As a freshman at Oregon State, McLaughlin averaged 10.5 points and 3.3 assists per game. He set a program freshman record with 58 three-pointers. Before his sophomore year, McLaughlin began suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after witnessing a terrorist attack during his team's summer trip to Spain. Six games into the season, he left the team. McLaughlin was granted a redshirt and transferred to UC Santa Barbara. He averaged 10.3 points and 3.2 assists per game as a sophomore. In his junior season, he averaged 13.4 points and 4.1 assists per game. McLaughlin was named to the All-Big West Honorable Mention. As a senior, he averaged 16 points, 5.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, helping UC Santa Barbara win the Big West regular season and tournament title. McLaughlin was named Big West Player of the Year as well as Big West Tournament MVP. Following the season, McLaughlin declared for the 2021 NBA draft forgoing his extra season of eligibility.