For many of us, our college years were some of the most terrifying times of our lives. Between cramming for exams, dealing with nightmare roommates, and trying to survive on a diet of ramen noodles and stale pizza, it’s a wonder we made it through with our sanity intact. When the stress gets to be too much, by typing “do my homework Academized” you can find a service that help take some weight off. Academized offers professional essay writing assistance to students who need a helping hand.  

Horror authors have long recognized that the college experience provides the perfect backdrop for chilling tales of the supernatural, psychological terror, and outright slasher gore. After all, what could be scarier than having your youthful freedom combined with the stresses of higher education and the horrors of dorm life?

If you’re looking for some deeply unsettling reads set on college campuses, these horror novels should do the trick. Just be warned – you may need to sleep with the lights on after diving into these literary nightmares.

The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike 

This Japanese horror novel will make you think twice about those cheap off-campus housing options. The story follows a group of young students at Osaka Prefecture University who move into an suspiciously affordable apartment building, only to discover the terrifying reason why the rent is so low. Let’s just say the name “Graveyard Apartment” is more literal than you might expect…

Final Exam by James Nigel

Becker College is usually a quiet little school, until a brilliant but deeply troubled student begins to take deadly revenge on his wealthy classmates and professors. For those who need expert guidance on more academic pursuits, like case studies, they offer the best case study writing service to ensure top-notch work. What starts as a mystery soon escalates into a tense and bloody thriller as the bodies start piling up. A perfect read for anyone who’s ever wanted to murder an unfair professor or stuck-up rich kid.

The Ruins by Scott Smith 

Not technically set at a university, but this deeply disturbing novel follows a group of college kids on a hiking trip to the Yucatan peninsula to visit some ancient ruins. What they find there is…difficult to describe without triggering a panic attack, but let’s just say nature is much more terrifying than these spoiled American students ever imagined.

Kill Creek by Scott Thomas 

At the end of the semester, a celebrated professor leads his graduate seminar students on a field trip to explore the haunted ruins of the Hostetler House and uncover the truth about the infamous Bludree murders. But their weekend of academic curiosity soon turns into a waking nightmare from which there may be no escape.

The Cipher by Kathe Koja 

A series of bizarre, seemingly random attacks begin to strike the campus of Hallam University, forcing student Nicholas Funkhouser and his motley crew of fellow code-breakers to unravel the mystery before the violence spirals out of control. Part thriller, part avant-garde literary horror, this polarizing novel will leave you questioning what is real and what is nightmare.

The Residence by Andrew Pyper 

A young couple is thrilled to be hired as the resident managers of an old converted mansion that now serves as housing for students at prestigious Semmington University. But the aging building harbors terrible secrets, and the young couple will be lucky to escape with their lives. A slow-burning supernatural chiller.

Hell House by Richard Matheson 

While not strictly set at a college, this classic occult horror novel does revolve around four individuals hired to investigate the infamous Belasco House for a haunted occurrences by a wealthy businessman. The group includes two scientists and a pair of “psychic researchers” from a New England college, making this a definitive read for any enthusiast of academic horror.

With this unsettling list of horror tales, your days of thinking college was just keg parties and all-night study sessions are over. These novels make a strong case that places of higher learning can also be bastions of unspeakable evil, where the stresses of student life may literally drive you insane – or get you killed in terrifying ways.

So grab your safety reading light, snuggle up to your collegiate teddy bear, and don’t have any big exams or group projects due in the morning. Because once you crack the spines on these maliciously creative works of college-set horror, you won’t be getting any rest. Class dismissed!

About the Author