This post is all about awesome college date ideas that both you and your date will love!
College Date Ideas That Won’t Break The Bank
1. Build a blanket fort and have a romantic movie night with wine & popcorn
Add some romantic fairy lights around your blanket fort to make the atmosphere extra romantic and magical!
2. Try a new food truck around the neighborhood
Late night taco runs are the absolute best! If your date is an avid foodie, I’m sure they’ll enjoy this idea.
3. Go on a random drive around town and see where you end up
Spontaneous dates are unpredictable, but that’s exactly what makes it fun! Still make sure to bring your phone just in case you actually get lost, lol
4. Have a picnic in a park or at a beach you’ve both never been to
Nothing’s more romantic than a nice little picnic with your date!
5. Write love letters to each other and read them out loud
This is such a cute idea! Express your love and appreciation for your date in person, and let them know exactly how you feel about them!
6. Go hiking at a local park or hiking trail
If both of you are sporty and adventurous, hiking would be a great way to enjoy beautiful scenery while getting some workout in.
7. Ask each other super deep and romantic questions
If you want to get to know your date on a deeper level, check out: 63 Best Deep Questions To Ask Your Boyfriend
8. Cook a super fancy recipe you’ve never tried before
Oooo! This sounds like it could either turn out super good or become a complete disaster, haha!
9. Find the best happy hours and go bar hopping
Look up the best happy hour deals in your city and bar hop till you drop. Don’t drink too much though.. blacking out is not fun!
10. Put together a complicated puzzle
After eating dinner, pull out a 200 piece puzzle and try to put it together with your date! This will test your patience and compatibility, haha!
11. Listen to your favorite throwback songs in the car together
I used to do this all the time with my roommate, even though we weren’t dating. Jamming out to throwback songs in the car is literally one of the best things ever!
12. Take a free painting lesson on Skillshare!
Have a little sip and paint date night at home! You can take FREE painting lessons on Skillshare while sipping some fancy red wine with your date.
13. Have a romantic spa night and bubble bath
Things can get really hot and heavy, so make sure you’re already a few dates in before hopping into a romantic bubble bath together, haha!
14. Hit up a thrift store and pick out outfits for each other
Give each other a budget of $15 dollars and see which of you can come up with the best outfit for the other person!
15. Look through each other’s old yearbooks and photos
Time to pull out those cringy yearbook photos from middle school! This is a great way to get to know each other and learn about each others’ past.
16. Make a bonfire at the beach and stargaze
Bring a cozy blanket and cuddle up with your date under the starry night. Aww, how romantic!
17. Rent a kayak and go on an adventure
Renting a Kayak is usually around $10 to $20 an hour, which is pretty affordable!
18. Visit a museum
Lots of museums provide a good discount and sometimes even free entry if you show your student ID. So make sure to take advantage of this college date idea during these four years.
19. Write out your future goals together
Write out 20 goals that you and your date want to achieve together. Whether it be relationship related or other life achievements.
20. Have an awesome arcade night
If this is your first or second date, going to arcades can get both of you in a competitive spirit and ease your nerves.
21. Listen to an audiobook together while you cuddle
Find a book on Audible that both of you have been wanting to read, and listen to it together while you cuddle up in bed! I love this because it’s kind of like listening to a bedtime story together, haha.
By the way, you can sign up for a 30-day Audible free trial and download one book for free!
22. Check out a local farmer’s market or flea market
Bring a tote bag and head over to a local farmer’s market or flea market to hunt for the best deals!
23. Make a time capsule and bury it somewhere
If you want to document the beautiful moments between you and your date, make a time capsule together and allow those moments to last forever. Make sure to bury the time capsule somewhere safe so that you’ll be able to find it 15 or 30 years later!
Hangout Ideas For College Students
24. Pull up to a “drive-in” movie
Drive-in movies are another awesome date idea that’s super affordable and romantic. Make sure to bring some snacks and cozy blankets!
25. Have a laugh at a stand-up comedy show
Some stand-up comedy shows are honestly kind of cringe, but that’s what makes it even more hilarious.
