The Top 8 Must-See College Movies

By Elana Goodwin on November 25, 2014

Even though you live the college life every day, it can still be fun to see how universities are portrayed on the big screen.

Here are the top eight college movies you have to see.

Photo Credit: cambridge.com

Good Will Hunting.” This classic college movie came out in 1997 and went on to win two Oscars. Written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, the story follows M.I.T janitor Will Hunting who happens to be gifted at mathematics but needs help from a psychologist to unlock his potential.

If you haven’t already seen this amazing drama, you’ve got to watch it pronto — it’ll make it onto your list of favorites after you see it just once. The film stars Matt Damon, Robin Williams and Ben Affleck.

Accepted.” When a slacker high school senior doesn’t get into any of the colleges he applied to, he makes up his own university, called South Harmon Institute of Technology (which has an awesome acronym).

He and his friends create the college on a rundown property close to where they live and unknowingly start something of an educational revolution.

This is a great college movie that’ll have you wanting to join the masses at South Harmon Institute of Technology. The comedy stars Justin Long, Jonah Hill and Blake Lively.

Photo Credit: moviepilot.com

Pitch Perfect.” This hilarious and musical college movie follows Barden University freshman Beca, who joins The Barden Bellas, an all-female a cappella group on campus.

She soon finds herself immersed in the competitive world of college a cappella and needs to work together with her fellow group members to try to beat their rival all-male group, The Treblemakers.

The aca-awesome movie stars Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp and Rebel Wilson and will have you singing long after the last credits have rolled.

Plus, “Pitch Perfect 2″ hits theaters on May 5, 2015, so you’ve got to watch the first movie before you see the sequel.

The Social Network.” This biographical drama won three Oscars and follows Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg as he creates the social networking site that would become Facebook. He’s later sued by two brothers who are fellow Harvard students that claim he stole their idea, as well as a co-founder he forced out of the business venture.

The film is really interesting and provides viewers with the story behind Facebook, and since Zuckerberg was a college student when he started programming the site, the movie makes it onto this list of college movies to see. Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield  and Justin Timberlake star.

Photo Credit: hdwallpapers.in

22 Jump Street.” This action comedy follows two cops as they are sent undercover at a local college to bring down a drug ring. It’s pretty much “21 Jump Street” all over again, but instead of taking place in a high school, it’s at a college.

Watching the two friends and cops try to fit in among the college crowd and go through hilarious hi-jinks make this movie (no matter how familiar it seems) a really enjoyable college movie. The film stars Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum and Ice Cube.

Liberal Arts.” When admissions officer Jesse returns to his alma mater for a professor’s retirement party, he meets college student Zibby, who is sixteen years younger than him.

They begin a relationship and as Jesse interacts with various people at the university, he realizes he may have a chance to once again find the passion he lost.

This indie dramedy was written and directed by Josh Radnor (“How I Met Your Mother”) and stars Radnor, Elizabeth Olsen, Richard Jenkins and Allison Janney.

Photo Credit: viewerscommentary.com

Legally Blonde.” This well known Golden Globe-nominated rom-com is a quintessential college movie. When Elle Woods is dumped by her boyfriend, she decides to follow him to law school to get him back.

Elle gets into Harvard and sets out to recapture her beau, along the way realizing that she’s got a true passion for the law and won’t let anyone stand in her way. The movie stars Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson and Selma Blair.

Monsters University.” The movie is a prequel to “Monsters, Inc.,” and shows viewers how Mike and Sulley met and how they overcame their differences to become best friends. The two monsters meet at Monsters University, which makes this an awesome animated college movie that provides back-story to “Monsters, Inc.”

The movie features the voices of Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren and other famous actors.

Other must-see college movies: “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” “Rudy,” “The House Bunny” and “Sydney White.”

So the next time you’re in the mood to watch a flick or have a movie night, pick one of these college movies to enjoy — then sit back and wish you could attend some of these fictionalized universities.

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