If you’ve been to college then you love college movies, no matter what. Anything that reminds you of getting wasted, hitting on girls or even being late for class has a special place in your student-heart. But where did the production crews venture to make these college classics? Why, actual colleges, of course! To give you a behind-the-scenes look, we’ve compiled found all the real campuses behind the best college films of all time.
Check out COED’s “The Real Campuses Behind the Top 19 College Movies of All Time” after the break!
Sometimes being mediocre is the only way to go, which is the entire basis for this movie: create a fake college, with slacker classes, so you don’t have to actually make anything of yourself. That’s all this movie is about–getting ahead through an excellent, if confounded, plan. Oh yeah, and girls and partying, but did we even need to mention that?
Movie Campus: South Harmon Institute of Technology (”S.H.I.T.”)
Actual Campus(es):
• Chapman University; Orange, California, USA
For some reason, working-class, secret geniuses make for a good movie-watching experience. Robin Williams is awesome and Matt Damon’s struggling character has us with him all the way. The Damon-Affleck duo might be gone these days, but this classic reminds us all of the good ol’ times.
Movie Campus: MIT
Actual Campus(es):
• Harvard Square’s Bow & Arrow Pub, The Tasty; Cambridge, Mass.
• Harvard University’s Dunster House (exterior); Cambridge, Mass.
• Bunker Hill Community College; Boston, Mass.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge, Mass.
• University of Toronto (dorm scenes); Toronto, Ontario
If you take nothing else away from college, make sure to learn a good scam. In Slackers, pulling a fast one is Dave, Sam and Jeff’s ticket to the top, until Ethan figures out their schemes, giving them a heaping pile of blackmail–and tries to get the hot girl in the process. The love story sucks, but the rest is good enough to carry you through.
Movie Campus: Holden University
Actual Campus(es):
• University of California; Riverside; Riverside, California
• University of Redlands; Redlands, California
A reluctant coming-of-age tale, Van Wilder combines all the best of college–hot girls, huge parties and endless shananigans. Plus, you get to see Tara Reid before she turned into a plasticly, haggard hose-beast. Shot mostly in at Marymount High School and UCLA’s Royce Hall, this feel-good laugh-fest will have you rolling.
Movie Campus: Coolidge College
Actual Campus(es):
• Marymount High School; Los Angeles, California
• UCLA’s Royce Hall; Los Angeles, California
Comic genius Rodney Dangerfield’s character Thorton may have a chain of successful Tall and Fat clothing stores, but that doesn’t stop him from joining his son at college–and buying his way through the whole thing. Filming for this one took place at UCLA and the University of Wisconsin.
Movie Campus: Grand Lakes University
Actual Campus(es):
• UCLA; Los Angeles, California
• University of Wisconsin; Madison, Wisconsin
When we think of Russell Crowe, the first movies that come to mind are Gladiator and Romper Stomper–fear instilling flicks that make you wish you were 100-times more badass than you actually are. Beautiful Mind, on the other hand, proved that Crowe can do more than just whoop people’s asses.
Movie Campus: Princeton University
Actual Campus(es):
• Bronx Community College (MIT scenes); Bronx, New York City
• Fairleigh Dickinson University; Madison, New Jersey
• Fordham University; Bronx, New York City
• Manhattan College (Harvard scenes); Manhattan, New York City
Not since Jack Kerouac wrote On The Road did a travel story make us want to drop everything and see all that elsewhere had to offer-especially if that something includes college chicks and drinking. But the best thing about this movie is Tom Green’s hilarious debacles. Unleash the fury, Mitch. Unleash the fury…
Movie Campus: University of Ithaca
Actual Campus(es):
• University of Texas; Austin, Texas
• Emory University; Atlanta, Georgia
• Georgia Institute of Technology; Atlanta, Georgia
• Harvard University; Cambridge, Mass.
• University of Tennessee; Knoxville, Tennessee
• University of Georgia
He might be small, but he’s got heart–or at least the balls to bust his ass and get onto the Notre Dame football team for which this rascal has a borderline obsession. Obviously intended to be set at Notre Dame, primary filming took place at the College of the Holy Cross. Not exactly the same, but Christian enough to be close.
Movie Campus: University of Notre Dame
Actual Campus(es):
• Holy Cross College; South Bend, Indiana
• University of Notre Dame; South Bend, Indiana
People in marching band aren’t exactly known for being cool. That is they weren’t until Nick Cannon laid down some badass licks, showing that even if you have to wear a uniform and a funny hat at football games, it doesn’t mean you’re a pu**y.
