What kind of college life is it without a string of head-spinning parties? Maybe, you want to make a birthday party one to remember. Or, you’d like to celebrate the end of exams. Or, you just want to meet new people and have fun until the dawn creeps up on you.
However, just getting people together in one place with drinks and snacks gets boring fast. A good theme won’t just spice things up – it’ll make for an unforgettable party.
So, offload your homework to an assignment writing service to make time for planning a party. Then, consider these 12 themed party ideas!
1. Anything But Clothes
No, this isn’t a license to come completely naked: guests have to think outside the box to dress up in anything but clothes. Cue people wearing trash bags, cardboard boxes, caution tape, curtains – you’re limited only by your creativity.
2. Anything But Cups
While the red cups are the staple of a college party, replacing them with anything else is a great twist on an otherwise standard party. The crazier, the better. Can you drink from an empty ketchup bottle? How about a Pringles can?
3. Decades
An all-time classic, this theme is no less fun simply because it’s popular. Pick your decade – 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s – and let it dictate the decorations, outfits, and night’s playlist. You can combine this theme with another one if you’d like to make it more memorable, though.
4. Casino Night
Take out your stacks of cards, get the betting chips ready, set up the tables – and prepare to spend the night fake-gambling like you’re in Monte Carlo. To make sure you don’t land in trouble over it, though, avoid betting actual money. Instead, give every guest an equal amount of chips as they enter.
5. Pajama Party
Take out your favorite PJs – and get ready to show them off to your fellow partygoers during a college dorm party. Besides being a cozy outfit, PJs make for a more relaxed atmosphere when everyone wears one!
6. Toga
The name says it all – instead of showing off a favorite football team jersey or a skin-tight cocktail dress, everyone dresses up like they’re Ancient Greeks. The perk of this theme is that no one really has to buy a new outfit: a white bedsheet can easily turn into a toga with a couple of knots and a belt.
7. Neon Rager
You don’t have to go to a club to attend a rave party – your place can easily become the club. All you’ll need is black lights to replace your lightbulbs, a playlist infused with EDM tracks, and a bunch of glow sticks. Make sure your guests wear the brightest outfit from their closet!
8. Stop Light
How do you feel about playing a matchmaker? This party has a color coding rule. People who aren’t looking for a relationship, whether single or taken, wear red. Those with a “complicated” relationship status wear yellow. Whoever wears green is ready to flirt.
9. 50 States
Chances are high that your college brings together people from all over the country. So, why not invite people to dress up in a stereotypical outfit of their state? Texans can wear cowboy hats, and Colorado natives can don Bronco jerseys – you get the idea.
10. Animal Dress-Up
Another all-time classic, this theme’s rules are simple: everyone dresses up as their favorite animal. You can drive the theme home with animal-themed decorations, like patterned balloons or garlands. Or how about animal-shaped snacks?
11. Masquerade
This doesn’t have to be a full-on formal event with evening dresses, tuxedos, and Venetian masks. (Although, if you think that kind of party would be a blast among your peers, go for it.) Instead, there’s one rule: wear a mask. It can be a simple domino mask or an elaborate full-face one.
12. Dynamic Duos
Batman and Robin, Thing 1 and Thing 2, SpongeBob and Patrick – all of these are costume ideas for a Dynamic Duo party. Invite your guests to wear matching outfits, and encourage them to get creative. Peanut butter and jelly also go great together!
In Conclusion: 7 Tips for Planning a Knockout Party
Settled on a theme? Great! Here are seven tips to ensure your guests have a great time:
- Provide enough drinks for the whole night;
- Prepare a solid playlist with some classics to get people singing along;
- Decorate the party venue to match the theme;
- Hang some string lights for softer lighting;
- Have several drinking games at the ready (e.g., beer pong);
- Make sure guests have enough snacks to munch on;
- Move the furniture around to free up as much space as possible (no one likes cramped spaces)!

