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HBO’s latest comedy series, Rooster, invites audiences to revisit their college days through the humorous escapades of Greg Russo, played by Steve Carell, amidst a charming campus environment.
With its debut on Sunday, March 8, the show welcomed viewers to the world of Greg, his daughter Katie (Charlie Clive), her husband Archie (Phil Dunster), alongside President Walter Mann (John C. McGinley), faculty members such as Dylan (Danielle Deadwyler), and students like Sunny (Lauren Tsai) at the fictional Ludlow College.
The setting of Rooster evokes the quintessential New England college atmosphere, especially during the fall. However, many are curious if the series was actually filmed in New England or if Ludlow College exists in reality. Here’s what you need to know about the filming locations of Rooster and the truth behind Ludlow College.
Let’s clear the air: is Ludlow College from Rooster a real institution? While there is a Ludlow College located in England, the college featured in the series is purely fictional. As for the filming location, those picturesque, ivy-laden brick buildings and the inviting collegiate grounds are not part of an elaborate set. Instead, the series is shot at the University of the Pacific’s Stockton Campus.
Where Was Rooster Filmed? Is Ludlow College Real?
First things first, is Rooster‘s Ludlow College a real university? While there appears to be a Ludlow College in England, the university in Rooster is fictional. So where does the show film? The ivy-covered brick buildings, inviting quad, and gorgeous collegial grounds aren’t elaborate set design! The series films on a real college campus: University of Pacific’s Stockton Campus.
Based on the school’s website, the private university in Stockton, California features a 175-acre campus that promises “New England beauty with California weather.” And Rooster isn’t the first time the university appears on screen. “Pacific’s history with Hollywood goes back to the 1940s,” the school notes. “Academy Award winner All the King’s Men (1949), Flubber (1997) starring Robin Williams and Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) are a few of the movies that have been filmed on campus.”
Exteriors for the series were reportedly filmed at the university over the course of two weeks in June 2025, which means it was hot as heck when Carell and his co-stars are walking around bundled up in fall attire.
“To help fill out the campus during scenes, the crew enlisted about 100 extras recruited from a pool of locals, students and professors who were staying in town,” SFGATE reported. And per ABC 10, Carell even interacted with Pacific students on set and addressed the extras ahead of filming.
“…Steve Carell popped out of the car and was like, ‘Hi everybody, thank you so much for being here. I really appreciate this. I’m really excited for this project. Let’s get going,’” Pacific student Juli Alexander told ABC 10. “Carell would just kind of walk around and chat with us… There was one point right before we started filming when my sister and I were playing rock, paper, scissors, and he jumped in.”
So there you have it, Rooster fans! To soak up the Ludlow College vibes IRL, University of Pacific is the place to go! And be sure to check out the rest of Decider’s Rooster coverage.
New episodes of Rooster premiere Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.