‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’ is set at a fictional Vermont college. Where is it filmed?

It’s time to hit the books: one of Vermont’s most popular colleges may be one that doesn’t exist.

The Jan. 15 New York Times mini crossword game hinted at a fictional Vermont college that’s used as the setting of the show “The Sex Lives of College Girls.”

The show, which was co-created by New Englander Mindy Kaling, follows a group of women in college as they navigate relationships, school and adulthood.

“The Sex Lives of College Girls” first premiered on Max, formerly HBO Max, in 2021. Its third season was released in November 2024.

Here’s what to know about the show’s fictional setting.

What is the fictional college in ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’?

“The Sex Lives of College Girls” takes place at a fictional prestigious college in Vermont called Essex College.

According to Vulture, Essex College was developed by the show’s co-creators, Kaling and Justin Noble, based on real colleges like their respective alma maters, Dartmouth College and Yale University.

“Right before COVID hit, we planned a research trip to the East Coast and set meetings with all these different groups of young women at these colleges and chatted about what their experiences were,” Noble told the outlet in 2021.

Kaling also said in an interview with Parade that she and Noble ventured to their alma maters because they “both, in some ways, fit this East Coast story” that is depicted in the show.

Where is ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’ filmed?

Although “The Sex Lives of College Girls” features a New England college, the show wasn’t filmed in the area.

The show’s first season was filmed in Los Angeles, while some of the campus scenes were shot at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. The second season was partially filmed at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington.