8 Comedies & Dramas That Most Accurately Depict Campus Life, Ranked by IMDb
These movies show that the real drama doesn't unfold in classrooms but in dorm rooms, and the most important lessons aren't taught by professors but by roommates.
University life is a mix of dizzying freedom and the dread of deadlines, it's a feeling of having the world at your feet, yet also feeling utterly lost, there are sleepless nights poring over textbooks, and talking about everything under the sun.
We've recalled eight comedies and dramas that brilliantly capture the atmosphere many former students miss.
8. 'Accepted', 2006
IMDb Score: 6.4/10
Unfortunately, Bartleby Gaines was rejected by every college to which he applied. Seeking a creative solution, he and his friends set up their own fictitious university.
On the university's website, they advertise that they accept everyone. As a result, many other unsuccessful applicants came to them. Bartleby then decides to use his tuition money to provide these trusting students with a real education.
7. 'Van Wilder', 2002
IMDb Score: 6.4/10
Van Wilder is in his seventh year as an undergraduate student. He has become known as the biggest slacker and party animal on campus.
Suddenly, however, trouble begins to brew: Van's father has decided to stop paying his tuition. Now, Van must take responsibility for his life and grow up.
The movie is based on reports in Rolling Stone magazine about the partying habits of Bert Kreischer, a future stand-up comedian.
6. 'Mona Lisa Smile', 2003
IMDb Score: 6.6/10
The movie is set in the 1950s. Katherine Watson, a PhD candidate, accepts a position teaching art history at Wellesley College.
As she works, she realizes that her students are arrogant and highly educated but lack the ability to think independently.
Communication is further complicated by Wellesley's prevailing morals: parents and the administration raise the girls solely to be future wives of successful husbands. However, Katherine decides to defy the system and instill different ideals in her students.
5. 'The Rules of Attraction', 2002
IMDb Score: 6.6/10
Sean Bateman, a womanizer and drug dealer, falls in love with Lauren, a virgin. Lauren is attracted to Sean, but she still has feelings for her ex, Victor.
Meanwhile, Paul Denton, Lauren's ex, develops feelings for Sean. One of these ties must be severed, and someone will be left with nothing.
The Rules of Attraction is based on the book of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis. Notably, Sean is the younger brother of Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, another of the writer's characters.
4. 'Starter for 10', 2006
IMDb Score: 6.7/10
Brian Jackson enrolled at Bristol University on a scholarship in 1985. There, he joined the university team for the TV quiz show University Challenge.
He immediately fell in love with another contestant, the charming but flighty Alice. However, there was another woman in his life: the serious and witty Rebecca. Brian must come to terms with his feelings and move on to the next stage of his life.
The movie captivates with its gripping plot, light humor, and soundtrack that perfectly immerses viewers in the 1980s era with hits from The Cure, The Smiths, and Wham! playing in the background.
3. 'Everybody Wants Some!!', 2016
IMDb Score: 6.9/10
Texas, 1980, Jake Bradford starts college. As a pitcher on the college baseball team, he moves into a house with his teammates. On his journey to adulthood, he parties and drinks, and eventually finds love.
Everybody Wants Some!! was directed by Oscar nominee Richard Linklater, known for works such as Boyhood and Before Sunrise.
2. 'Pitch Perfect', 2012
IMDb Score: 7.1/10
Beca starts college but struggles to study – she dreams of dropping out to become a DJ. Pressured by her father, she joins an a cappella group.
Beca helps the group win a competition, taking the crown from their main rivals – a group of boys from the same university. However, there's a problem: Jesse, for whom Beca has developed feelings, joins the rival group.
1. '3 Idiots', 2009
IMDb Score: 8.4/10
Ten years after graduating, Farhan, Raju, and Chatur meet on the college rooftop. Their main question is where to find their fourth friend, Rancho. He was their roommate and always stood out from the other students.
While everyone else pored over theory for their diplomas, Rancho was eager to gain immediately applicable knowledge. This led to a conflict with the university rector. Eventually, Rancho befriended the rector's daughter and convinced her to leave her fiancé.
This set in motion a multitude of events, quarrels, intrigues, and adventures. Everything was heading toward a happy ending when, on the day the graduates were supposed to receive their diplomas, Rancho disappeared.