Movie Campus: HBCU Atlanta A&T University
Actual Campus(es):
• Clark Atlanta University; Atlanta, Georgia
• Morris Brown College; Atlanta, Georgia
Breaking Away’s main character Dave, played by Dennis Christopher, must beat out his nemesis, the French bicycle team to regain his self-respect. More than just a mindless college flick, this film won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 1979 for its story about coming of age and sticking to your guns.
Movie Campus: Indiana University
Actual Campus(es):
• Indiana University; Bloomington, Indiana
Arguably one of the best sports movies of all time, this story of overcoming odds brings tears to anyone with a soul–ok, maybe not tears, but at least an emotional understanding that those football players have heart. Though some filming took place at Marshall University in West Virginia, it was primarily shot at Morris Brown in Atlanta.
Movie Campus: Marshall University
Actual Campus(es):
• Morris Brown College; Atlanta, Georgia
• Marshall University; Huntington, West Virginia
8 - Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
These goofy bastards took a mission to get some delicious sliders and turned it into one of the most hilarious, epic college movies of all time. We’re not saying it’s a great work of cinema in general, but it’s definitely a good addition to the “you’ve got to smoke before watching this” category.
Movie Campus: Princeton University
Actual Campus(es):
• University of Southern California; Los Angeles, California
A film about friendship between coach Bill Bowerman and athlete Prefontaine, Without Limits didn’t do so well at the box office, grossing on $777,000 after spending $25 million to shoot the damn thing. Often compared to Prefontaine, this heartwarming story more follows the coach’s story than the athlete’s, but that doesn’t mean it’s not clutch.
Movie Campus: University of Oregon
Actual Campus(es):
• Citrus College; Glendora, California
• University of Oregon’s Hayward Field; Eugene, Oregon
Even though the whole plot is as realistic as Pamela Anderson’s lady lumps, Real Genius delivers on every level of awesomeness. But in the end, all you really need to know is that Val Kilmer stars in this feel-good ’80s college classic about partying, revenge and high-powered lasers.
Movie Campus: Pacific Tech
Actual Campus(es):
• Occidental College; Los Angeles, California
• Pomona College; Claremont, California
Adapted from the novel by Michael Chabon this story follows creative writing professor Grady Tripp (Michael Douglas) as he struggles to finish his second novel, and gets involved in a complicated love triangle, easing the pain and complications by smoking a bunch of weed. There’s a lot of ins, outs and what-have-yous, but they all pay-off by the end.
Movie Campus: Carnegie Mellon
Actual Campus(es):
• Carnegie Mellon University; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Chatham College; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
A cult classic to the core, PCU attacks the world of political-correctness by being as politically incorrect as possible. The “plot” centers around a scheme to raise money by throwing a huge party. Filmed at the University of Toronto, PCU might be simple, but that doesn’t mean it won’t make you crap your trousers laughing.
Movie Campus: Port Chester University
Actual Campus(es):
• University of Toronto; Toronto, Ontario
• Wesleyan University; Middletown, Connecticut
There’s something so visceral about Jocks vs Nerds that you can’t help but take sides. Either you got beat up, or you did the beating–either way, this movie sums-up this timeless divide so well, it’ll have you wearing thick-brimmed glasses and a pocket protector before you can say “Nerds!”
Movie Campus: Adams College
Actual Campus(es):
• University of Arizona’s Old Main, Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity House, Bear Down Gym, Chi Omega Sorority House, Cochise Hall, University of Arizona, Friends Meeting House Tucson (Tri Lam Fraternity House); Tucson, Arizona
• Texas A&M University’s Kyle Field (fundraiser carnival/skits); College Station, Texas
The source. The original. Arguably the best college movie of all time, Animal House paved the way for all the college-comedy greats that were to come. Filmed all around Eugene, Oregon, home of the University of Oregon, this classic flick set the standard for how much you have to drink to even say you party.
Movie Campus: Faber College
Actual Campus(es):
• University of Oregon’s Omega House/Phi Kappa Psi, Autzen Stadium, Hayward Field; Eugene, Oregon
Most men wish they could spend their entire lives partying like they did in college. But when Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell do it, some of the most genius comic-gold this side of Caddy Shack. From the best scene with a van in movie history to the greatest KY-wrestling match ever caught on film, this instant classic will forever remind us why we went to college in the fist place. Though the fly-over shots are of Harvard, this one was shot mostly at UCLA as well as USC and the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center.
