These 30 celebrities went back to college after getting famous

Oprah Winfrey dropped out of Tennessee State University in 1975. A little over a decade later, the media mogul returned to the school and got her degree in communications and performing arts.

Recent heartthrob, Glen Powell, left the University of Texas at Austin in 2007 to pursue acting. Just last year, he enrolled at UT Austin, taking virtual classes while he still works in the entertainment industry.

Christy Turlington is best known for her killer runway walk. In 1994, after she graced hundreds of magazines, the supermodel enrolled in New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study and earned her comparative religion and Eastern philosophy degree. In 2009, she got her Master of Public from Columbia University.

The child star’s first role was at seven-years-old. Dakota Fanning was educated while working, but when it came time for college, she decided to pause her acting career to go to school. Dakota went to the NYU Gallatin School and obtained a degree focusing on “the portrayal of women in film and culture.”

Amidst her rise to fame, rapper Megan Thee Stallion graduated from Texas Southern University in 2021 with a degree in health administration.

Entrepreneur, Kim Kardashian, publicly documented her four-year-apprenticeship to pursue her law degree. She passed the “Baby Bar’ in 2021 and took the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam in 2025.

Another child star, Natalie Portman, paused her professional career to attend Harvard University. “I [didn’t] care if [college] ruined my career … I’d rather be smart than a movie star,” she told Vanity Fair in 2016. Natalie graduated with her degree in psychology in 2003.

Yara Shahidi first graced TV screens in 2014 on the sitcom, Black-ish. The actress enrolled at Harvard in 2017, graduating in 2022 after studying in the Social Studies & African American Studies program.

Golden State Warriors guard, Stephen Curry, was drafted into the NBA when he was 21 years old, just one year before he was set to graduate from Davidson College. 12 years later, he graduated from Davidson with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology.

Actor Anthony Anderson graduated from Howard University just a few weeks after his series Black-ish wrapped. Anthony dropped out of college during his junior year after he “ran out of money.”

Ariel Winter was just 11-years-old when she starred as the middle child of the Dunphy family on ABC’s Modern Family. Like many child stars, she was homeschooled through high school. In 2017, she enrolled at UCLA while still acting.

Leah Remini didn’t enroll in college until she was 51 years old. She earned her associate’s degree in liberal arts in 2024, writing to X: “It’s never too late.”

During an interview with Hoda Kotb, Renée Zellweger revealed that she took law classes during her hiatus from Hollywood. “I snuck into UCLA for a little while and did some public policy. International law. [I’m] interested in politics,” she said.

Swizz Beatz, the musician and husband of Alicia Keys, graduated from Harvard Business School in 2017 decades after making a name for himself in hip-hop.

Emma Watson became famous at just 11-years-old when the first Harry Potter film premiered. She took a break from acting and enrolled at Brown University, graduating in 2014 with a degree in English Literature.

Karlie Kloss started walking runways when she was only 15. But, in 2015, she returned to school and enrolled in NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study.

When America Ferrera booked Ugly Betty in 2002, she paused her education at the University of Southern California. 11 years later, she graduated from USC with a degree in international relations.

Model and actress Brooke Shields stepped away from Hollywood in 1983 to attend Princeton University. She earned a degree in French Literature, telling the Princeton Alumni Weekly: “The first place I ever really felt confidence was at Princeton.”

After three years at Louisiana State University, Shaquille O’Neal was drafted into the NBA. But, he promised his parents he would eventually graduate. In 2000, eight years after he left, Shaq graduated from LSU.

In 1965, Jodie Foster became the face of Coppertone sunscreen at just 3-years-old. This campaign launched her iconic career. At 14, she received her first Oscar nomination. But, she dreamed of more. In 1980, Jodie enrolled at Yale University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in literature.

Julia Stiles is a teen rom-com star. While making The Bourne Identity and hosting Saturday Night Live, Julia studied English literature at Columbia University.

Claire Danes starred in the cult classic TV series, My So-Called Life, when she was 14 years old. The A-list star, who appeared alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in Romeo + Juliet, attended Yale for two years where she studied psychology.

Nick Cannon went back to school in 2016 after two decades in the limelight. In 2020, the multi-hyphenate graduated from Howard University with a degree in criminology/administration of justice and a minor in African studies.

Like the Olsen twins, Dylan Sprouse and Cole Sprouse grew up on TV. After their run as Disney superstars, both Dylan and Cole enrolled at New York University and graduated in 2015. “We actually received each other’s diplomas,” Cole told Teen Vogue at the time.

The Supermodel and former America’s Next Top Model host has had many educational pursuits. In 2012, Tyra Banks graduated from the Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management Program. A few years later, she attended the Culinary Institute of America.

Eva Longoria returned to school in 2013 while filming her hit TV show, Desperate Housewives. The actress went on to receive a master’s degree in Chicano and Chicana Studies from California State University of Northridge.

In a major surprise, USC rejected the now prolific director from film school when he first applied. While Steven Spielberg attended California State University of Long Beach (CSULB) in 1965, he never graduated. Decades later, Steven wrote one last paper to earn his Bachelor of Arts.

The 10 Things I Hate About You actor enrolled at Columbia University after he was already a well known actor. “I quit acting for a while because I’d always loved acting, but I wanted to not know what I was going to do,” he told Off Camera with Sam Jones.

Bryce Dallas Howard left school in 2001 because she got an offer to act in an Off-Broadway show, but she promised herself she would graduate. Almost 20 years later, she did. The Jurassic World actress graduated from NYU in 2020.