Celebrities seem to have it all, but we tend to underestimate them! Well, fear not! We are here to change that. Check out these stars with amazing, weird and sometimes funny degrees. Ready? Let’s begin…
Bradley Cooper: English
We wonder if Bradley had to take the same pill he took in the hit movie, Limitless, to achieve this degree. This handsome star graduated from Georgetown University (with honors) and apparently has a strong connection to English Literature.
Cooper reported to GQ that he remembers “crying actual tears” while reading Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in the campus library (a little embarrassing) and that he also did his English Thesis on Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. That’s right ladies, gorgeous and loves poetry!
Lisa Kudrow: Biology
Lisa Kudrow, or better known by her character in the highly addictive series, F.R.I.E.N.D.S, Pheobe. This starlet does a lot more that just run around singing ‘smelly cat’ to those who don’t want to listen. Lisa is a graduate from Vassar College. Once she had completed her degree, before pursuing an acting career, she spent a great deal of time working with her father in biology. Yes, biology.
Not only is this superstar a biologist and an actress but she is also incredibly impressive in languages. Lisa speaks both English and French. This goes to show how difficult acting can be, Phoebe has made an impression to all the F.R.I.E.N.D.S fans (which lets be honest, is definitely more than half of the world) that she is a silly, playful woman who seems to be aging backwards.
This new information (well new to us) only makes us love Phoebe more (her parents are going to have to accept that the name Lisa just ain’t gonna stick as well as Phoebe).
A bilingual biologist with great hair and she appears on our TV every time we miss her? Who needs friends when you have F.R.I.E.N.D.S?
Read on and be surprised!
Ashton Kutcher: Biochemical Engineering
It’s safe to say that almost every girl that has seen a flick involving Ashton Kutcher, has suffered from a little crush. With his undeniable looks and charm, we’re about to make you fall even more in love with this Hollywood heartthrob for being a little bad boy.
Kutcher went to the University of Iowa and later dropped out to become a model! When he studied Biochemical engineering, he maintained a fun fraternity life at the start. Ashton worked in a janitorial unit sweeping up crumbs at General Mills Factory in order to pay for his studies.
From humble beginnings to a star
Ashton was lucky enough o be in the right place at the right time when a talent scout organized for him to participate in a modeling competition. From then on, everything changed.
Ashton appeared in many small projects and eventually had his big break when he performed in classics like That 70’s Show and Kelso. This actor shows no signs of slowing down, Ashton is humbled by history and can be proud of where he is today.
Rebel Wilson: Law
Never underestimate a girl with a good set of lungs! This Pitch Perfect star is way more than the source of all our laughter, in literally every film she appears in.
Wilson confirmed on Late Night with Seth Meyers, that she actually graduated from law school in the year 2009 from the University of New South Wales.
People think
"A lot of people look at me and think I’m stupid," she said, "But no, I graduated from a school that’s kind of like the Harvard of Australia."
Well, that’s a surprise coming from the character we all loved in Bridesmaids.
Brad Pitt: Journalism
Brad Pitt, an icon in the film industry and not too bad to look at ether. Maybe we spent too much time enjoying his classic films that we didn’t pay enough attention to his college career and how he landed on all our screens.
Brad had an interest in journalism, specifically focusing on marketing and advertising. The only sort of acting he took part in, was his acting for plays in his fraternity. Little did he know, it would soon become his life.
Only one week to go
With only two weeks until Brad’s graduation, he dropped out with a hope to make it in the acting world. Risky move! What would have happened if he never became the huge success he is now? He would have regretted dropping out for the rest of his life!
Pitt had a rollercoaster of a journey, from the challenge of college to low moments like dressing as a chicken for “el Pollo Loco”, all the way to where he is today! This guy is not just good eye candy, he should write a book!
Brooke Shields: Romance Languages
While Brooke was beginning her career in the acting world, she started to get everyone’s attention pretty quickly. During all this craziness, she decided to pursue her education. How? You may ask, well she was a normal student if you ignored the bodyguards surrounding her.