Movie Campus: Harrison University
Actual Campus(es):
• Harvard University’s Eliot House; Cambridge, Mass.
• University of California - Los Angeles’ Janss Steps, Murphy Sculpture Garden (fountain where “Spanish” gets tackled), Royce Hall, Royce Quad; Los Angeles, CA
• University of Southern California’s Rose Bowl Aquatics Center; Pasadena, California





















patrick white says:
Wed, 6th Aug 200812:12 pm
I wasn’t until I moved to Tennessee that I realized the Greek court hearing scene for the Deltas seem to show the tennessee state flag next to the USA flag. But I find no record of filming or being set in TN. Anyone else notice this, or have an explanation?
Brad says:
Wed, 6th Aug 200812:29 pm
AMERICAN PIE!?! HOW CAN THIS NOT BE INCLUDED? (about THe University of Michigan, filmed in cali)
Brian says:
Wed, 6th Aug 200812:29 pm
Notre Dame University does not exist. You meant the University of Notre Dame. Ironically enough, you got it right in the Actual Campus section directly beneath the Movie Campus section.
Art says:
Wed, 6th Aug 200812:37 pm
Hey, I know USC plays at the Rose Bowl on New Years Day all the time now, but the Rose Bowl will always be UCLA’s turf (see ‘Old School’).
Ben says:
Wed, 6th Aug 200812:38 pm
Animal House was actually filmed at the old Phi Sigma Kappa house at Oregon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Lampoon’s_Animal_House#Locations
Vomo says:
Wed, 6th Aug 200812:57 pm
What about the movie With Honors with Patrick Dempsey and Brendon Fraser.
ahern says:
Wed, 6th Aug 20081:32 pm
what about higher learning? the one that i really wanted to know and its not here.
John says:
Wed, 6th Aug 20081:41 pm
In Rudy, he’s a student at first at Holy Cross, which is run by the same order of priests and is a junior college. Many of the students there do actually try to get into ND.
Kirk Babbington says:
Wed, 6th Aug 20083:00 pm
This is such a stupid article. Why don’t the people that run this stupid website do an article on something interesting? They should just show up skirt shots of chicks in college, now that would be interesting.
Sean says:
Wed, 6th Aug 20083:38 pm
Drumline at #11, are you kidding? Parts of A Beautiful Mind WERE shot at Princeton. And the Harvard Square scenes in Good Will Hunting make sense, because the girlfriend is a Harvard student.
Sassy says:
Wed, 6th Aug 20087:46 pm
Vince Von? Hmmm, don’t quite recognize that name, must be a new young star…
chuckwexler says:
Wed, 6th Aug 20088:53 pm
the University of Toronto was also used for most of the university scenes in Harold and Kumar go to whitecastle. http://torontoist.com/2008/06/reel_toronto_harold_and_kumar_go_to.php
Nik says:
Thu, 7th Aug 20082:51 am
Two “l”’s in Mellon. Because, you know, it’s not in the article five times. Idiots.
Matt says:
Thu, 7th Aug 200811:48 am
Uh, Manhattan College (#14) isn’t in Manhattan. It’s in the Bronx. (Riverdale to be more specific) Yeah yeah, it makes no sense and I have no idea why it is like that, but that’s that…
john says:
Thu, 7th Aug 200811:52 am
actually the opening scene of american pie 2 is suppose to be set in a michigan state university dorm room, not michigan
John says:
Thu, 7th Aug 20083:05 pm
Also, the Skulls (about Yale) was filmed at USC.
Walt says:
Thu, 7th Aug 20083:14 pm
Matt’s right - Manhattan College - home of the Jaspers and Alma Mater of Rudy Guiliani, among many other notables, is indeed not in Manhattan but rather Riverdale,NY a/k/a Da Bronx. It started out over 150 yrs ago in the Manhattanville section of Manhattan (NYC) and kept the name when it moved. Also filmed there, was the movie version of Six Degrees of Separation” with then budding star Will Smith along with Stockard Channing and Donald Sutherland. Its Quandrangle (the same one that Russel Crowe runs across in A Beautiful Mind) was depicted as being one of the Ivys (I forget which one) as well as its computer center.
Kenny says:
Fri, 8th Aug 20089:36 am
Everyone knows Revenge of the Nerds is #1. Bear Down Arizona!
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