15 of the best movies about college romance

This iconic film follows two childhood friends who both dream of becoming professional basketball players, as well as their deep-rooted love for each other. Spanning from their youth to their college years at USC and beyond, Love & Basketball is a passionate and unforgettable story about ambition and romance.

Drumline perfectly captures the energy and intensity of joining a college marching band, especially when a cocky, talented drummer from Harlem clashes with the band's disciplined leader. The romance that blossoms amidst the high-stakes halftime shows and fierce rivalries adds a sweet, heartfelt beat to this vibrant movie.

In Pitch Perfect, a cynical, alternative freshman gets reluctantly pulled into her college's all-girl a cappella group. The charming, unexpected romance she finds with a singer from a competing group is just one of the many high notes in this hilarious and endlessly rewatchable musical comedy.

Legally Blonde follows a fashion-savvy sorority president who gets into Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend, but ends up finding her own ambition (and a much better romance). It’s a brilliant, feel-good story about a woman who proves that being true to yourself is the most important thing.

Mona Lisa Smile is set at Wellesley College in the 1950s, where a progressive new art history professor inspires her students to question their traditional societal roles. The various romances and relationships of the students explore the conflict between personal ambition and the pressure to get married.

In Stomp the Yard, a troubled but talented street dancer from Los Angeles enrolls in a historically Black university in Atlanta, where he discovers the world of step-dancing. The film's central plot revolves around him joining a fraternity and finding romance, all while navigating intense rivalries on and off the dance floor.

This movie is the definition of a dramatic, all-consuming college romance, based on the wildly popular novels of the same name. It follows a wholesome first-year student who falls for a mysterious, brooding bad boy with a dark secret, and their tumultuous relationship takes over her entire university experience.

After being kicked out of the Playboy Mansion, a bubbly bunny (Anna Faris) becomes the house mom for a sorority of nerdy, socially awkward girls. Her sweet and hilarious romance with a thoughtful, kind-hearted guy from campus, however, is a core part of her journey to find a new purpose in life.

The Other Zoey is a great addition to the genre, focusing on a brilliant college student who doesn't believe in romance until she gets caught in a wild love triangle. When a popular soccer player gets amnesia and mistakes her for his girlfriend, she's forced to play along and question everything she thought about love.

A raunchy comedy, this sequel shifts the focus back to campus life, featuring a newly formed sorority fighting for its right to party. The film hilariously explores the relationships and romantic shenanigans of college students, offering a wild and over-the-top take on college life. 

When a disillusioned 35-year-old returns to his alma mater in the film Liberal Arts, he doesn't expect to fall for a whip-smart, 19-year-old drama student who revitalizes his love for life. Their charming and complicated romance explores nostalgia and the timeless feeling of finding an unexpected connection on a college campus.

The Great Debaters is a powerful film based on the true story of the Wiley College debate team, a small, historically Black college that defeated Harvard in the 1930s. Amidst the inspiring story of their intellectual fight against racism, a compelling romance and rivalry develop between two of the team's star debaters.

Dear White People is a sharp satire about race relations at a prestigious, predominantly white Ivy League university told through the eyes of several Black students. The film explores different relationships and romances as its characters navigate the complexities of identity, activism, and finding connection on a challenging campus.

A driven Harvard student's life is turned upside down when a homeless man finds his nearly-completed senior thesis and holds it hostage in exchange for food and shelter. The film features a sweet, underlying romance between the student and his roommate, but the core relationship is the bond he forms with the man who teaches him about life outside the classroom.

In Bring It On: Again, a talented college freshman named Whittier finds herself clashing with the tyrannical captain of the varsity cheer squad, especially when she starts dating a cute campus DJ. Throughout the film, Whittier's new romance becomes a major point of contention, fueling her decision to form her own team and challenge her school's reigning cheer dynasty for her spot at the top.