The College of Winterhold is the only faction in Skyrim that actually wants you to get better at magic, and somehow half the player base still walks up to the bridge without a single useful spell. Let’s fix that.
This guide covers getting in, every main College quest in order, the trainers on campus and what you walk away with as Arch-Mage. Light on spoilers, heavy on what to actually do.
Where the College Is and How to Get In
The College stands on a rock spire off the coast of Winterhold, the half ruined town in the far northeast of Skyrim. A long stone bridge connects it to the town. Winterhold is a hold capital, so any carriage from the big cities will drive you there.
At the start of the bridge, Faralda stops you and asks for a demonstration. She picks one of five spells at random:
- Firebolt: cast at the seal on the ground behind her.
- Conjure Flame Atronach: summon it on the seal.
- Fear: cast at the seal.
- Magelight: cast at the seal.
- Healing Hands: cast on Faralda herself.
Don’t know the spell? She sells it to you on the spot for 30 gold, cheaper than any shop tome. Some of these need up to 135 Magicka, so a pure warrior may have to put a level or two into Magicka first. High Speech (100, or 70 with the Persuasion perk) lets you talk your way in, and later in the main quest you can claim to be Dragonborn and show her a Shout instead.
Stop Doing This: walking in with 100 Magicka and no plan. Buy the spell, cast it, done. It takes ten seconds.
College Questline in Order
Once you are in, Mirabelle Ervine hands you a Novice Hood, Novice Robes and College Boots, then shows you your room in the Hall of Attainment. From there the story runs through eight quests.
| Quest | What you do |
|---|---|
| First Lessons | Pass Faralda’s test, then attend Tolfdir’s lecture and block his firebolt with a Ward. |
| Under Saarthal | Join Tolfdir’s dig at the ancient ruin of Saarthal near Winterhold. Something big turns up. |
| Hitting the Books | Ask Urag gro-Shub about the find, then recover stolen books from Fellglow Keep. |
| Good Intentions | Find and consult the Augur of Dunlain beneath the College. |
| Revealing the Unseen | Head to the Dwemer ruin of Mzulft to learn where the Staff of Magnus is. |
| Containment | Deal with the fallout when the artifact’s power surges over Winterhold. |
| The Staff of Magnus | Fight through Labyrinthian to recover the Staff. |
| The Eye of Magnus | Retake the College and end the threat for good. |
Tips for the Tough Parts
- Under Saarthal: the ruin is packed with draugr. Bring a Ward or a shield and some fire spells, since draugr hit hard up close.
- Hitting the Books: Fellglow Keep is full of hostile mages. Clear it room by room instead of running deep and pulling everyone at once.
- The Staff of Magnus: Labyrinthian is the longest dungeon in the questline and ends with a dragon priest boss. Stock up on Magicka and health potions first.
- The Eye of Magnus: the Staff of Magnus is your answer to the final fight. Use it.
The Play: do the first three quests early for the free gear and training access, then take a break and level up before Labyrinthian. The dungeon does not scale kindly to an underleveled mage.
Trainers and Shops on Campus
Why This Slaps: almost every magic school has a trainer here, all within a short walk of each other.
| Trainer | Skill | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Faralda | Destruction | Master |
| Tolfdir | Alteration | Master |
| Drevis Neloren | Illusion | Master |
| Phinis Gestor | Conjuration | Expert |
| Colette Marence | Restoration | Expert |
| Sergius Turrianus | Enchanting | Expert |
The trainers also sell spell tomes for their schools, which makes the College the best spell shop in Skyrim. A Conjuration main can grab Phinis’s tomes and start the necromancer build right away, and a Destruction main should camp Faralda’s stock for the mage build.
Side Quests Worth Doing
- Shalidor’s Insights: Urag gro-Shub in the Arcanaeum sends you after a book, and you get a Shalidor’s Insights scroll that helps with magic. Repeatable.
- Fetch me that Book!: another repeatable book run from Urag for gold.
- Classmate quests: Brelyna’s Practice, J’zargo’s Experiment and Onmund’s Request are short, a bit silly and make all three possible followers.
- Arniel’s Endeavor: a longer Dwemer research chain from Arniel Gane.
- Aftershock and Out of Balance: repeatable jobs from Tolfdir and Drevis.
The Arcanaeum also holds skill books you can read for free levels. Our skill book locations guide lists them.
Rewards for Becoming Arch-Mage
- Arch-Mage’s Quarters: a private suite at the top of the Hall of the Elements with an arcane enchanter, an alchemy lab and a regular stash of free soul gems and ingredients.
- Archmage’s Robes: spells of every school cost 15% less, plus 50 Magicka and 100% faster Magicka regeneration.
- The title: the College is yours to run.
GG: those robes are the best general caster chest piece you can get without enchanting your own. Pair them with a battlemage build and you get cheap spells plus steel.
College of Winterhold FAQ
How do you join the College of Winterhold?
Go to Winterhold, walk to the College bridge and cast the spell Faralda asks for. If you lack it, she sells it for 30 gold.
Can a warrior join the College?
Yes. You only need enough Magicka to cast the test spell, and High Speech or a Shout can replace the spell test entirely.
How many quests are in the College questline?
Eight main quests after reaching the College, from First Lessons to The Eye of Magnus, plus several repeatable side jobs.
What do you get for becoming Arch-Mage?
The Arch-Mage’s Quarters with free supplies, the Archmage’s Robes and leadership of the College.
More than a decade later, the College is still where most mage runs start, and plenty of players are on one right now according to our Skyrim Special Edition player stats. Browse more guides on our Skyrim hub. Do this. Thank me later.