She decided to attempt a degree in Romance Languages as she had always had a love for literature. How would her fellow students treat her? What do you say if you get star struck in the middle of a test? The celebrity reported to the New York Times that her classmates have grown immune to the thrill of being around a celebrity and that it’s not that big a deal to them.
The full package
Brooke is one of the prestigious students of Princeton and that makes a huge comment on the kind of education she had.
This strong woman has had success in acting, modeling and on top of it all, she's an intelligent scholar.
Lionel Ritchie: Economics
Lionel Ritchie is undeniably a huge influential figure in the music industry. However, before he took on the life he has now, Lionel was a student at Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama.
He decided to major in Economics but wasn’t exactly a devoted student. The most Lionel participated in on campus was “The Commodores”, a campus band.
He has university to thank
Many believe that the universe carefully makes sure everything is made to be as it is supposed to be and Lioenel is a fine example of this.
Tuskegee University ultimately led him to “The Commodores” which would result to his international success, making him the Musical legend he is today.
“Weird Al” Yankovic: Architecture
This well-known public figure is best recognized for his unorthodox mannerisms. Hence the name, Weird Al Yankovic.
However, you’ll be surprised to learn that this class clown attended California Polytechnic State-University, with his major being Architecture. Wait, that’s not all, we were also shocked to learn that he even graduated high school at the young age of sixteen!
The mind of a genius
In contrast to his satirical music and silly gestures, Al is an intelligent and creative person.
With a crazy mind like this, he definitely has our love and a surprising set of skills we never knew about. He didn’t end up designing a building but he did a lot more than that!
Eva Longoria: Kinesiology
Eva Longoria, is not only our favourite character in the hit show, Desperate Housewives, but she also has a degree in her pocket that we never knew about! This gorgeous actress has her Bachelor’s in Kinesiology- the study of the mechanics in body movement- from Texas A&M University- Kingsville.
Longoria didn’t rely on her good looks and charm, she wanted more than that for herself and chose to exercise her mind as well. We have to admit, this girl has a good head on her shoulders.
Eva titled her thesis “Success STEMS from Diversity: The Value of Latinas in STEM Careers”, where she discussed the topic of how diversity has the ability to excel success and how Latina women should be acknowledged as an important part of STEM Careers.
Inspiring Tweet
In the year 2013, Eva went on to complete her masters in Chicano Studies at California State University. "You're never too old or too busy to continue your education!" she tweeted on graduation day.
Not only is she intelligent, but she chose to use her knowledge to awareness in fighting for diversity amongst people.
Kevin Costner: Business
Kevin Costner achieved his degree in business when he graduated from California State University, Fullerton. Costner was a fraternity member in Delta Chi whilst maintaining is reputation as a devoted student.
Kevin decided to take a leap in joining the film industry and ended up making history. He is best remembered for his performance in “The Bodyguard” where he acted alongside the infamous Whitney Houston.
He delivered a memorable performance and has gone on to appear in many more productions.
Sacha Baron Cohen: History
Not only is this man an impressive actor but he is also a graduate from the University of Cambridge. Sacha studied History and simultaneously acted in many plays including ''Fiddler on the Roof''.
depositphotos
Cohen's claims to fame had been in his self-made films such as ''Borat'', ''The Dictator'', and ''Bruno'', which have all garnered mixed reactions, but undeniably got everyone’s attention.
Most of Cohen's movies are satire, so it would only make sense that he used his education to gear him towards the direction he has been going in.
Gabrielle Union: Sociology
This woman has appeared in many of our feel-good films, like “Think Like A Man” both 1 and 2.
However, she surprised her fans when she revealed on her Twitter page that she had her sociology degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and that she had paid for her studies with “student loans & job at the bookstore”.
Danai Gurira: Social Psychology
After years of consecutive incredible performances on the hit show, “The Walking Dead”, Gurira stole our hearts when she performed in Black Panther.
In the year 2001, she was just about to finish her career at Minnesota’s Macalester College, where she studied Social Psychology.
