On “Gilmore Girls,” Yale University, the college Rory attends, is located in New Haven, Connecticut.
Yale is a private Ivy League research university whose central campus occupies a large area of downtown New Haven. The show uses Yale as Rory’s college beginning in its fourth season, after she graduates from the fictional Chilton preparatory school. Rory initially dreams of attending Harvard, but Yale becomes a major part of her story after Richard’s influence and her own growing interest in the university.
New Haven is one of Connecticut’s oldest and largest cities, situated on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. Yale was founded in 1701, making it the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Its campus is especially associated with Collegiate Gothic architecture, residential colleges, and the Yale Bulldogs.
A common mix-up is confusing Yale’s location with Hartford, Connecticut’s capital, or with nearby towns used as inspiration for Stars Hollow. Stars Hollow itself is fictional, while Yale and New Haven are real places.