Serena van der Woodsen, the fictional “It Girl” from Gossip Girl , ends up going to Columbia University in the TV series, while different sources also mention Yale and Brown in her wider storyline.

Quick Scoop

  • In the TV show , Serena enrolls at Columbia University in New York City, where much of her college-era drama takes place.
  • Earlier in the show, she is accepted to Brown University (her mother Lily’s alma mater) but chooses not to attend and defers instead.
  • It is also referenced in commentary and fan discussions that she manages to get into multiple Ivies (Brown, Yale, Columbia), which many viewers see as exaggerated for her academic record.
  • In some descriptions of her broader arc, including novel–adaptation summaries, Serena is said to attend the New School first and later transfer to Yale University , from which she eventually graduates.

Put simply: on screen, the college most clearly associated with Serena is Columbia University , but in the extended Gossip Girl universe she has acceptances or attendance tied to Brown, Yale, the New School, and Columbia.

Different versions at a glance

[5][7][1] [3] [4][8][9][1]
Version Where Serena goes to college
TV show (main continuity) Enrolls at Columbia University in New York City, after previously being accepted to Brown and other Ivies.
Extended / described arc Attends the New School for a year, then transfers to Yale University and later graduates.
Book-based and forum discussions Often note that she gets into or ends up at Yale at the end of the series, while also having options at Brown and Columbia.
**Bottom note:** Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.