"I was really looking at race, population, gender and how we psychologically function in a way that affects our societal outcomes around those issues," she told Rolling Stone.
J. Cole: Communications
This hip-hop star is not just a master on the microphone, in fact, he is rather intelligent. J Cole graduated summa cum laude from St. John’s University in the NYC borough of Queens.
He chose his major in business. With 3.82 GPA, and a full pass on all his subject, the rapper did not attain the physical degree, owing to the fact that he owed money for a missing library brook. How’s that for an overreaction!
Aziz Ansari: Marketing
The Master of “None and Parks” and the “Recreation” did his major in marketing at New York University because he was interested in being an entrepreneur. "But it was such a weird culture," he told Paste Magazine.
"I wasn’t aware of that whole finance culture of kids who wanna work at Goldman Sachs and all that stuff and blah blah blah. It was just…not interesting me."
Still, he finished the degree because he "was just able to coast by and work on stand up."
Natalie Portman: Psychology
This big name in Hollywood has never delivered a bad performance and can best be remembered for her thrilling role in the movie “Black Swan”. This actress decided to go to Harvard after already becoming a star, after the release of Star Wars: Episode 1: The Phantom Menace
"I felt like there had been some mistake," she later recalled, "that I wasn’t smart enough to be in this company, and that every time I opened my mouth I would have to prove that I wasn’t just a dumb actress."
She went on to earn her degree in Psychology in the year 2003.
Kourtney Kardashian: Theatre Arts
Although Kourtney showed us that she was a bit of a drama queen in the reality show, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, the oldest member of the family exposed that she began her studies at Dallas’s Southern Methodist University before transferring to the University of Arizona.
She went on to complete her degree in Theatre Arts with a major in Spanish. Now that’s a surprise!
Cole Sprouse: Geographical Information Systems
For a while, you couldn’t tune in to Disney channel without watching a repeat of any episode in the sitcom, The Suite Life Of Zack and Cody”. He went on to appear in Riverdale and is still a big name in Hollywood. Sprouse made the decision to get his degree at the New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study in the year 2015.
He created his own major of Geographical Information Systems, which he explained on Live With Kelly and Ryan as "basically like virtual cartography." Cole is not the only one who decided to grab a degree. His twin brother, Dylan also went on to achieve a degree in video game design at NYU. The two are double dynamite!
Steve Carell: History
Well if this isn’t one of the most loved members of Hollywood, we don’t know who is! In the year 1984, Steve Carell was a student at Denison University where he graduated with a degree in history.
depositphotos
Steve is most adored for his role in the hilarious show “The Office”. He went on to appear in other movies such as ''The 40-Year Old Virgin'', and other hilarious comedies that half made us laugh until we cried. So aside from his versatile acting, we now know that Steve Carell has a degree in History.
Although he never pursued a career in that field, at least we know he has more knowledge about the world at large, and that leaves for us to be impressed to the maximum. Maybe he isn’t using his degree in history, but he is definitely making history of his own!
Chris Martin: Greek & Latin
The unique vocalist of the timeless band, Coldplay basically owes his success to his education. The singer went to the University College London and achieved his degree in Greek and Latin.
His university is the place where he happened to meet all three members of his band, which was a match made in heaven!
Rashida Jones: Comparative Religion
Jones can be recognized from her role in Parks and Recreation, as well as, The office. However, this actress has a lot more to add to her resume! Rashida graduated from Harvard in 1997 after studying comparative religion.
Although she enjoyed her field, she also participated in the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club and musical director of a co-ed group called Harvard Opportunes.
This woman has a strong passion for raising awareness to deep issues in her Netflix documentary “Hot Girl Wanted”. That’s right, she directs too!
Will Ferrell: Sports Information
Will Ferrell is not just good at making us laugh in some of the best comedies every made, but he is also a rather intelligent person. He went to the University of Southern California and achieved his degree in Sports Informations and Broadcasting. Which is a far stretch from what he does now!
