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Revenge of the Nerds

Nerdy freshmen Lewis Skolnick and Gilbert Lowe enroll at Adams College in Tucson to study computer science, meet women, and become adults. The jock Alpha Beta fraternity, led by star quarterback Stan Gable, accidentally burns down its house and, with Coach Harris's support, violently takes over the freshman dormitory as a replacement, forcing Lewis, Gilbert, and the other new students to live in the gym. While many students are taken in by fraternities, Stan's girlfriend, Betty Childs, tricks Lewis and Gilbert into pledging Alpha Beta, leading to their hazing and humiliation. Despite this, Lewis becomes attracted to Betty, while Gilbert grows close to fellow nerd Judy.

Out of options, Lewis, Gilbert, and their fellow nerds—including shy genius Arnold Poindexter, child prodigy Harold Wormser, lewd misfit Dudley "Booger" Dawson, flamboyant Lamar Latrelle, and quiet outsider Toshiro Takashi—rent and renovate a dilapidated house near campus. They attempt to form their own fraternity but are rejected by the college's Greek Council, presided over by Stan, because they lack backing from a national fraternity. After being turned down by numerous fraternities because of their nerd status, they are finally, and reluctantly, accepted on probationary status by the Black fraternity Lambda Lambda Lambda (the Tri-Lambs), led by U.N. Jefferson.

Learning that the nerds are planning a party to impress Jefferson, Stan has Betty and her Pi Delta Pi sorority sisters trick them into thinking they will attend, only to abandon them. Desperate, Judy invites her own Omega Mu sorority—made up of nerdy women—to attend instead. The party is initially dull, as most attendees are shy, until Booger brings cannabis, which leads to dancing, fun, and hookups. The Alpha Betas and Pi Delta Pi then sabotage the party by releasing pigs into the house. Although disheartened, the nerds retaliate by installing surveillance cameras to spy on the naked Pi Delta Pis and by pouring liquid heat into the Alpha Betas' jockstraps. Impressed that the nerds have stood up for themselves, Jefferson grants them full membership.

However, Alpha Beta's harassment continues, and Stan blocks any attempt by the Greek Council to sanction them. The nerds conclude that the only way to gain justice is to replace Stan as Council president by winning the Homecoming carnival. Partnering with the Omega Mus, they use ingenuity and technical skills to compensate for their lack of athletic ability in competitions against the Alpha Betas and Pi Delta Pis. At the charity fundraiser, the nerds outsell the Alpha Betas by selling pies containing nude photos of Betty and other Pi Delta Pis. Lewis, having fallen in love with Betty, steals Stan's mask and costume and seduces her, believing he is Stan. When the truth emerges, Betty—impressed by Lewis's physical attentiveness—has a change of heart and falls for him. The nerds then dominate the musical competition with a technology-themed electronic performance, securing overall victory, after which Lewis nominates Gilbert as the new Greek Council president.

Enraged at losing to the nerds, Coach Harris berates the Alpha Betas, and Stan leads them in vandalizing the Tri-Lamb house. The nerds are left despondent until Gilbert interrupts the Homecoming pep rally to protest their treatment. The Alpha Betas attempt to stop him, but Jefferson arrives with a large group of national Tri-Lamb members, intimidating them and allowing Gilbert to deliver a speech on embracing differences and standing up to prejudice. Lewis, the other Tri-Lambs, alumni, Judy, and Betty join in supporting him, publicly shaming the Alpha Betas. An emboldened Dean Ulich then orders that the Tri-Lambs move into the Alpha Beta house, while the Alpha Betas must live in the gym until they repair the damage to the Tri-Lamb house.