Unusual college clubs
College is about more than classroom learning — it also offers opportunities for students to explore hobbies and potential careers. One way of doing so is by joining campus clubs and organizations. While offerings vary per campus, club categories often range from academics and community service to religion and racial or cultural identities. And the options don’t end there. Here’s a list of 10 unique clubs — such as skydiving, paranormal activity, farming and beekeeping — that aren’t available at every college. Students should do their own research about extracurricular activities on their campus, as options may change from year to year based on interest.
Skydiving club
When it comes to college clubs, your first thought might be Greek life. However, there are groups for countless hobbies and interests, even for thrill-seekers. For instance, skydiving is one of many club sports students can register for at the University of Connecticut. While UConn’s skydiving club is competitive, prior experience isn’t required. Members train for collegiate competitions, where jumps are judged on formations or accuracy landings. Training takes place at a wind tunnel, which simulates freefall, in Nashua, New Hampshire, and members jump from planes at the club’s main drop zone in Ellington, Connecticut.
Theme park engineering club
If you’re interested in a career in the amusement park design industry or just enjoy the thrill of riding rollercoasters, schools like Drexel University in Pennsylvania, The Pennsylvania State University and the University at Buffalo–SUNY offer theme park engineering clubs. Students in Drexel’s Theme Park Engineering & Design Group, for instance, work on design projects; take trips to theme parks like Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Walt Disney Imagineering HQ, Hersheypark and Six Flags; and attend industry-related conferences across the U.S. and Canada. Although the club’s name references engineering, it’s open to all undergraduates at Drexel regardless of major.
Paranormal club
At some colleges, talk of spirits and the supernatural doesn’t start and end around Halloween — it’s a year-round club topic. Paranormal phenomena are researched and discussed in meetings at The Ohio State University‘s paranormal club, for instance. While Ohio State boasts several hauntings — including reports of footsteps and a shadowy figure in the library basement and a flickering light seen in the tower of Orton Hall, the second-oldest building on campus — there’s more to the club than ghost tours and spooky tales. The club also hosts movie nights and information sessions on topics like tarot cards, psychics and aliens.
Storm chasers club
Storm chasers aren’t just in movies, like “Twister.” They’re also on college campuses — although you won’t see students getting close to a tornado. Meteorology majors and those simply intrigued by severe weather can join the storm chase team at Ball State University in Indiana. The team observes severe storms that affect the eastern part of central Indiana and provides real-time data to the National Weather Service, local television shows and radio stations, and law enforcement, according to Ball State’s website. Members also take field trips to the National Weather Service and guest speakers visit to answer questions about their own storm-chasing experiences and related career paths.
Beekeeping club
Research indicates that U.S. beekeepers lost 62% of their managed honeybee colonies between June 2024 and February 2025. Bees continue to face pesticide exposure and threats to their habitat. Some colleges are taking action by educating students and community members about these pollinators through beekeeping clubs. Members of the beekeeping clubs at Cornell University in New York and Edmonds College in Washington receive hands-on learning about honey extraction and hive management, and hear from experts in the field. When not in beekeeping suits, club members also create candles and other crafts using collected beeswax. Edmonds’ club even sells the honey gathered from their hives.
Cheese club
Food often brings people together. That’s the case at New York University and Northeastern University in Massachusetts — schools that both have cheese clubs. Northeastern’s club presents a different theme each week, such as fruity cheeses, expensive cheeses, non-cow milk cheeses and crumble cheeses. Members taste the chosen cheeses while mingling with peers. When the club hosts executive board elections, winners receive and wear a cheese hat. At NYU, some past club events — which occur monthly — include cheese trivia, a cheesecake party, cheese around the world, and mac and cheese night.
Puzzle club
A puzzle isn’t just an activity to do in the dorms by yourself or with friends; it’s also a way to meet people. The Puzzlers of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, for instance, brings together students interested in recreational and competitive puzzling. During weekly meetings, members can complete a jigsaw puzzle at their own pace or choose to learn and practice speed puzzling. Other colleges have different variations of a puzzle club. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, hosts a puzzlehunt competition that attracts more than 2,000 people each year, according to its website. Participating teams work to solve different puzzles, a process that directs them to a hidden object on campus.
Farm club
Students interested in agriculture or gardening can join a farm club at colleges like Elon University in North Carolina and St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Elon’s farm club, for instance, teaches members about sustainability and the food justice movement — which aims to ensure all communities have access to healthy, affordable food — through field trips, speaker sessions and hands-on learning at the school-owned Loy Farm. Similarly, farm club members at St. Mary’s get their hands dirty at the college’s Kate Chandler farm by maintaining garden beds and bee “hotels” that support pollinator communities in the area. The group also hosts events throughout the year, such as fundraisers and field trips to small farms.
3D printing club
Many colleges incorporate 3D printing technology — which creates physical objects layer by layer — in curriculum or extracurricular offerings. The University of Michigan‘s 3D printing club, for instance, is open to all majors and aims to provide “in-depth experiential learning in all aspects of 3D printing” through workshops and community building, per the organization’s website. At the University of Maine, students pay $15 a semester to access printer filament in the campus lab, which hosts demonstrations on 3D printing techniques. Students can become volunteer lab techs to develop their 3D printing knowledge and be a resource for peers.
Circus club
Students who enjoy aerial acrobats or other circus acts don’t always have to find a specialty gym or facility to hone their craft. Some colleges have their own circus programs. Illinois State University‘s Gamma Phi Circus — the oldest collegiate circus in the U.S. — is open to full-time students, faculty and staff, and requires no prior experience, per the school’s website. The program hosts open houses for interested participants to try various circus activities, like aerials, juggling and tumbling. Gamma Phi Circus has a two-hour show on campus every April, and members also perform across the state and nationwide, such as at the Sweet Corn Circus festival in Normal, Illinois and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
Other aspects of campus life.
Learn more about college living by checking out the U.S. News guide to campus resources. Connect with U.S. News Education on Facebook and X/Twitter to get more advice on making the college decision.
Lesser-known college clubs
— Skydiving club
— Theme park engineering club
— Paranormal club
— Storm chasers club
— Beekeeping club
— Cheese club
— Puzzle club
— Farm club
— 3D printing club
— Circus club
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10 Uncommon Student Clubs originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 01/08/26: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