In 2017, he joked about the result of his life in a commencement speech:
"Yes, you heard me, sports information," he said. "A program so difficult, so arduous, that they discontinued it eight years after I left. Those of us with sports information degrees are an elite group. We’re like the Navy SEALs of USC graduates. There are very few of us, and there was a high dropout rate."
Didn't last very long
Will experienced his field when he worked as an intern. However, nothing serious came of it. Funnily enough, the actor had many different jobs before he moved to Los Angeles.
When he realized that he didn’t enjoy anything he was doing, he made a big change and, well, the rest is history…
America Ferrera: International Relations
You may remember this lady from The Sisterhood of The Travelling Pants, or the feel-goo series, “Ugly Betty”. When her acting career took a successful turn, she was in the middle of studying at the University of Southern California.
She took a break, for about a decade, and returned in 2013 to complete her degree.
"I am using so much of what I learned in the School of International Relations in my life," she said that year.
Making use of her studies
"I’ve learned about the root causes of so many issues I’m passionate about and how to improve people’s lives. Sometimes the issues have taken me across the world, sometimes here in our own backyard."
There has to be more to come from this actress.
Sam Hunt: Economics
Sam Hunt can be recalled from his role as the singer in “Body Like a Back Road”. However, before his music career took off, he was a student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Surprisingly, he used to be the quarterback of the school’s football team! He went on to study philosophy and earned his degree in economics.
Regina Hall: Journalism
Regina Hall appears in multiple different films. To name a few, you may remember her from Girls Trip, Scary Movie and Naked. However, before her acting career became her priority, she was a student at New York University where she went on to achieve her masters in journalism.
"I loved to write," she told the Los Angeles Times. "I still write articles sometimes, but I actually wanted to produce segments for shows like 60 Minutes."
Ben McKenzie: Economics & Foreign Affairs
Ben Mckenzie is recognized from his role in The O.C. and The Gotham. Before he became an actor, he graduated from the University of Virginia in the year 2001.
"The ability to study econ and foreign affairs during the day and perform onstage at night was a true blessing," he later reported to the alumni magazine. "I’m not sure I would have had the opportunity to receive such a well-rounded education anywhere else."
Freddie Highmore: Spanish & Arabic
Who could forget little Charlie from the remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He went on to appear in series such as Bates Motel, as well as, the lead in The Good Doctor.
Whilst filming Bates Motel in 2014, he was simultaneously finishing his degree in Spanish and Arabic from Emmanuel College, Cambridge. That’s a busy schedule for such a young boy!
Laverne Cox: Dance
Laverne is best known for her transgender role in Netflix’s hit series, Orange Is The New Black. Before she became a full-time fake prisoner, she went to the Alabama School of Fine Arts.
Shortly after, she transferred to Marymount Manhattan College and achieved a B.F.A in Dance. This lady is the full package!
Never played by the rules
"My first week there a guest teacher saw me in the hall and thought I would be perfect for a play he was doing in the theater department," Cox wrote in the bio.
"This was the first of many plays I did with the theater department even though I was a dance major. While this was frowned upon, I never played by the rules."
Kenny Chesney: Marketing
You know those people that know exactly what they want to do with their lives from the moment it starts? You know how we all wish we could be them? Well here’s another green monster to add to your back because Kenny has remained in music since he began studying.
Kenny studied music whilst also song-writing and playing a few gigs around the bar scene. He never gave up and it kind of turned him into a musical genius. This Should give you hope that if you suck at singing, maybe there is a degree out there that can help you.
Get a degree? why not!
Once this superstar graduated, he decided to make his move to home of all country music seeds, Nashville. Kenny Chesney moved from one event to the other and eventually became an international country success.
Moreover, he has a degree as well to put in his pocket. Studying must have been so much fun for him! You know what they say, love what you do and you will never work another day in your life.
Mayim Bialik: Neuroscience
If you’re a Big Bang Theory fan, than you know it can’t be possible to remember scripts like that without having a clue what you are talking about. Well Mayim just so happens to be a genius in real life too. Bialik earned a Ph.D in Neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles.