26. Rent a bike and explore the city together
In college, a guy actually proposed this first date idea to me, and I honestly thought it was kind of cute. Especially in an age where Netflix and chill is becoming the norm.
27. Go rock climbing and sweat it out
Let me clarify… INDOOR rock climbing. Haha, climbing actual cliffs is a bit too adventurous for a date.
28. Sign up for trivia night at a local bar
Head over to your local bar and sign up for a fun trivia night competition. See which of you have a better knowledge of random facts!
29. Go roller skating even if you can’t skate
This date idea is even better if both of you don’t know how to skate at all. That’s what makes roller skating exciting! The thrill of feeling like you’ve mastered it one second, and falling on your face the next????
30. Have a game night at home
Jenga, Uno, Cards against Humanity, Never have I ever, etc. There are so many fun games that you and your date can play from the comfort of your bedroom!
31. Volunteer together
Find a cause that both of you are passionate about, and spend a day volunteering and giving back to the community.
32. Watch the sunset
Find a nice viewpoint in your city and watch the sunset with your date. You can even head over there an hour early and wait for the sunset while you picnic!
33. Go Iceskating (An excuse to hold hands)
If you haven’t had the courage or the chance to hold your date’s hand, this is the perfect time to do so! Holding hands while ice skating is super natural, and will allow you both to feel more comfortable with each other afterwards.
34. Try a dessert place you’ve been dying to visit
This is another one of those college date ideas that’s super “sweet”, and perfect for the summertime!
35. Hit up a basketball court for some one-on-one
Playing one-on-one basketball is the perfect excuse to get some physical contact with your date, haha! And it’ll definitely get both of you into a competitive spirit.
36. Visit your local botanical garden
This is one of those affordable college date ideas that literally doesn’t cost any money at all, since lots of botanical gardens provide free entry
37. See a live music show
Make sure to look up online beforehand to see who’s performing. Because it could get real awkward if the performance is boring, lol!
38. Attend a poetry slam
Poetry slams are awesome for a first date because it takes the pressure off of you to talk to each other the whole time, and you can discuss your favorite poetries afterward.
39. Pretend to be a tourist in your own city
Have you ever taken a thorough look around your city and explored all the awesome food places? If not, this can be a great date idea and allow the both of you to not only get to know each other better, but also your own city!
40. Take a meditation or yoga class together
There are lots of affordable meditation and yoga classes on Groupon that you can take together! Just search for “yoga/meditation classes” in your city.
41. Do a photoshoot and have a good time
Find the best outfits in your closet and plan a full-on photo shoot with your date. It doesn’t have to be professional at all! The most important thing is that you enjoy quality time with each other.
42. Explore a corn maze
If you live in an area where there are farms, you might be able to find a corn maze that you and your date can explore! This can be loads of fun!
43. Camp out in your backyard
Who says that you have to go camping in the wilderness where you might get attacked by bears! You can camp out right in your own backyard and experience the same kind of adventure with your date.
44. Power Outage Date Night (Eat in the dark!)
I’m not sure if you’ve heard of this, but there’s a super popular restaurant in London called “Dans Le Noir” where you literally eat in pure darkness. Recreate this restaurant date idea from the comfort of your own home by simply turning off all the lights, lol!
45. Go donate blood together
Donating blood and save lives together! What a cute first date idea.
46. Have a vision board making session
There are tons of videos on YouTube where they show you how to make your own vision board. So gather up some arts and crafts supplies and have a vision board making session with your date!
Unique Date Ideas
47. Play truth or dare
Turn down the lights, light a candle, and look your date right in the eyes. Yes, it’s time for some serious truth or dare action! Check out this list of couples truth or dare questions by Cosmopolitan for inspiration.
48. Play video games and make it a competition
Playing video games together is honestly quite a bonding experience, haha! Especially if both of you are super into gaming.
49. Find a carnival and have a blast
Churros, cotton candy, and ferris wheels. Nothing screams “perfect first date” more than this.
