College campuses always look so idyllic in movies: students dress in preppy fall clothes, walking past brick buildings through a leaf-covered quad to get to their next class. Talk about atmospheric. But when a horror movie features characters who are working toward their undergrad degree, the setting suddenly turns spooky, and it feels like a killer could be lurking around any corner. College is definitely a fun setting for a scary story.

There are some great teen horror movies, and there are just as many entertaining flicks out there that center around college students, either on campus or going off on a trip that doesn’t end up being as fun as they planned. These enjoyable and sometimes campy horror movies have also been ranked by fans on IMDb.

10 Black Christmas (2019) – 3.2

This remake of the classic 1974 movie didn’t get a very good rating on IMDb, but it does get points for being a feminist film.

Riley (Imogen Poots) is just trying to get through the holiday season, but she soon realizes that staying at her sorority house isn’t going to be the best bet as a killer seems to be stalking her and her sisters.

Black Christmas might not be perfect, but it’s got some interesting direction and cinematography, and it tries to deal with a serious subject as Imogen is healing from some trauma.

9 Soul Survivors (2001) – 3.9

In the 2001 horror movie Soul Survivors, Cassie (Melissa Sagemiller) is a college student mourning the death of her boyfriend Sean (Casey Affleck).

Weird things start happening and suddenly her campus is the most terrifying place in the world. The movie is campy but does have some legitimate scary moments.

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8 Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000) – 4.3

The sequel to the 2000 movie also takes place on a college campus. As the title suggests, the focus is on a group of film students who are working on their final projects. The main character is Amy (Jennifer Morrison), and she starts getting spooked as students are getting killed based on classic urban legends.

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Urban Legends: Final Cut is not as well-done as some other horror movies, that’s for sure, but it’s a fun enough movie to watch during Halloween season.

7 I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) – 4.7

At the beginning of I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Julie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) wins a free vacation by answering a geography question. She and her college pals head off on a tropical trip, and Julie thinks (or hopes) that the trauma of her past is behind her.

This sequel to the horror movie classic got a rating of 4.7 out of 10 on IMDb. Julie soon realizes that the trip was a big mistake and that the killer has followed them there, determined to make sure that they don’t go home.

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is a fun movie that will make viewers glad that their own college trips didn’t resemble this one.

6 Sorority Row (2009) – 5.1

When looking for horror movies that are cheesy and campy, 2009’s Sorority Row is a safe bet.

When a prank involving a group of sorority girls goes wrong and Megan (Audrina Patridge) ends up dead, her sisters have to make sure that no one knows what they did. While no one would think that this movie was award-winning or worthy of tons of praise, it’s still enjoyable to watch.

5 Truth Or Dare (2018) – 5.2

Starring Lucy Hale, 2018’s Truth Or Dare fared a bit better on IMDb with a 5.2.

The story follows college students who get involved in a game of truth or dare that is nothing like the classic that people have been playing for decades. Instead, this one is deadly, and playing it means being cursed.

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It’s great to see Lucy Hale mixing it up in a horror story since her main role has been Aria Montgomery on Pretty Little Liars.

4 Urban Legend (1998) – 5.6

Urban legends have led to many horror films, and the best movie about these tales is definitely 1998’s Urban Legend.

The film follows college student Natalie (Alicia DeWitt), who learns that her campus has a creepy killer who is basing his murders on urban legends. The movie is pretty dated but it’s totally worth a rewatch.

3 Cabin Fever (2002) – 5.7

In the 2002 horror movie Cabin Fever, starring Rider Strong of Boy Meets World fame, college students decide on their college break plans: going to a cabin in the woods.

Of course, this is a horror movie, so the plan doesn’t work out all that well. It turns out that flesh-eating bacteria starts spreading through the group — and things get gross and scary fast.

2 Scream 2 (1997) – 6.2

It’s easy to forget that Scream 2 takes place at a college since it’s such a beloved entry in the popular franchise. But Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is now working toward her degree, hoping that the Woodsboro murders are long behind her.

Scream has fantastic characters and that continues in this sequel. Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy) returns to the movie and has more horror wisdom to share. As he explains, “There are certain rules that one must abide by in order to create a successful sequel. Number one: the body count is always bigger. Number two: the death scenes are always much more elaborate — more blood, more gore. And number three: never, ever, under any circumstances, assume the killer is dead.”

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The movie also features some scenes set in a sorority house, most notably with Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character, Cici.

1 Happy Death Day (2017) – 6.6

While fans wait for news about Happy Death Day 3, watching the first movie is a great way to pass the time.

The 2017 film tells the tale of college student Tree (Jessica Rothe) who is killed… and keeps coming back to life. She figures out that if she can find out who killed her, she can stop this from happening. This movie is more entertaining than scary but is still worth checking out.

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About The Author


Aya Tsintziras
(1730 Articles Published)

Aya Tsintziras is a freelance writer who writes about pop culture and TV. She has a Political Science degree from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Journalism from Ryerson University. She loves coffee, reading, working out, and watching TV. She lives in Toronto with her husband.

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