Films shot on college campuses
When people think of their favorite films, they often assume that they are produced in a secret or private location inaccessible to the average person. However, there are many films where scenes were created on the campuses of public and private colleges and universities that students visit daily. The college locations span from California to Louisiana to New Jersey, as well as abroad. Here are 22 colleges in the U.S. and beyond that were used as movie locations. Some are among the most-filmed universities in the world.
College of Charleston (SC)
Movie: “The Notebook” (2004)
Summary: “The Notebook” opens with an old man (James Garner) reading a heartwarming story to a woman with dementia in a nursing home. He tells the love story of lumber mill worker Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) and teenage heiress Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams). Noah goes to extreme lengths to get Allie to go out with him, riding the spoke of a moving Ferris wheel and threatening to fall if she doesn’t agree to a date. Their flourishing relationship hits a roadblock after Noah meets Allie’s parents and they disapprove of him due to social class differences. The film grossed over $118 million worldwide, and McAdams and Gosling won Teen Choice Awards for their performances. The College of Charleston as a filming location was a stand-in for Sarah Lawrence College in New York.
Learn more about the College of Charleston.
University of Arizona
Movies: “Revenge of the Nerds” (1984)
Summary: “Revenge of the Nerds” follows college freshmen Gilbert Lowe (Anthony Edwards) and Lewis Skolnick (Robert Carradine) as they seek revenge on the jocks who bully them. Arriving on campus at the fictional Adams College, Gilbert and Lewis are taunted by Alpha Beta fraternity members, who accidentally burn down their own frat house and cause Gilbert, Lewis and other students to be moved out of their freshman dorm. The movie brought in $1.5 million during opening weekend, and its popularity led to three sequels. “Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise” outshone its predecessor on opening weekend in 1987, raking in almost $8 million. The original grossed over $40 million globally.
Learn more about the University of Arizona.
University of Toronto (Canada)
Movies: “Good Will Hunting” (1997) and “Mean Girls” (2004)
Summary: “Good Will Hunting” follows Will Hunting (Matt Damon), a math genius who is working as a janitor. Will is in jail before a college professor (Stellan Skarsgard) realizes his high IQ and negotiates his release as long as he has regular meetings with therapist Sean Maguire (Robin Williams). Set at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the drama was filmed at the University of Toronto and earned Williams an Oscar for best supporting actor. In “Mean Girls,” homeschooled student Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) goes to a new school and meets a group of popular girls known as The Plastics. Tensions rise when Cady falls for the ex-boyfriend of the clique’s leader. Lohan won an MTV Movie Award for best female performance in the comedy, which grossed more than $130 million worldwide.
Learn more about the University of Toronto.
Georgetown University (DC)
Movie: “The Exorcist” (1973)
Summary: “The Exorcist” follows the challenges single mother Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) faces trying to save her daughter, Regan, who has become demon-possessed. To save her, Chris enlists the help of two Roman Catholic priests. The movie received 10 Oscar nominations, including for best picture and best director, and won in two non-acting categories, including best sound. Then 14-year-old Linda Blair, who played Regan, won a Golden Globe for best supporting actress and was nominated for most promising female newcomer. A smash hit, it brought in more than $223 million domestically and over $430 million worldwide and held the record as highest-grossing R-rated horror film for four decades. About 300 students worked as extras in the movie, which was written by William Peter Blatty and directed by William Friedkin.
Learn more about Georgetown University.
Louisiana State University
Movie: “Pitch Perfect” (2012)
Summary: “Pitch Perfect” follows college freshman Beca Mitchell (Anna Kendrick) at the fictional Barden University. She decides to join her school’s all-female a cappella singing group, The Barden Bellas, after being asked unexpectedly when a member of the group overhears her singing in the shower. The group competes in a singing competition against their male counterparts in three other a cappella groups on campus. Actress Rebel Wilson, who played Bella singer Fat Amy, won an MTV Movie Award for breakthrough performance along with a Critics Choice Award nomination for best actress in a comedy. The film also won an American Music Award for favorite soundtrack and four Teen Choice Awards out of 12 nominations. The musical comedy and its two sequels together raked in more than $560 million worldwide.
Learn more about Louisiana State University.
