40 College Campuses That Starred In Popular Movies

40. California State University, Long Beach (CSULB)

CSULB’s modernist angles and SoCal sunshine make it a favorite for urban-set stories, most notably Star Trek (The Next Generation) and American Pie 2. Its clean lines, palm trees, and glass-heavy structures have helped it double as everything from futuristic labs to high schools to fictional universities. The campus’s open spaces and minimalist architecture allow filmmakers to style it for nearly any contemporary setting. Plus, its proximity to Hollywood and flexible filming policies make it a practical favorite. It’s the kind of campus that doesn’t need to shout—it simply transforms, scene by scene, into whatever the story requires.