Brandon returns to work for the summer at the Beverly Hills Beach Club to find that his parents are new members and Andrea is now working there as the child-care supervisor. Meanwhile, an increasingly devious Brenda defies her parents and continues to secretly see Dylan with help from Kelly and Donna. But Brenda is caught in the act when Jim and Cindy see her with Dylan at the beach club. Brenda reacts by running away to Dylan's house. Steve takes over Brandon's job at the Peach Pit on a bet that he can't hold down a job for a single week.

Brandon and Steve both flip over an attractive volleyball player, named Brooke Alexander, who is Steve's new volleyball partner. Kelly and Dylan start spending time together, becoming more attracted to one another. A new girl in town, named Nikki Witt, flirts with David who shows her his song writing talents. In Paris, a French photographer persuades Donna to start modeling for him, while Brenda tries to fit in more with the Paris crowd by taking up smoking.

As the gang of West Beverly begins its senior year, Andrea accuses the new reading teacher and Blaze faculty advisor, Gil Meyers, of sexism when he names Brandon the new editor of the school paper. Meanwhile, David discovers that his summer fling Nikki, is a transfer sophomore student and Donna's new friend. Brenda and Steve become "senior buddies" to two freshmen who are Sue Scanlon, the late Scott's younger sister who has two personalities, and Herbert, an intellectual type. Also, Kelly continues to be uncomfortable and jealous about seeing Dylan with Brenda.

Dylan's father, Jack, is finally released from prison to enjoy his son's company, and sets eyes on his trust fund. David doesn't know where he will live after his father moves out of Jackie's house. Meanwhile, Brandon's addiction to gambling intensifies when he starts using his own college money. Andrea decides on a new look for herself by her hair dying it red and trading her eyeglasses for contact lenses. But other than Donna, no one seems to notice Andrea's make over. Also, Dylan finally chooses Kelly over Brenda who is worsened after they tell her about their summer fling they had while she was in Paris.

After dissolving the trust fund, Dylan, Jack and Christine enjoy the good life together on a friend's yacht at Marina del Rey. But they are all under observation by unidentified men. Meanwhile, finances force Kelly's mother to put their house up for sale. Brenda, Donna and Cindy take a class in self-defense. Brandon continues gambling and starts losing money totaling $500 which makes Duke rather angry, but lets Brandon slide his losses. Andrea get invited on a date with Jordan. Also, David meets with Serge Menkin, his new recording manager, who insists that David record some different rhythm tracks.

Brenda and Brandon are dateless for the Senior Prom. A school announcement is made that any student caught at Senior Prom drinking, intoxicated or with illicit drugs will be suspended from school and prevented from graduating. Footballer Tony Miller asks Brenda to prom on the day of the event, and Andrea asks Brandon at the last moment after her date, Jordan Bonner, gets ill. Steve takes Celeste Lundey, while Dylan naturally goes with Kelly. Donna doesn't eat all day so that she will fit into her prom dress. She is hit harder by pre-prom champagne than the rest of the gang, appears to be drunk at prom, and ends up collapsing in front of Mrs Teasley.

With 24 hours until graduation, Andrea frets with Brandon over her coming valedictorian speech and her college choice of California University or Yale, as does Brenda with Minnesota. Meanwhile, Dylan gets a windfall when he inherits his trust fund worth $10 million, as well as another surprise visit from his eccentric mother Iris, while he reconsiders his college choice of Berkley or California University. On graduation day, David and Donna are the MCs at the Senior Breakfast gathering while Steve meets with the gang to create something to remember them by.

El día de la graduación, la pandilla recuerda los momentos más memorables de los últimos tres años. Andrea pronuncia su discurso de graduación y todos celebran. Dylan también tiene un misterioso encuentro con su difunto padre, quien le aconseja que no necesita ir a la universidad para demostrarse a sí mismo. En cambio, Dylan le pide a Kelly que haga un viaje por Europa con él durante el verano. Steve también decide ir a la Universidad de California para estar cerca de sus amigos, mientras que Brenda decide regresar a la universidad en Minnesota. La noche de la graduación, todos se encuentran en las colinas de Hollywood, cerca del gran letrero de Hollywood, para crear su logo en el letrero para que toda la ciudad los recuerde por los años que pasaron en West Beverly High School.

Donna is afraid to tell her mother about David living with her and Kelly at their new beach front house. Kelly tells Donna about her troubles with Dylan during their stay in France with both trying to make each other jealous. Dylan returns from Europe to reconcile with Kelly who admits he was faithful to her. Meanwhile, Brandon tries to get close to Jill who wants to take things slow, and it unwittingly creates jealousy with Steve. In Minnesota, Brenda gets homesick for the warmth of Beverly Hills while trying to adjust to college life and her brash roommate Darla Hanson.

Brenda returns to Beverly Hills to find her bedroom taken over by Brandon and her parents angry that she dropped out. College registration is too much for Dylan who has a kindred spirit, so he and Brenda pair for a fishing trip to talk about their future. David and Donna try to audition for the DJ's on the California University's radio show, while Andrea tries to get in with the university's newspaper, The Condor, and soon clashes with the egotistical student editor Josh Richland. But Andrea has a more friendly meeting of minds with Dan Ruben, her dorm faculty advisor. Meanwhile, Steve tries to get Brandon in on the fraternity life on the CU campus by pledging the Kappa Epsilon Gamma (K.E.G.) fraternity.

During Rush Week, the girls attempt to pledge the Alpha Omega sorority and the result bores Brenda; reunites Kelly with an old flame, John Sears, whom she can't stand and shake off; exhausts Donna who tries to boost ratings for her and David's radio show; and stereotypes Andrea when she suspects the sorority president of being anti-Semetic. Meanwhile, Brandon is asked to run for student senate, but Steve won't accept his involvement with the senates politics which are unpopular with the fraternity.

During the first week of classes as California University, Donna becomes burned out of her work which is interfering with her college courses, Donna quits the late-night radio shift leaving David solo. Brenda seeks a job for herself to pay for her college tuition and finds one with her father, but she fails to deliver some important contracts. At a pool party for the college freshmen, Steve decides, but can't bring himself, to break up with Celeste. A jealous Dylan can't deter John Sears from seeing Kelly. Also, Andrea discovers that her residential advisor and admirer, Dan Rubin, is her English professor.