Halloween 2025 lands on a Friday this year, which means that every college student you know — including yourself, I’m sure — will be going out on the actual Oct. 31 date this year. Despite the Halloween holiday being a full month away, fashion girlies already know what they’re going to be this year. There will be the usual people dressed up as cats (which I, myself, have been two years in a row) and other animals, and the scary costumes including zombies, vampires, and clowns. And of course, people will honor the essential workers like doctors, nurses, and firefighters by dressing up as them, partying, and eating too much candy. What a way to be celebrated!
As someone who has gone as simply the color red in the past (I wore a red dress, red shoes, and red nails — yes, very creative), I thought I’d find some Halloween costume inspiration by reaching out to girls from different colleges to see what they were wearing this year. From TV and movie characters to pop stars, these costumes range from niche to well, well known. Some of these costumes are those that everyone at the party will recognize, and others will be just niche enough that they’ll only be truly understood by a few people at that frat house Halloween party. Whatever kind of costume you want to wear, or wherever you plan to celebrate October’s big holiday (I’ll personally be skipping the frat house), you can find inspiration from these 12 college students’ Halloween get-ups.
- SHarkboy and lavagirl (quinn, senior, scripps college)
-
Miramax A Gen Z classic, this costume can’t go wrong. It’s recognizable enough that everyone will know who you are, but not too common or easy that you’ll and your friend matching with another pair at the party.
- Clairo (chloe, senior, emerson college)
-
This is a look that’s as simple and easy as a cat but not nearly as overdone. Clairo’s iconic stage outfits typically consist of headphones, a flowy dress, and a pair of high heels or high heeled boots.
- corden’s Angels (cayla, senior stonehill college)
-
No, Corden is not a typo. Instead of Charlie’s Angels, Cayla and her friends are going as Corden’s Angels. If you can remember all the way back to 2015, then you might recall when One Direction (minus Zayn) were still together and still appearing on late night talk shows. On an episode of The Late, Late Show with James Corden, the boy band members played dodgeball with the host and dressed in unappealing ‘80s-style gym uniforms. For the girls who like a gag costume and “What Makes You Beautiful,” this one is perfect for you.
- The bride from kill bill (sophia, senior, syracuse university)
-
If you’re looking for a throwback costume (one that goes even farther back than 2015 – I know, shocking!) then look no further than The Bride from Kill Bill. Uma Thurman’s classic Tarantino character sports a classic yellow jumpsuit and, if you like the idea of this costume but haven’t seen the movie, you’ve still got time to watch it.
- Little Red Riding Hood & Cheshire Cat (Jac, Senior, Virginia Tech)
-
Walt Disney Pictures Fairytales are great inspirations for costumes, and Jac is going out as Red Riding Hood one night and the Cheshire Cat another. Think back to your favorite fairytales you read or watched as a kid and I think you’ll find a plethora of ideas.
- Trisha Paytas’s daughter, malibu barbie (sophie, senior, carleton university)
-
-
Malibu Barbie, the actual Barbie doll, is a cute enough costume on its own. Now take two of your friends as Elvis and Aquaman and you’ve got a trio costume. Sounds random? It’s actually not. These are the names of Trisha Paytas’s kids. If you and your friends are in search of a group costume but have totally different tastes, then Malibu Barbie, Elvis, and Aquaman might work for you and still somehow be cohesive. Extra points if you have a fourth friend to dress up as Paytas herself.
- Yellowjackets Team Member (Massa, Senior, Three Rivers College)
-
Paramount+ A Yellowjackets varsity jacket might not be something that you can pull right out of your closet, but the jackets — and the show, of course — are iconic enough now that you can easily find one online. Once you’ve got your jacket, you can decide whether you want to go with a pre- or post-stranded-in-the-woods look, and which character you decide to embody.
- Mermaid (Maddie, Senior, College of the Holy Cross)
-
OK, so a lot of people dress up as mermaids every year. But that’s the thing about the mermaid look — everyone can do it and still no one will look exactly the same. Instead of going for a straight Little Mermaid costume, try being your own mermaid: mix and match accessories, hairstyles, and try different colors for your tail (a long flowy skirt should work for this). This may be a classic costume, but the ways to make this one your own are endless.
- Glinda from Wicked: For Good (Corinne, Senior, University of Massachusetts)
-
-
For all the Wicked fans out there who went as their favorite characters last year, do not fret — you have the perfect chance to hit repeat without really being an outfit repeater. Though Wicked hit theaters last year and fans filled Halloween with their good and bad witch-inspired outfits, Wicked: For Good marks an opportunity to do it again, and this time, with outfits we’ve seen in the new trailer.
- Troy Bolton (Olivia, Senior, UConn)
-
-
If you’re someone who wants to wear something humorous this Halloween and still include a throwback then Troy Bolton from High School Musical is your best friend. While any version of Troy from any of the three movies works, I’d personally recommend Zac Efron’s appearance in the first movie with that classic 2006 floppy, boy hairstyle for extra comedic effect.
- Octavia Blake from The 100 (Sophia, Senior, NYU)
-
Warner Bros. -
Into apocalyptic sci-fi? 2010s-era CW dramas? If you are, then a character from The 100 is the perfect fit for you. Sophia will be hitting the streets of Manhattan this year as Octavia from The 100. If you are going with this look, then get out your eyeliner and get ready to smudge.
- Wizard of Oz Group Costume (Allison, Junior, Bucknell University)
-
Warner Bros. Entertainment -
Yes, lots of people have dressed as Wicked or The Wizard of Oz characters for Halloween, but for the first time in years, the people dressed as the characters in their Wizard of Oz era will be the ones to stand out. No longer is the Scarecrow basic or the Tin Man overdone. This time, Wicked fans will be too busy dressing as Fiyero and Boq pre-transformation to match with you.
