From chaotic campus adventures to empowering academic comebacks, there’s no better way to usher in the approaching fall semester than with a lineup of college-set films. Capturing the college girl experience is no easy task, but these films go above and beyond, offering the perfect bridge between year-round favorites and curated back-to-school staples.
With summer slowly fading from view, now’s the time to revisit that campus feeling. Whether you’re heading into your freshman year or feeling a little nostalgic for campus life, this list has you covered. College is a cosmos of new relationships, growing pains, self-discovery, and unexpected moments of clarity. And for better or for worse, it’s a time that molds you in ways you never see coming.
The college girl experience isn’t one-size-fits-all. For some, it’s about finding your people and finally stepping out of your comfort zone, diving headfirst into uncharted territory. For others, it’s all about reinvention, letting go, and embracing a brand new chapter. These films tap into that variety, showing the chaos, beauty, heartbreak, and humor that come with this new era.
- Legally Blonde (2001)
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Elle Woods goes from sorority chapter president to Harvard Law in this early 2000s classic. This film is a perfect blend of girl power, academic comebacks, and student life, set to have you counting down the days until fall semester.
- Pitch Perfect (2012)
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Freshman year gets a musical twist when Becca joins an all-girls a cappella group. Leveling the group up from traditional arrangements to modern, eclectic sounds, Becca and her team battle for the national a cappella championship title.
- The House Bunny (2008)
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The House Bunny follows former Playboy bunny Shelley Darlingson as she navigates life after unexpectedly being kicked out of the Playboy Mansion. Stumbling upon an unpopular university sorority, Shelley signs up to be their “house mother,” helping the girls recruit new members and dive deeper into their sisterhood.
- Lady Bird (2017)
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Although set mostly in high school, one of the film’s most impactful moments shows Lady Bird during her first semester in college. Capturing the bittersweet feeling of leaving home and starting over, Lady Bird is a nostalgic and emotionally-resonant coming-of-age story.
- First Daughter (2004)
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Arriving at school with an entourage of Secret Service agents, Samantha MacKenzie is in for a unique college experience as the president’s daughter. Tired of the constant surveillance, she convinces her father to scale back, unaware he’s secretly planted a young undercover agent to pose as a fellow student.
- Spring Breakers (2012)
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Desperate to fund a spring break trip they’ll never forget, four college girls decide to rob a diner and wind up in jail. Bailed out by a flashy, aspiring rapper named Alien, they’re quickly swept into a neon-soaked world of crime, chaos, and unraveling innocence.
- Sydney White (2007)
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Hoping to join her late mother’s sorority, Sydney White endures a disastrous rush week and finds herself exiled to a rundown dorm known as the Vortex. It’s there she meets seven quirky “dorks” who become her unlikely friends.
- Scream 2 (1997)
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The second installment of this classic slasher series follows a copycat killer inspired by the events of Stab, a fictional movie based on the events of the first film. Now in college, Sidney Prescott must once again escape the wrath of this masked murderer.
- Challengers (2024)
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Challengers spans over 13 years, chronicling a tense love triangle between tennis players Tashi, Art, and Patrick. The segment set during their college years is especially impactful, laying the groundwork for the emotional entanglements, rivalries, and romantic pursuits that follow, exposing the complicated and messy aspects of navigating college relationships.
- Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
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Set in the 1950s, this film explores the clash between tradition and independence as a progressive female professor challenges her all-girls art history class to question societal expectations around marriage, femininity, and their futures.
- Booksmart (2019)
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Two overachieving best friends realize they’ve spent too much time working and not enough time playing in this coming-of-age comedy film. Determined to make up for lost time, they embark on one wild night before high school graduation, cramming four years of fun into an unforgettable adventure.
- Mistress America (2015)
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A lonely college freshman’s life is turned upside down when she becomes entangled in the wild, wacky schemes of her eccentric stepsister-to-be. As their friendship grows, comfort zones are shattered, and a whirlwind of self-discovery unfolds.