University College London (United Kingdom)
Movie: “Batman Begins” (2005), “The Dark Knight” (2008), “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012), “Inception” (2010)
Summary: The three Batman movies, directed by Christopher Nolan, included scenes filmed at University College London. The film series follows Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) as he takes on classic villains like the Joker, Catwoman, Two-Face, Bane and Scarecrow as the vigilante Batman. Heath Ledger won a best supporting actor Oscar for his role as the Joker in “The Dark Knight.” The trilogy earned over $2.4 billion globally. Nolan is a 1993 alumnus of UCL and also directed “Inception,” in which Leonardo DiCaprio portrays a thief who had used dream-sharing technology to steal corporate secrets and later finds himself tasked with planting an idea in a CEO’s mind. It earned over $800 million worldwide.
Learn more about University College London.
Berry College (GA)
Movie: “Remember The Titans” (2000) and “Sweet Home Alabama” (2002)
Summary: In “Titans,” high school football coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) faces a huge challenge when his all-Black high school team is forced to integrate with a team from an all-white school. Boone has to help the team come together and protect this pivotal sport in Alexandria, Virginia. The film shows how football can unite people from different backgrounds to work toward a common goal. Washington received awards for best actor. In “Sweet Home Alabama,” fashion designer Melanie Carmichael (Reese Witherspoon) seems to have the perfect life in New York. After being proposed to by her dream fiancé, she heads back to her hometown of Pigeon Creek, Alabama, to get her estranged husband to sign divorce papers. The trip becomes complicated when it stirs up old emotions for Carmichael.
Learn more about Berry College.
Johns Hopkins University (MD)
Movie: “The Social Network” (2010)
Summary: “The Social Network” tells the story of how Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), while a student at Harvard University in Massachusetts, started social media platform Facebook in 2003 — and the legal complications and personal struggles that followed. Eisenberg was nominated for a best actor Oscar, while screenplay writer Aaron Sorkin won three Oscars, including for best writing in an adapted screenplay, as well as four Golden Globes. The movie, which grossed upward of $225 million worldwide, was based on a 2009 book about the founding of Facebook, “The Accidental Billionaires,” written by Ben Mezrich. Some of the scenes were shot at the Homewood campus of Johns Hopkins.
Learn more about John Hopkins University.
Occidental College (CA)
Movie: “Clueless” (1995)
Summary: Beverly Hills’ Bronson Alcott High School student Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) is proud of her matchmaking skills. After successfully getting two of her teachers to date each another, Cher decides to help transfer student Tai Frasier (Brittany Murphy) fit into her prestigious inner circle — only to see her good deed backfire. The comedy brought in over $58 million worldwide. Silverstone won MTV Movie Awards for best female performance and most desirable female. She also won an American Comedy Award for funniest actress in a motion picture in a leading role. The film won two awards for best screenplay, and director Amy Heckerling earned critical acclaim for her work. Many of the movie’s exterior campus scenes were filmed at Occidental, which is in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Eagle Rock.
Learn more about Occidental College.
University of Oregon
Movie: “National Lampoon’s Animal House” (1978)
Summary: Faber College dean Vernon Wormer (John Vernon) has a huge problem on his hands with the chaotic Delta Tau Chi fraternity. Its members upend life on the fictional college campus by playing pranks and breaking rules and performing poorly in classes. To get rid of them, the dean ropes in Omega Theta Pi leader Gregory Marmalard (James Daughton) and others to help find a way to expel Delta members. The film, set in 1962, grossed more than $141 million domestically, winning a People’s Choice Award for favorite nonmusical motion picture and the National Film Registry honor from the National Film Preservation Board, USA. The movie’s screenplay was nominated for an award by the Writers Guild of America for best comedy written directly for the screen.
Learn more about the University of Oregon.
Princeton University (NJ), University of California, Berkeley and University of California–Los Angeles
Movie: “Oppenheimer” (2023)
Summary: Director Christopher Nolan and actor Cillian Murphy team up to tell the story of how physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer developed the atomic bombs used to help end World War II. The film won wide acclaim, earning Oscars for best motion picture, best achievement in directing and in five other categories out of 13 nominations. It also won a Golden Globe for best movie and eight Critics’ Choice Awards. The all-star cast includes Robert Downey Jr., who won an Academy Award for his supporting actor role as Rear Admiral Lewis Strauss, Emily Blunt and Matt Damon. The three-hour dramatic thriller was a massive commercial success, as well, earning more than $975 million at the box office.
