Lose The Toga! These Are The Coolest College Party Themes You'll See On TikTok

Looking to throw the world’s greatest college party? These aren’t the days of middle school or high school when a simple sleepover would be enough to make everyone happy. The number of attendees usually multiples considerably. Depending on where you’re having the party, what kind of connections you have, and if you “advertise,” you shouldn’t be surprised if more than 100 people show up. So, how do you make sure your party goes down in history — in a good way? By making sure everyone has a blast and no one forgets where they were or what they did. The best way to ensure that: It’s all about college party themes. College kids might soon forget who got their giant laundry bag as a going to college present, but they won’t forget a fun night. (Uhhh… hopefully.)

Some party themes have been around forever. We’ve attended ’80s parties since the ’90s. And who hasn’t watched Downton Abbey or the Leonardo DiCaprio version of The Great Gatsby and immediately attempted a Gatsby-esque party of their own? While luaus and togas never really go out of style, a more unique party theme can set you apart.

We’re introducing you to some of our favorite college party themes, along with a giant list of other ideas. You can interpret them however you want!

College Party Themes That Aren’t Totally Tired

1. Dad Party

This has been huge on Tik Tok, and we love it! Everyone shows up dressed like “a dad.” This will mean different things to different people, but the typical look is jorts, white New Balance sneakers, and a tucked-in polo shirt.

2. Your Favorite Famous Chris

You could also use the name of whomever you’re celebrating. The idea in this instance is for everyone to dress up as their favorite famous Chris. Examples: Chris Evans (Captain America), Chris Kringle, Chris Pine (A Star Trek uniform, maybe?), etc.

3. First Letter of Your Name

Here’s another random trend we’ve seen on TikTok with great success. If your name starts with D, you’ll want to come dressed as something that begins with D like a dog, Doctor Strange, Darlene (from Roseanne), Debbie Downer, dumpster fire — you get the idea. Another fun twist on this is to dress as someone famous who has the same name as you!

4. Y’Allternative Night

Have you heard of the Y’allternative trend? It’s probably a good way to describe your friends who dress like rockers and listen to country or dress like a country singer but listen to alternative music. A solid mix of ’90s country and early emo will make a great playlist. Expect to see a ton of plaid, skinny jeans and cowboy boots, and hats.

5. Mom Stereotypes

You can’t make fun of dads and leave out moms! There are so many fantastic mom stereotypes, from the “Karen” who sports the Kate Gosselin haircut to the boujee young mom in a messy bun with a shirt that says “Boy Mom.” Let your friends take those two simple words and run with ’em.

6. Graffiti Party

Graffiti parties often look like glow parties, and both are cool. The idea is to offer paint (that may or may not be glow-in-the-dark) and let your friends go wild. This is a great idea for outside or in an unfinished, empty basement — someplace where, if things get out of hand (and they will), you won’t risk losing your deposit.

7. Meme Party

What’s your favorite meme? Dress like it! Whether you show up like Kermit the Frog or Sam Elliott, it’s all about having fun with today’s biggest trend.

8. Letter-Themed Parties

Pick a letter, any letter. Have everyone dress as something that starts with that letter. Play music by bands that start with that letter (or songs that start with that letter) and serve snacks that start with that letter, too. Our best example? A P party will have pizza, friends wearing costumes to look like Peter Parker (Spider-Man) or members of Paw Patrol, and offer music from the likes of Master P, Pavarotti, and Prince.

9. ABC Party

This is not a party dedicated to the alphabet, despite its name. At this gathering, ABC means Anything But Clothes. All participants should avoid wearing traditional clothes like cotton shirts or jeans. Instead, they should cover up with different pieces like curtains, blankets, caution tape, candy wrappers, book covers, and anything else they can think of. The best outfit usually gets a shout-out or wins a small prize.

Even More College Party Themes

1. ‘Merican Nights
2. ’80s
3. ’90s
4. Alice in Wonderland
5. All Holidays
6. Anything But Cups
7. Around the World
8. Disney Princesses
9. Bad and Boujee
10. Bikes and Babes
11. Blood Bath/Fright Night
12. Boston Tea Party
13. Candyland
14. Casino
15. Color-Themes
16. Disco
17. Dynamic Duos
18. Favorite Animals
19. Flashlight Party
20. Foam Party
21. Forgotten Figures
22. Future
23. Get Nauti
24. Grammy Night Party
25. Great Gatsby
26. Heaven and Hell
27. High School Stereotypes
28. Hillbillies
29. Luau
30. Mardi Gras
31. Masquerade
32. Mathletes and Athletes
33. Metal Night
34. Music Festival
35. Music Video
36. Olympics
37. Outer Space
38. Pajama Party
39. Rags to Riches
40. Remember Middle School?
41. Risky Business
42. Rumble in the Jungle
43. Seven Deadly Sins
44. Sexy Historical Figures
45. Should Be Olympics
46. Silent Disco
47. Snowpants or No Pants
48. Splash Party
49. Spring Break (best done when it’s not spring)
50. State Stereotypes
51. Superheroes
52. Sworn Enemies
53. Ugly Sweater
54. Under the Sea
55. When I Grow Up
56. Wild West
57. You Are What You Eat