did not exist. IDK, maybe that’s just me.
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10
Pitch Perfect
I’m not saying you should watch this singalong version of Pitch Perfect while you pre-game later…but I’m not saying you shouldn’t do that either.
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11
Accepted
Everyone keeps calling 2019 the year of the scam…but honestly, Accepted was way ahead of us in 2006. This movie about a guy who makes his own fake school because he gets rejected from a bunch of colleges is hilarious AND has Blake Lively. It’s perfect, basically.
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12
Sydney White
Sometimes your soul just needs to see Amanda Bynes take down a sorority that wasn’t very nice to her! Sydney White is about a girl named—you guessed it—Sydney White. She tries to pledge the sorority that her late mother was in, but she realizes it’s kind of awful and ends up having to live in a dumpy fraternity house.
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13
Neighbors
The most unrealistic thing about Neighbors is the notion that any human being on this planet would have a problem with Zac Efron moving in next door. Actually, scratch that, it’s the idea that anyone you went to college with could ever be as hot as Zac Efron.
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14
Spring Breakers
Do you know what I did when I didn’t have a ton of cash to blow on a spring break trip? Bought a bottle of Bondi Sands and cut my losses. Do you know what Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, and Rachel Korine do in Spring Breakers? CRIMES!
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15
Sorority Row
Just in case you forgot that Audrina Patridge from The Hills is in a movie about killer sorority girls. Maybe a college horror movie will erase all your FOMO and remind you how shitty all those hours at the library were?
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16
National Lampoon’s Animal House
Have you seen this classic? Maybe you should, considering you’ve probably attended at least one party at an apartment with an Animal House poster taped to the wall.
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17
Life of the Party
Life of the Party raises the question: Is it enough to call your mom every five minutes while you’re at college? Or should she just totally move in with you?
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18
The House Bunny
Yes, the premise of this movie is a little yikes, but Anna Faris, Kat Dennings, and Emma Stone are SO funny in it. One side effect of watching The House Bunny is the tendency to use Shelley’s creepy trick to remembering people’s names. Kinda worth it though.
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19
22 Jump Street
I just truly hope we can all find a friendship as pure as Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko’s (Channing Tatum).
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20
Monsters University
Most of these movies are sensory overload, so here’s a wholesome one. Monsters University is so pure and wonderful. Don’t let anyone shame you for watching it as a grown adult!
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21
So Undercover
Wait—Miley Cyrus is both an FBI agent and a college student? Well, in this comedy, she desperately tries to balance both, infiltrating a sorority house in order to protect the daughter of a targeted politician. Oh, and there’s a hot guy too? Yep, I’m down.
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22
Barry
Before Barack Obama became the President of the United States, he was just a young student at Columbia University in the early 1980s. Whether you watch this to learn more about the former commander in chief or to see actor Devon Terrell use a very close characterization, it’s a movie worth diving into.
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23
Good Will Hunting
Uh, if you haven’t watched this movie…prepare yourself for some tears and a good introspection on exactly what is important in life. Coupled with Matt Damon and Robin Williams’ performances? Just perfection.
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24
Whiplash
Okay, so this isn’t your typical college film. But watching Miles Teller pour his heart out into drumming until his knuckles bleed? Not not compelling.
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25
The Social Network
Is there any other movie which depicts college as good as this one? Sure, it technically chronicles the rise of Facebook, but hey—now every college student has one, and it’s not just exclusive to Harvard students! So in a way, we can thank Mark Zuckerberg for basically dictating our college experiences.
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26
After
Based on a Harry Styles fanfiction, this movie is a pretty risque version of what we all inevitably aspire to have in college: lots and lots of hot and wild sex. You’re welcome.
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27
Rudy
This is the story of a man who risked everything in order to make it onto his college football team at Notre Dame. If this movie doesn’t pull on your heartstrings, then really, you need to watch it again.
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28
Life of the Party
If you thought Melissa McCarthy couldn’t possibly be funnier, then this movie is bound to prove you wrong. Following a newly divorced woman who attends the same college as her daughter (um, HOW is she not embarrassed to be seen with her mother?), they end up creating a stronger bond…all while partying their way through the process.
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29
21
What happens when a MIT student suddenly realizes he can’t afford the tuition to attend Harvard Medical School? Only the obvious: join a blackjack team and become a major baller. Sure, the money is great. But something there’s more to the story.
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30
Dear White People
As the basis for the hit Netflix TV show, this movie is all about navigating racism through the eyes of college students at a fictional Ivy League college. Yes, it does have some comedic moments, but it’s the performances of Tyler James Williams and Tessa Thompson that make this movie particularly shine.
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Hannah Chambers
Hannah Chambers is an entertainment editor at Cosmopolitan.
Megan Uy
Assistant Shopping Editor
Megan is the Assistant Shopping Editor at Cosmo where she covers all things shopping within the fashion and lifestyle space.
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