A Look at Where Your Favorite Celebrities Went to College

Time to bone up on some trivia and learn where some of your favorite stars went to college! You may be surprised by who's earned a degree and what they

Sometimes it’s shocking to learn that celebrities are just normal people like us. Whether it’s because of the way the media portrays them or how they are treated, it’s hard to imagine big stars doing things that everyday people do—for example, going to college. It’s a prestigious honor to attend college, as it should be. But a college degree isn’t required to make it big in the entertainment industry, especially for those who were born with silver spoons in their mouths or stars who got an early start to their career. Still, a lot of actors and musicians worked hard to hone their craft during their college years, which I find intriguing! So here are some of our favorite stars and where they earned their degrees (or briefly attended).

Dylan and Cole Sprouse

You may remember the Sprouse twins as the stars of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and The Suite Life on Deck. After some amazing TV and film performances from such a young age, they went to college to pursue fields that have nothing to do with acting, both attending NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. Dylan graduated with a degree in Video Game Design, while Cole earned a degree in Archaeology (Geographical Information Systems & Satellite Imaging, specifically).

Connect me with NYU! 

Tina Fey

Comedian Tina Fey is recognized for countless movies and TV shows, including some of our favorites like Mean Girls, Saturday Night Live, and 30 Rock. She attended the University of Virginia, where she studied acting and playwriting. She graduated in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in Drama.

Lady Gaga

Stefani Germanotta, known professionally as Lady Gaga, is famous for her wild outfits and amazing music. But did you know she was also admitted to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts? She spent a year studying in the Collaborative Arts Project 21 after being accepted when she was only 17. She dropped out of college to pursue her music career, but the fictional MTVU did bestow her an “honorary degree” in 2011 for supporting college students through her constant crusade for anti-bullying and individuality.

Related: Spotlight on 5 Colleges Supportive of LGBTQ+ Students

Kourtney Kardashian

Kourtney is one of just two Kardashian children who went to college and earned a degree, along with her brother Rob. Mainly recognized for her role in the reality show Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Kourtney went to college at Southern Methodist University in Texas before transferring to the University of Arizona. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Spanish.

Connect me with Southern Methodist!

Gal Gadot

A previous model, combat fitness instructor, and Miss Israel 2004, Gal Gadot is most well known for her role as Wonder Woman in the DC Extended Universe. After two years of military service required by Israel for all citizens, she went to Reichman University—a private research university in Herzliya that was inspired by the Ivy League model—to study Law and Government. She completed one year of college before she was contacted by a casting director, and the rest is history.  

Elizabeth Banks

Known for her eccentric roles in The Hunger Games and Pitch Perfect, the talented Elizabeth Banks went to school at the University of Pennsylvania, where she was a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority. She graduated with honors in 1996, earning a Communications degree and Theater Arts minor. She went on to receive a Master of Fine Arts from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco in 1998. 

Related: List: Alma Maters of Actors  

I think it’s pretty cool that these stars went to college, not just because they extended their education to benefit them personally and professionally, but because it makes them more humane. Celebrities seem untouchable and unrealistic sometimes, and it’s very inordinate and eminent. Hopefully this brings some satisfaction to the fallacious perception we have of famous people and inspires you to pursue what you love in college. 

Interested in learning about other colleges that produced famous alumni? Check out the College Trivia section of our Lists & Rankings to discover the alma maters of celebrity chefs, comedians, musicians, and more!

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About B. Juda

B. Juda is just a random 15-year-old kid with a passion for writing and helping others. B. likes cooking but not baking (if that makes sense) and is the only Steelers fan in Kansas City.

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress
Abhishek Kumar

Abhishek Kumar

High School Class of 2022

As a high schooler, I know how hard it is to plan for college. You have to consider a lot of factors: SAT/ACT scores, college searches, scholarships, and more. CollegeXpress has been a helpful resource that solves all these problems. One can easily create a free account and search away. They help you search for scholarships and colleges, they have graduate program search, they have lists and rankings, and so much more. CX also has a lot of articles and advice to read—whether it’s financial aid, test prep, campus visits, internships/careers, or anything. Not only that, CX gives out free scholarship money to students who sign up and create a free CX account. I love CX and will continue to use it! Thank you CollegeXpress for making my college journey easier!

Keaun Brown

Keaun Brown

$2,000 Community Service Scholarship Winner, 2020

As I transition to furthering my education, I can say with certainty that it simply wouldn’t be possible without the help of generous organizations such as CollegeXpress. Those who initially founded CX had no idea their platform would give a plethora of information to a first-generation homeless kid native to the ghettos of over half a dozen states. Everyone at CX and Carnegie Dartlet gave me a chance at a future when the statistics said I had none. And for that, I thank them.

Ariyane

Ariyane

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress really helped me by letting me know the colleges ratings and placements. They gave me accurate information on my colleges tuition rates and acceptance. They even let me know the ration between students and faculty and the diversity of the college. Overall they told me everything I needed and things I didnt even think I needed to know about my college and other colleges I applied for.

Jada Bohanon

Jada Bohanon

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress has helped me find scholarships for the colleges I applied to. It was very hard for me to find scholarships in the beginning that I was qualified for. My teachers recommended this website to find some, and not only did I find some scholarships but I also got to look into some schools I hadn’t heard of before. I was very happy to have discovered this website, especially with the coronavirus spreading all over as I can’t really go visit many colleges.

Makiyah Murray

Makiyah Murray

High School Class of 2021

The college application process has been a stressful one, but CollegeXpress has eased some of that stress with its readily available college resources. At the beginning of the process, I frequently used the college search feature, and now that I’m almost done applying, I’ve started using the scholarship search. Both of these resources have made it easier to find relevant information.

College Matches
X

Colleges You May Be Interested In

Wagner College

Staten Island, NY