These 31 Hairstyles Will *Actually* Get You Excited About Going Back to School

best back to school hairstyles to try in 2021
Just a Buncha Cute Back-to-School HairstylesInstagram: @stormreid, @madisonbaileybabe

With all the internship interviews, networking events, social functions—oh, and of course, classes—coming up, all you college and grad students are gonna need some back-to-school nail inspo and hairstyle ideas to get you through the next school year. Actually, let's add TAs, professors, and teachers to that list, too, because getting ready for lectures, whether in-person or on Zoom, is a struggle for everyone.

Real talk: This is probably not the moment to do a super-intensive cut or color (think: a blunt bob, a pixie cut, the wildest hair color you can think of) that requires significant upkeep. You want a hairstyle that'll a) get you through the next few weeks and months without having to worry too much about it, and b) be fairly easy to style and modify a lil without infuriating you. The key to a good college 'do is looking like you tried harder than you did.

So, great news: We've identified a bunch of styles that'll work with a variety of lengths and textures with minimal fuss. Whether you're looking for a new haircut idea (maybe this is finally the semester you try bangs?!), a new hair color trend for the season, or just an easy everyday style so you can give the messy bun a break every once in a while, we've got all the back-to-school hairstyles, cuts, and colors for you to try this year, below.

Why trust Cosmo?

Katherine J Igoe is a contributing editor at Cosmopolitan, and has eleven years of experience as a freelancer—with nearly five of those years writing about beauty, fashion, and lifestyle, including the best hair chalk and summer nail polish trends. Her hairstyles for college picks were based on product reviews, ratings, and personal testing, along with information from experts.

Brooke Shunatona is a contributing writer for Cosmopolitan with more than 10 years of experience writing about beauty, fashion, and lifestyle articles, including top-selling beauty products on Amazon and short hair styling hacks. Her college hairstyles picks were based on product reviews, ratings, and personal testing, along with information from experts.

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