Is Hillman College Actual? Where Netflix’s ‘A Different World’ Was Filmed | Simply Jared

Hillman College is fictional, however a number of actual schools helped carry it to life on display in Netflix’s A Different World revival.

The sequel, which began streaming Thursday (September 24), returns to the traditionally Black school with Maleah Joi Moon taking part in Deborah Wayne. Her dad and mom are performed by acquainted faces, particularly Dwayne Wayne and Whitney Gilbert from the unique sequence. Kadeem Hardison and Jasmine Guy returned to reprise their roles.

The new sequence revolves round Deborah starting her freshman 12 months on the college her dad and mom as soon as attended, offering a brand new, modern-day perspective on Hillman. But the place did the solid really movie the sequence?

Where was Netflix’s A Different World filmed?

Production befell in Atlanta, with Netflix announcing that filming had wrapped in May 2026.

Vanity Fair identifies three traditionally Black Atlanta establishments the place the sequel filmed exterior pictures.

• Clark Atlanta University
• Spelman College
• Morehouse College

Clark Atlanta separately confirmed filming on its campus in its announcement about Debbie Allen serving because the college’s 2026 graduation speaker. Debbie was a showrunner, producer, and director on the unique sequence in addition to taking part in educational advisor Dr. Langhorne.

Did the unique present use an actual campus, too?

Spelman’s connection to A Different World goes again to the unique sequence.

The school’s Bessie Strong Hall was used as a backdrop for the present, per its housing website, and whereas the unique used a Studio City soundstage, actual campus imagery has all the time been a part of Hillman’s historical past.

How else does the sequel connect with these colleges?

There is a Spelman connection within the writers’ room as nicely. Graduate Ashley Laverne Jackson joined the sequel as a employees author, the faculty confirmed in a profile published earlier this year.

Debbie additionally returns as an government producer and directs the premiere. Felicia Pride is the showrunner, and the 10-episode first season is now out there on Netflix.

Get to know the new students and returning stars in A Different World.

Posted To:A Different World Netflix Television