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Graduation is a funny milestone, because it brings both a sense accomplishment and a feeling of nostalgia. It's hard to put this exact experience into words, but there are a bunch of graduation movies out there that do the job! Anyone who watches these films will have a surplus of both graduation quotes and yearbook quotes inspiration—especially students who are graduating high school. (Heck, you may even be inspired to host an epic graduation party, too.)
All of the best graduation movies help you relive your high school glory days. Think: buddy comedies like Superbad and Booksmart or quintessential '80s movies like The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Most of these coming-of-age stories are focused on senior year adventures or the final days of high school, and can help you reflect on the whirlwind that was your final few semesters. There are even some films that feature timeless graduation songs like "We Go Together" from one of Ree Drummond's all-time favorite movies, Grease.
And if you have a graduating student in the house, binge-watch these flicks with family and friends as you count down to graduation day and the official start of the rest of their life. And by the way: Congratulations, graduate!
Diane (Ione Skye) has her priorities right: she is a straight-A student set to be to valedictorian of her high school. Things are looking bright, but when a boy name Lloyd (John Cusack) walks into her life, she begins to rethink everything right around graduation.
The final installment in the High School Musical series is arguably the best one yet. The fan-favorite characters are now all going separate ways, which is actually pretty darn sad for those who want to see Gabriella and Troy end up together... will love prevail in the end?
This movie follows the lives of two high school football stars in a desperately quiet North Texas town. Against all odds, they try to make their last year of high school the best one yet.
It's a tale as old as time: A popular senior finally runs into the shy, quiet girl in school whom he somehow hasn't noticed all throughout his four years. They fall in love (obviously), but will the clear differences between them be too great?
Levi Collins' parents *think* that he graduated high school alongside his peers in May. Levi is a good liar, though, because he actually failed to meet the requirements to do so. Now, he must take summer courses to get his diploma while somehow keeping his suspicious parents off the scent.
If you need a little inspiration for Ditch Day, look no further than this classic '80s flick! It follows smooth-talking high school senior Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) on an epic day off with his BFF Cameron and girlfriend Sloane.
Join Danny, Sandy, and the rest of the gang as they navigate their senior year of high school with plenty of bumps along the dragway. "We Go Together" is a timeless ode to those romantic final days of high school—you won't be able to get it out of your head!
Let this classic movie serve as proof that high school stereotypes were made to be broken. After all, deep down, each one of us is a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal.
A high school outsider finally gets his chance with the girl of his dreams at an epic graduation party. This ensemble comedy stars Ethan Embry, Seth Green, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and more big '90s stars.
Samantha Baker is turning 16 but it's anything but sweet when her family forgets her birthday. Of course, one kiss from her crush could turn it all around.
Can a too-cool-for-school jock turn an artsy outcast into the senior prom queen in just six weeks? You'll have fun finding out when you watch this classic high school makeover movie.
If you're starting to think we're obsessed with high school '80s movies...you're right! Another John Hughes classic, this one stars Molly Ringwald as an offbeat high school senior who falls for the popular guy, much to the dismay of her smitten BFF.
In this modern-day retelling of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, a charming bad boy (Heath Ledger) tries to woo a cynical high school senior (Julia Stiles) in a plot to free her younger sister up to date.
Two nerdy teens are on a mission to experience all that high school has to offer at one epic graduation party. Jonah Hill and Michael Cera will make you laugh until you cry in this unforgettable high school buddy comedy.
Gen Z's answer to Superbad stars Jonah Hill's younger sister, Beanie Feldstein, and Golden Globe-nominated actress Kaitlyn Dever as two academic superstars who set out to have the best night of their high school lives on the eve of graduation.
See the movie that defined the '90s teen experience. Nearly 25 years later, this raunchy teen comedy is still good for a few laughs.
Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson! A directionless college graduate is seduced by an older woman in this Oscar-winning film starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft.
Alright, alright, alright. See Matthew McConaughey and Ben Affleck before they were famous in this hilarious coming-of-age film about a group of teens celebrating the last day of high school in 1976.
Lady Bird follows Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) as she navigates a complicated relationship with her mother and her dreams of attending college on the opposite side of the country.
On the last day of summer vacation in 1962, a group of high school friends cruise the streets of their small town looking for love and adventure.
Tierney McAfee is a freelance writer and Country Living and The Pioneer Woman contributor who covers entertainment, holiday & entertaining, food & drinks, design ideas, DIY, and more.
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