If the residents of Stars Hollow traded Luke’s coffee shop for a UK university campus, where would they end up?
In the hit television series Gilmore Girls, not every character goes to university — but that hasn’t stopped us from imagining where they would have studied if they had crossed the Atlantic! From Rory’s love of literature and ambition to Paris’s famously intense approach to absolutely everything, each character has their own unique personality, interests and aspirations that could point them towards a very different university experience.
So, forget Yale for a moment and imagine Stars Hollow on this side of the Atlantic. Which UK universities would the Gilmore Girls and their friends have attended? From Oxbridge to universities further afield, here are the UK universities I think each Gilmore Girls character would have chosen.
Lorelai Gilmore - University of Bristol
(Despite being a great university, Lorelai may have attended mainly for the nightlife, frequenting more clubs than lectures.) But, just as she attended night lessons in the show, I think that later on in life she would have applied to study a night class for Business Management at Birkbeck University of London - I can imagine the city thrilling her.
Rory Gilmore - University of Oxford, English Literature and Language
Rory loves the classics and would absolutely spend hours in the Bodleian Library. I think she would also own an embarrassing amount of tote bags if she studied here in 2026.
Paris Geller - Biochemistry at Oxford/Cambridge
Paris would probably love the idea of having to defend her arguments in front of an academic who is determined to challenge her. She'd either thrive under the pressure or spend the entire tutorial trying to prove the tutor wrong! Oxford's reputation and the opportunities available to its science students would fit naturally with her long-term ambitions.
Logan Huntzberger - University of Oxford - Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
In the show, it was never stated specifically what it was that Logan studied but I think economics at Oxford would be the perfect fit for him. He would also still be able to remain as the Founder of the Life and Death Secret Society at Oxford, as the institution has that same prestigious vibe as Yale and secret societies fit the gothic dark academia aesthetic.
Richard Gilmore - Guest lecturer of Economics and Business at Oxford
Richard also studied here in his twenties and is an active part of the alumni, regularly donating money. He is also still in touch with the accapella group society that he was a part of during his university years, The Whiffenpoofs.
Sookie St James - University College Bristol, Culinary Arts Management and Professional Chef Training
The practical nature of the course would allow Sookie to experiment with new flavours and techniques while developing the professional skills she would need to eventually run her own kitchen. Although, knowing Sookie, there would probably be a few enthusiastic kitchen disasters along the way and she may have made numerous trips to the local A&E throughout her studies.
Lane Kim - Royal College of Music
Although getting there would probably involve a small issue: Mrs Kim would absolutely not approve. With her passion for music, drumming and rock, Lane would thrive in an environment where she could finally pursue her musical ambitions without hiding her CDs under the floorboards. It would be the ultimate act of rebellion — moving to London, studying music and, most importantly, doing exactly what Mrs Kim told her not to do. Somewhere in Stars Hollow, Mrs Kim would be praying for her soul while Lane was rehearsing with her band.
Dean Forester - Sheffield Hallam
He would probably head to Sheffield Hallam University, but knowing Dean, university wouldn’t exactly be his lifelong calling. He’d start off with good intentions, enjoy the independence and probably spend more time thinking about Rory than his coursework. Before long, though, he’d decide that university isn’t for him and drop out to marry Lindsay Lister.
Christopher - Durham University
He was sent to Durham by his parents. However, after discovering that university required actual commitment and responsibility, he would inevitably drop out and reinvent himself at the University of Exeter. It feels very Christopher: full of potential, easily distracted, and somehow always finding a way to take the scenic route to adulthood.
Michel Gerard - University of South Wales, studied Hotel and Hospitality Management
… because where else would someone with his level of customer service enthusiasm go? He’d complete a placement at the five-star Celtic Manor Resort, where he would spend his days judging guests for their questionable choices before eventually joining Lorelai and Sookie at the Inn. His impeccable standards, dramatic sighs and complete lack of patience for almost everyone would make him a natural fit for hospitality. Although, “the customer is always right” is a phrase Michel would strongly dispute.
Jess Mariano - University of Edinburgh, English Language and Literature
He would study English Language and Literature at the University of Edinburgh, with a particular obsession with the classics. The city’s old buildings, dark, atmospheric streets and endless literary history would suit him perfectly. He could spend his days reading old novels and looking permanently unimpressed by everyone around him. He’d probably claim he chose Edinburgh for the literature, but secretly, the brooding weather and abundance of places to disappear with a book would be just as important.
Jackson Belleville - Royal Agricultural University, Horticulture
He’d be the kind of person who gets genuinely offended when someone doesn’t know where their food comes from and could probably give you a 20-minute lecture on soil quality before you’ve finished your coffee.
Sookie: “So, what did you study?” Jackson: “Horticulture.” Sookie: “Oh! Like flowers?” Jackson: “…among other things.”
Kirk Gleason - University of Warwick, Computer Science
Kirk would study Computer Science at the University of Warwick, although his degree would probably be the least interesting thing on his CV. During his time there, he joined 14 different societies and somehow found time to have approximately 47 different jobs. Whenever you blinked on campus, Kirk was there, from delivering newspapers and working as a diner waiter to painting houses and whatever other employment opportunity happened to come his way that week. His CV would be genuinely impressive, if only because there would be absolutely no room left on it. “University was a really formative period for me,” he’d say, before proudly handing you a 12-page CV.
Miss Patty - Performers College, BIMM University Group - specialising in Professional Dance and Musical Theatre taught by West End veterans.
She would have loved university, not just the dancing and performing, but the social life, the drama and, most importantly, having an audience for her stories. She’d turn every lecture into a performance, have a scandalous story about every lecturer and somehow know more about everyone’s love life than they did themselves.
“Oh darling, you should have seen me at 22. I was magnificent.”
Emily Gilmore - St Andrews, History of Art
Naturally, she would have attended a university with beautiful buildings, centuries of tradition and exactly the right social connections. She’d have left with an impressive degree, a seemingly endless list of contacts and enough knowledge of everyone’s family background to fill a small filing cabinet. Thirty years later, Emily would still remember exactly who she sat next to at dinner, what their parents did and which family they were connected to — and would be absolutely horrified if you suggested she was being nosy. “I simply remember people, Lorelai.”
Luke Danes - University of York
Mainly because it’s surrounded by countryside, isn’t particularly flashy and gives him plenty of opportunities to complain about tourists. So, basically, paradise. He’d spend far more time walking around the city than actually attending lectures, insisting that he’s “getting to know the place” while somehow never making it to class. He would also refuse point-blank to participate in Freshers’ Week, probably standing in the corner of some pub muttering about how everyone is too loud. By the end of his degree, he’d know every decent walking route, every quiet pub and exactly which streets to avoid when the tourists arrive (but probably not much about his course.)