Learn more about Princeton University, the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California–Los Angeles
University of British Columbia (Canada)
Movie: “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” (2009)
Summary: “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” documents the early years of X-Men icon Wolverine, aka Logan (Hugh Jackman). The movie explores Wolverine’s mutant transformation, his quest for revenge following the death of his girlfriend, his work with the special forces group Weapon X and his early encounters with fellow X-Men members Cyclops and Gambit. Special effects were used to make Buchanan Tower at the University of British Columbia look like a guerrilla military base in Laos, Nigeria. UBC is one of the most-filmed locations in the world. Jackman received several award nominations for his performance. Ryan Reynolds, who played Deadpool, won a Scream Award for best supporting actor. The movie also won a BMI Film & TV Award for film music by Harry Gregson-Williams.
Learn more about the University of British Columbia.
University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill
Movie: “The Roommate” (2011)
Summary: This film tells the story of Sara Matthews (Minka Kelly), a design student from Iowa who leaves home to attend college in Los Angeles, California. Sara forms a close bond with her roommate, Rebecca Evans (Leighton Meester), but strange things start to happen as Sara branches out and makes new connections on campus. And after she visits Rebecca’s home and uncovers secrets about her, their friendship unravels and Rebecca acts out violent, jealous rage against other people in Sara’s life. The horror film took the top box office spot on Super Bowl weekend, earning $15.6 million in its debut and over $52 million internationally. Both actresses were nominated for MTV Movie and Teen Choice awards for their performances.
Learn more about the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill.
Tulane University of Louisiana
Movie: “22 Jump Street” (2014)
Summary: This comedy follows two cops, played by Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, as they go undercover as students at the fictional MC State University to find out who’s selling a new synthetic drug known as “WHY-PHY.” Rapper Ice Cube stars as their supervisor, Captain Dickinson. The film shoots several interior and exterior shots of a library and other buildings on Tulane’s campus in New Orleans. Tatum won an MTV Movie Award and People’s Choice Award for best comedy, and the movie also won a BMI Film & TV Award for music and three Teen Choice Awards. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, it earned over $57 million opening weekend on its way to over $330 million globally. It was a sequel to the 2012 action comedy “21 Jump Street,” which also starred Tatum and Hill.
Learn more about Tulane University of Louisiana.
Morehouse College (GA)
Movies: “School Daze” (1988), “Stomp the Yard” (2007), “Hidden Figures” (2016)
Summary: Morehouse has been the setting for several seminal movies. Alum and film director Spike Lee shot scenes for “School Daze” on the campus, as well as at neighboring Clark Atlanta University and Spelman College. He wrapped up filming of “School Daze” at another adjacent HBCU, Morris Brown College. Lee stars as the main character, Half-Pint, who pledges a fraternity at the fictional Mission College. The film highlights Black fraternity and sorority life and related cultural issues, and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. “Stomp the Yard” follows D.J. (Columbus Short) as he enrolls in college following the death of his brother and joins the step dancing team. “Hidden Figures,” a historical docudrama, shows the critical contributions of three Black female mathematicians to NASA astronaut John Glenn’s launch into orbit and garnered three Oscar nominations.
Learn more about Morehouse College.
University of Maryland
Movie: “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” (2007)
Summary: “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” follows treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage) as he competes with black market dealer Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris) to find a lost city of gold treasure revealed through a clue from a missing page of the diary of John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. Gates sets out to prove the innocence of Thomas Gates, an ancestor linked to the murder conspiracy. The movie, directed by Jon Turteltaub, was a big commercial success, grossing nearly $220 million domestically and more than $459 million worldwide. It was also nominated for best movie in the MTV Movie Awards. Diane Kruger, who plays Gates’ girlfriend and joins him on the adventure, was nominated for a Teen Choice Award for best actress in an action-adventure.
Learn more about the University of Maryland.
University of Oxford (United Kingdom)
Movie: “Harry Potter” movies
Summary: The Harry Potter film series spans eight movies, following young wizard Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends and their adventures through the fictional boarding school Hogwarts and beyond. Emma Watson and Rupert Grint feature throughout the series as two of Potter’s closest friends. The franchise began with “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” in 2001 and ended in 2011 with “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2.” Some of the filming sites on the university’s campus were New College, the Bodleian Library and Christ Church College. Altogether, the movies were nominated for scores of awards over the years, including numerous Oscars, and won many honors — but never an Academy Award. The franchise, based on books by British writer J.K. Rowling, generated nearly $8 billion in box office receipts globally.