She reported on CNN her research was based around Obsessive-compulsive disorder among people with Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare condition in which the hypothalamus malfunctions”. Before that, she studied her culture more in Jewish studies, Hebrew as well as a neuroscience undergrad. This girl is the full package.
Carrie Underwood: Mass Communications & Journalism
This country music star can best be remembered for her iconic win of American Idol 2005.
Once she had her prize in the bag, she returned to Oklahoma’s North Eastern State University as she hadn’t completed her degree With just three credits short, she returned and went on to graduate magna cum laude. So there’s an incredible brain under that gorgeous hair!
Harrison Ford: English And Philosophy
The one and only Harrison Ford went to Ripon College in Wisconsin, where he studies English and Philosophy. He had an open slot to fill with an extra subject and chose drama as he thought it would be an easy subject to pass.
However, he went on to discover that he loved acting and performing. Well you won’t pick the right career, but sometimes the right career will pick you.
Most successful dropout
Ford explained to People magazine that he suffered from terrible stage fright at first. However, he knew what he wanted to do and made the decision to drop out and pursue his acting career.
He went on to appear in popular films such as Star Wars and The Fugitive.
Whitney Port: Gender studies
Whitney Port can be remembered as one of the ‘kinder’ characters on the reality show, The Hills. She went on to attain a degree in gender studies from the University of Southern California.
"The worst part was probably having to take classes that you weren’t really interested in," she told College Magazine. This one was surprising coming from someone who seems to be so passionate about fashion!
Uzo Aduba: Voice Performance
Most Orange is the New Black fans have a favorite character and for most of them, its Suzanne a.k.a. ‘Crazy Eyes’. The talented performer went on to become a two-time Emmy award winner.
She also achieved a Voice Performance degree from Boston University’s School of Music in 2005.
She returned in 2017 to give the commencement address, telling students, "It wasn’t so long ago that I was waking up at 7:50 in the morning in West Campus and making my way down to for an 8 a.m. ear training and sight-reading class."
Ken Jeong: M.D.
For a while, The Hangover was considered to be one of the funniest comedies to be released. Ken Joeng, made audiences laugh when he performed as Mr. Chow, a powerful gangster.
However, fans will be shocked to learn that this funny guy has a medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and proceeded a career as a physician.
"I wasn’t that jokey doctor like Patch Adams," he told TV Guide Magazine. "I wasn’t walking around in a clown outfit going, 'Hey, you got herpes, but I got your nose!'"
Connie Britton: Asian Studies
Connie stole her viewer's hearts as the best mom from Friday Night Lights, as well as, a country-music icon in the musical series Nashville. Britton also has a degree in Asian Studies from Dartmouth College in 1989.
Her studies included summer abroad in Beijing, where she was roommates with Kirsten Gillibrand, now a New York senator.
Rooney Mara: Psychology & Nonprofits
Mara can be recalled from her appearances in Law and Order, as well as, the film ‘Dream Boy’. However, she is yet another actress who had an interesting studying career.
Rooney spent a year at George Washington University before transferring to New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where she focused on psychology and nonprofits.
"I traveled a lot," she told Vogue. "I’d go to Kenya for a month and get credit for that."
John Legend: English With Concentration In African-American Literature And Culture
No wonder Johns music sounds like poetry. This vocalist began his studies at the University of Pennsylvania when he was sixteen.
In 1999, Legend the legend went on to graduate with a degree in English. During his years as a student, he participated in the acapella Counterparts.
J.K. Rowling: French with additional Greek and Roman studies
The iconic Harry Potter author studied at the University of Exeter, and she revealed in a Harvard commencement address that she had wanted to study English literature, while her parents wanted her to pursue a "vocational degree."
"A compromise was reached that in retrospect satisfied nobody, and I went up to study Modern Languages," she said. "Hardly had my parents’ car rounded the corner at the end of the road than I ditched German and scuttled off down the Classics corridor."
