Back to School_
"He enrolled in college for the pursuit of finer things...like co-eds, shapely professors, fun and rock and roll."
Self-made millionaire Thornton Melon decides to get a better education and enrolls at his son Jason's college. While Jason tries to fit in with his fellow students, Thornton struggles to gain his son's respect, giving way to hilarious antics.
Starring
Rodney Dangerfield, Sally Kellerman, Burt Young
Box Office
$91.3M
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
Prime Video
21 countries
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Box office
Back to School earned $91.3M worldwide on a $11.0M budget — a 730% return on investment.
Year context
Back to School was released 40 years ago in 1986.
Back to School is a Comedy film with a runtime of 1h 36m.
CAST (20)
Rodney Dangerfield
Thornton Melon
Sally Kellerman
Diane
Burt Young
Lou
Keith Gordon
Jason Melon
Robert Downey Jr.
Derek
William Zabka
Chas
Paxton Whitehead
Phillip Barbay
Adrienne Barbeau
Vanessa
M. Emmet Walsh
Coach Turnbull
Terry Farrell
Valerie
Ned Beatty
Dean Martin
Severn Darden
Dr. Barazini
Sam Kinison
Professor Terguson
Robert Picardo
Giorgio
Kurt Vonnegut
Self
Edie McClurg
Marge
Sarah Abrell
Sorority Girl
DA
Dana Allison
Young Woman
BA
Boris Aplon
Tony Meloni
NB
Nora Boland
Agnes
BOX OFFICE
$11.0M
Budget
$91.3M
Revenue
+730%
ROI
MASSIVE HIT
Verdict
DETAILS
Release
Status
Released
Runtime
96 min (1h 36m)
Language
English
Country
Rating
6.3/10 (479 votes)
Popularity
2
Budget
$11,000,000
Box Office
$91,258,000
Profit
+$80,258,000
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Back to School about?
Self-made millionaire Thornton Melon decides to get a better education and enrolls at his son Jason's college. While Jason tries to fit in with his fellow students, Thornton struggles to gain his son's respect, giving way to hilarious antics.
How long is Back to School?
Back to School has a runtime of 96 minutes (1h 36m).
Who stars in Back to School?
The cast of Back to School includes Rodney Dangerfield, Sally Kellerman, Burt Young, Keith Gordon, Robert Downey Jr..
How much did Back to School make at the box office?
Back to School earned $91,258,000 worldwide at the box office. The production budget was $11,000,000.
What is the rating of Back to School?
Back to School has a rating of 6.3 out of 10 based on 479 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (1)
Comedy