Some universities are said to have been built on ancient burial sites; others were apparently the scenes of tragic suicides and unexplained deaths. It’s probably little wonder, then, that so many college campuses are supposedly haunted.

Taking in everything from possessed paintings to mischief-making poltergeists, haunted college ghost legends are as varied as they are chilling. What’s more, while some schools seem to shrug off their allegedly haunted histories, others actively embrace the reputations they have for all things paranormal. Students, meanwhile, have turned the humble ghost story into a campus institution, and tales are enthusiastically passed down from each generation of freshmen to the next.