Learn more about the University of Oxford.
San Diego State University (CA)
Movie: “Bring It On” (2000)
Summary: Torrance Shipman (Kirsten Dunst) and Isis (Gabrielle Union) lead cheerleading squads from their rival high schools to face off in a national competition. The rivalry escalates after Isis accuses Torrance’s squad of stealing their best routines — and Isis sets out on a mission to get her squad the fame it deserves. The film brought in over $68 million domestically and more than $90 million worldwide. Some saw the film as Union’s breakout performance, as she won a Black Reel Award for best supporting actress and went on to star in numerous other movies. Dunst earned several nominations from the Blockbuster Entertainment, Young Artist and Teen Choice awards for her performance. The comedy spawned a sequel, “Bring It On: All or Nothing” in 2006.
Learn more about San Diego State University.
University of Minnesota
Movie: “Dear White People” (2014)
Summary: “Dear White People” is a satirical film that follows four Black Ivy League students and how they grapple with the challenges of racism. The film stars Tessa Thompson, who plays Samantha White, a radio host, student activist and leader of the Black Student Union, and Tyler James Williams, who portrays Lionel Higgins, a student journalist who covers the school’s race issues. The movie, written and directed by Justin Simien, led to a Netflix spinoff series. Thompson received an award from the African-American Film Critics Association and Simien garnered two of the flick’s five NAACP Image Award nominations. Simien won several accolades, including for best narrative feature at the San Francisco International Film Festival. While the film had cultural impact, the box office numbers were modest — about $5.4 million internationally.
Learn more about the University of Minnesota.
University of Southern California
Movies: “Forrest Gump” (1994), “Legally Blonde” (2001)
Summary: In one of his most iconic roles, Tom Hanks stars as Forrest Gump, an intellectually disabled kid whose epic journey across three decades sees him weaving in and out of landmark events in American history and living an impactful life. It won six Oscars, including best actor for Hanks. Meanwhile, “Legally Blonde” follows the fashionable Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) as she tries to win back her ambitious ex-boyfriend by following him to law school to prove she can be the “serious” woman he says he needs. The comedy and Witherspoon received many award nominations, winning several, and there was a sequel in 2003. As of September 2024, USC held the record for the most movies filmed at a school, according to Study International, although “Legally Blonde” was set at Harvard University in Massachusetts and some Forrest Gump scenes were meant to represent The University of Alabama.
Learn more about the University of Southern California.
22 colleges where popular movies were filmed
College of Charleston (SC): “The Notebook” (2004)
University of Arizona: “Revenge of the Nerds” (1984)
University of Toronto (Canada): “Good Will Hunting” (1997), “Mean Girls” (2004)
Georgetown University (DC): “The Exorcist” (1973)
Louisiana State University: “Pitch Perfect” (2012)
University College of London (United Kingdom): “Batman Begins” (2005), “The Dark Knight” (2008), “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012), “Inception” (2010)
Berry College (GA): “Remember The Titans” (2000), “Sweet Home Alabama” (2002)
Johns Hopkins University (MD): “The Social Network” (2010)
Occidental College (CA): “Clueless” (1995)
University of Oregon: “National Lampoon’s Animal House” (1978)
Princeton University (NJ), University of California Berkeley and University of California Los Angeles: “Oppenheimer” (2023)
University of British Columbia (Canada): “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” (2009)
University of North Carolina: “The Roommate” (2011)
Tulane University of Louisiana: “22 Jump Street” (2014)
Morehouse College (GA): “School Daze” (1988), “Stomp the Yard (2007)”, “Hidden Figures” (2016)
University of Maryland: “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” (2007)
University of Oxford (United Kingdom): “Harry Potter” movies (2001- 2011)
San Diego State University (CA): “Bring It On” (2000)
University of Minnesota: “Dear White People” (2014)
University of Southern California: “Forrest Gump” (1994), “Legally Blonde” (2001)
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22 Colleges Where Popular Movies Were Filmed originally appeared on usnews.com
