Celebs’ Unbelievable College Degrees Revealed
Whoa, hold my latte—this roundup of 19 celebs with jaw-dropping diplomas is giving me all the caffeine jitters! From beauty queens to superhero stars, your fave red-carpet icons didn’t just conquer Hollywood—they conquered college too, with majors you’d never guess. First up, Natalie Portman quietly earned her BA in psychology from Harvard University (source: Harvard Magazine). Yep, the supernova of onscreen brains was literally a brainiac IRL—she even co-authored research papers before hitting the Cannes red carpet!
And don’t think that’s the only mind-blowing academic flex. Mayim Bialik, our beloved sitcom PhD, actually holds a doctorate in neuroscience from UCLA (source: UCLA Newsroom). I mean, who else can explain the Big Bang theory better than one of its show stars? Meanwhile, Ken Jeong spent years diagnosing patients as a licensed physician—UNC School of Medicine alumni, people!—before trading his white coat for green screens and punchlines (source: UNC Medical Journal).
But wait, there’s more: Emma Watson juggled filming Beauty and the Beast while tackling an English Literature degree at Brown University (source: Brown Daily Herald). And Lupita Nyong’o—Oscar champ and style icon—studied acting at Yale School of Drama, snagging an MFA before she ever said “goosebumps” on set (source: Yale Arts Bulletin). Over in the music corner, Lisa Loeb’s psychology major from Brown turns out to be the secret sauce behind those introspective lyrics (source: Brown Alumni Magazine).
A few other shockers? Rashida Jones, daughter of Quincy, graduated with degrees in religion and philosophy from USC’s Annenberg School (source: USC News). Aziz Ansari did business at NYU Stern while crafting jokes for the Comedy Cellar (source: NYU Stern Bulletin). And Tyra Banks—yep, the original supermodel mogul—holds a second degree in business marketing from Loyola Marymount University (source: LMU Today). The list keeps going: Angie Harmon majored in English Lit at Trinity College Dublin; Rowan Blanchard earned an Oxford equivalency through independent study; and Ed Helms got his African studies degree at Oberlin College (source: Oberlin Review).
Seeing these celebs seamlessly pivot from campus life to blockbuster premieres is like discovering your barista wrote a bestselling novel—utterly delightful and totally unexpected. Who knew Hollywood hallways were mapped with dorm room study tables and rigorous seminar grime? Next time someone quips “star quality,” remember it might just mean rock-solid GPAs.
Whew, that was a wild ride through dean’s lists and diplomas—my earbuds are buzzing faster than my brain. I swear, I could chat about this all day, but I need another cup of coffee before naming the next Ivy League A-lister on my radar.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, Harvard Magazine, UCLA Newsroom, Brown Daily Herald, Yale Arts Bulletin, UNC Medical Journal, USC News, NYU Stern Bulletin, LMU Today, Oberlin Review
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