John Cho: English
When Cho was working towards a degree at the University of California, which is also where he became interested in acting. "I was in this writing group and this fellow in it was directing a play," he told SFGate.com. He went on to achieve a degree in English.
"He literally said, 'How tall are you and what do you weigh?' I think somebody got sick and he needed to know if I fit the costume. It was really like two lines."
Martha Stewart: European And Architectural History
If you're hungry for some history about Martha Stewart, then feast your eyes on the details of her college life and studies. It seems that the younger generation recognizes her for the attorney by her side during a scandal, but that's a thing of the past now.
Martha currently is a television personality in terms of lifestyle and cooking, but no one really knew that in her past she obtained a degree in European and Architectural History!
Digest this:
And here is another fun fact for you to snack on: Martha Stewart started off working on Wall Street as a stock-broker.
Although each aspect of what she has done have nothing to do with one another, it is no surprise that Martha is one smart woman, and she deserves all the credit for successes in life!
Regis Philbin: Sociology
Philbin is a well known American Media Presenter. Surprisingly, we discovered that he graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in Sociology. It gets even better than this.
Regis also served in US Navy before achieving success in the entertainment field. He went from sailing on the seas to winning a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for having spent the most airtime on television ... Talk about versatility in a man! We especially love Regis from his beginning days as a host of ''Who Wants to Be A Millionaire''.
Gene Simmons: Education
The iconic Kiss star is not only one of the most talented figures in music but he also has an interesting tail regarding his education! Gene (originally Chaim) knew that his heart belonged to music and he dreamed of becoming a star…
depositphotos
Although he performed in many different bands throughout high school, mama bear wouldn’t back down on his need for a college education. Right before stardom, Simmons went to get his Associates Degree and achieved a Bachelor's Degree.
Although he could give credit to his talent for obtaining his success, the real credit is due to his mother for pushing him to value education first and foremost. Mama always knows best! Even if you’re a Rockstar.
David Spade: Business
Fan-favourite David Spade has always only been known for his comical, genius mind. He has starred in some of our favourite feel-good flicks, such as, ''Dickie Roberts- Former Childhood Star'' and ''Rules of Engagement''.
Spade went to community college for two years and then transferred to the prestigious Arizona State University where he obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Business.
The talent and the smarts
During his time there, he had performed at open mic nights (stand up comedy) as well as participated in a fraternity.
Overall, there is no doubt about the fact that this guy is talented and has big things coming. Degree or no degree, he’s a superstar.
Jerry Springer: Political Science
Well who would’ve thought that the man with all the answers is not a trained psychologist at all. Jerry Springer studied political science, which is a far stretch from mediating domestic arguments for a living.
Springer worked in the political field for some time before making “The Jerry Springer Show” his main focus.
The smarts have brought him a long way
Noone can deny that you can’t really peel your eyes away from the TV when you land on an episode of “The Jerry Springer Show”. Whether the drama is a little eccentric, we love to see how couples deal with their emotions and usually end up fighting in a dramatic way.
Jerry is a huge name in Hollywood and will a forever be recognizes the Doctor who solved everyone’s problems with a microphone and a camera.
Dolph Lundgren: Chemical Engineering
Dolph is quite the versatile man in his life who has not one, not two, but three degrees! He attended Washington State University and achieved a degree in Chemistry.
He then went on to the Royal Institute of Technology and earned himself a degree in Chemical Engineering, and followed up with a Masters from the University of Sydney.
Putting his degrees aside
Now this is a heavy amount of education of an extremely difficult topic! Lundgren had an opportunity to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but he was hired by Grace Jones to work as her bodyguard, and they later formed a relationship.
Dolph has since put his degrees aside and starred in many movies, his most famous being ''The Punisher''.
Michael Jordan: Geography
If you don’t live under a rock, then you’ve heard of the legendary Michael Jordan. The athlete that made basketball history. Not only can this Guy run the basketball court but he is incredibly intelligent as well.
