Parenting Guide

14 Celebrities That You Probably Didn't Know Earned Degrees

Published by SchoolAdvisor | Dec 08, 2016

Now we can have something common with these celebrities, a college degree!

1. Mayim Bialik

The Big Bang Theory star not only portrays a science genius on TV, she is one in real life. Bialik, 39, began her career as a child actor and then found fame as the teen star of NBC's early '90s hit Blossom. She later took time off from acting to attend UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) where she completed a triple major (Hebrew, Jewish Studies and neuroscience) for her undergrad degree. After that, Bialik decided to earn a Ph.D in neuroscience from the school in 2008. Her dissertation? Oh, it's a fun read titled "Hypothalamic Regulation In Relation to Maladaptive, Obsessive-Compulsive, Affiliative, and Safety Behaviors in Prader-Willi Syndrome."

2.  Shaquille O'Neal

The former NBA superstar will go down in history as one of the greatest centers of all time, but despite the millions he's banked, the 7'1" smarty has never been content to be a retiree. The 43-year-old tried his hand at rapping, acting and eventually academia, which he nailed. O'Neal earned a Ed.D in education from Barry University. (Fun fact: At the 2012 ceremony to receive his degree, Doc O'Neal wore a triple extra-large robe.)

3. Wladimir Klitschko

Klitschko is, of course, the gigantic Ukranian boxer who stole the heart of teeny-tiny Nashville star Hayden Panettiere. Sure, he's a big macho hunk, but maybe his fiancée Panettiere, who gave birth to their daughter Kaya, loves the fighter for his brilliant mind. Turns out, Klitschko, 39, has a doctorate in sports science from Kiev University. And if that's not enough, Dr. Klitschko also speaks three languages.

4. Ken Jeong

How's this for surprising? Jeong, the actor who's made a career of playing offbeat characters like angry gangster Mr. Chow in the Hangover trilogy, is actually a licensed medical doctor. The son of Korean immigrants, Jeong received his MD in 1995 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It was his wife Tran Ho, herself a physician, who encouraged Jeong to ditch the white robe and explore his love of acting.

5. Miuccia Prada

The Italian designer is fashion royalty. One of the grandchildren of powerhouse Prada label founder Mario Prada, Miuccia and her siblings took over the company in the late 1970s. The designer was always destined for the glamorous life. She has estimated earnings worth US$4 billion, but that never stopped Miuccia from studying her passions, including political science. She holds a doctorate in the subject from the University of Milan.

6. Rachel Maddow

Anyone who's tuned into MSNBC's political chat program The Rachel Maddow Show knows this host is whip-smart. Naturally, the 42-year-old has a few degrees under her belt, including a doctorate in political science from Oxford University, where Maddow was a Rhodes Scholar.

7. Gerald Butler

Would it surprise you to learn that the Scottish actor graduated from Glasgow University with a law degree? Apparently, Butler was a work hard, play hard-type student, which prepared him for a career in Hollywood. The 45-year-old actor admits that the law degree has come in handy when he's had episodes with the police, like in 2009, when Butler was charged with criminal battery after a dust-up with a photographer.

8. James Franco

The 37-year-old actor-painter-writer-director-professor is the ultimate overachiever. With a successful Hollywood career already under his belt, James moved to New York City to simultaneously earn graduate degrees from Columbia University (writing, which he earned in 2010), New York University (filmmaking) and Brooklyn College (fiction writing). As if that wasn't enough, he participated in a low-residency MFA poetry program at Warren Wilson College at the same time. He is currently a Ph.D. student in English at Yale University, and he's also taken classes at the nearby Rhode Island School of Design.

9. Brian May

Not only is he one of the world's most legendary musicians, May, guitarist for the British rock band Queen, also holds a Ph.D. in astrophysics from the Imperial College in London and is now a Visiting Researcher at the school. The most heartwarming part is that it took May more than 35 years to finish the work. He completed most of his degree from 1970-74, just as Queen began scoring international success. May's love for astronomy stayed with him all throughout his career, so in 2006 at age 59, May re-registered at the school and finished his degree in less than a year.

10. Rowan Atkinson

This amazingly talented, funny actor has a backup plan, should his Johnny English and Mr. Bean franchises fortune ever dry up. Atkinson originally received an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering (EE) at Newcastle University before enrolling in an Electrical Engineering master’s program at The Queen’s College Oxford in 1975.  While working towards this degree, he also pursued acting on the side with a variety of clubs, including the Oxford University Dramatic Society; the Oxford Revue; and the Experimental Theatre Club.

11. Emma Watson

Emma has proven to be much more than just a pretty face. This English beauty received her degree in English literature from Brown University after five years. Rumour has it, she studied the Harry Potter books).

12. Lisa Kudrow

Lisa Kudrow is best known to audiences for her role as the ditzy Phoebe Buffay on the globally successfully TV show F.R.I.E.N.D.S, however, she also dabbled in the world of science before she pursued her career in acting. The Friends star received her Bachelor of Science degree in psychobiology from Vassar College, intending to follow in her father’s footsteps.

13. Chris Martin

The Coldplay frontman and ex-husband of Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow hasn’t just got a pretty voice and talented song-writing ability. After having attended Shrewsbury University, he then headed off to University College London to complete a degree in Greek and Latin in which he graduated with first-class honors. He also met his Coldplay bandmates while attending university and despite the band being signed before they’d graduated, all the members decided to finish university before releasing their epic first album, Parachutes.

14. Eva Longoria

This glamorous actress, best known for her portrayal of character Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives, also has a degree in a subject many may not even recognize. The petite actress received her Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology at Texas A&M University in Kingsville. By the way, Kinesiology is the scientific study of human movement.