High up in the air, just you and your date…awww so cute!
50. Draw each other and see who does better
No stick figures allowed! Frame the final product and gift it to your date. No matter how ugly it turns out, it’s still a sweet memory, haha!
51. Complete a DIY project together
What’s a DIY project that you’ve been wanting to try? Painting a masterpiece on your wall, creating lip balm out of bee wax, or making string lanterns? Whatever it is, try it out with your date!
52. Bake each other’s favorite pastries
Even if you don’t know how to bake at all, you can find simple tutorials on YouTube that you can follow along with. Have a little baking competition with your date and see whose final product tastes better.
53. Order delivery but make it fancy!
Dress up as if you’re going to a five-star Michelin restaurant. Turn down the lights, put a table cloth over the dining table, and sprinkle some romantic red rose petals on top. Once your takeout arrives, treat it like the most luxurious meal you’ve ever had the honor of savoring (even if it’s just Panda Express)
Oh yea, don’t forget Champagne or red wine!
54. Do some people watching at a coffee shop
People watching can honestly be so fun! Especially when you do it with another person. Make up stories about their life and ad-lib what they’re saying!
55. Stroll through your college campus on the weekend
Even though you’ve probably already spent a lot of time on campus. Strolling through it with your date is a whole nother experience that I’m sure you’ll enjoy!
56. Re-watch your favorite childhood movies
Share your favorite childhood movies with each other by having a movie date night at home. Even though this is kind of considered Netflix and chill, but it’s a cute idea!
57. Take a Salsa dance lesson from home
Again, YouTube University has basically anything and everything that you can think of. Want to learn Salsa with your date? Save money by watching dance tutorials on YouTube! And you get to rewatch the lesson as many times as you like.
58. Decorate your dream house together at IKEA
An IKEA date is actually amazing. After decorating your imaginary future dream house together, you can head over to the food court and grab some delicious meatballs and spaghetti! Yum.
59. Binge watch as many episodes of a TV show as you can
Nothing better than laying in bed with your date and binge-watching your favorite TV show together!
60. Connect with your inner child and play hide and seek
Okay, how long has it been since you last played hide and seek? Probably a looooong time ago, right?
Reconnect with your inner child and play some intense hide and seek with your date! This sounds so fun!!
61. Build sand castles at the beach
Who says building sand castles are for kids? If you’re already heading to the beach for a picnic, you should build sand castles while you’re there.
62. Do a couple’s chapstick challenge
I’ve seen so many of these couple’s chapstick challenges on Youtube, and it’s honestly pretty cute!
Definitely a great excuse to kiss your date as many times as you like, haha!
63. Collect shells at the beach
This is another cute activity that you could do together while at the beach. And afterward, you can make those seashells into necklaces for each other.
64. Hit the gym and work out together
One of my coworkers in college actually went to the gym with his date for their first date ever, and it turned out really good!
65. Come up with a couple’s bucket list
Are there countries that you both want to visit, and things you’d like to try together? On your date, come up with a couple’s bucket list and plan amazing ideas for your future adventures!
66. Have a fun blind taste test of random food
This is another one of those unique date ideas that don’t cost a dime. Simply use random food that you can find in your fridge and have your date guess what it is. Whoever guesses the most correct wins a prize (You get to decide what the prize is. Wink wink)
67. Hit up a bookstore and find interesting books
If you both are avid readers, going to a bookstore can be a perfect date idea for you two!
68. Slow dance to romantic love songs
Hey Siri, play “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran or “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis Presley!
69. Karoake night
Let loose and have fun by singing your heart out with your date at a Karaoke bar. Or save money by singing along to this awesome Karaoke channel on YouTube!
70. Cozy up in a hot spring
This is a perfect date idea for those chilly winter days. Turn up the heat by taking a dip in a relaxing hot spring with your date!
Did You Enjoy These College Date Ideas?
I hope these college date ideas have helped you come up with several ideas that you can use for your upcoming dates! Also, let me know in the comments how your date goes! (I’m nosey, haha)
