11 Celebrities Who Dropped Out Of College, And 11 Who Have Multiple Degrees

    I was today years old when I found out Jake Gyllenhaal dropped out of Columbia.

    Ajani Bazile-Dutes
    by Ajani Bazile-Dutes

    BuzzFeed Staff

    1. Brad Pitt was studying to become a journalist at the University of Missouri but dropped out TWO WEEKS before graduation.

    Brad Pitt on a red carpet
    Pool / Getty Images

    Brad explained,  "It just came to the time of graduation and everyone — all my friends were committing to jobs — and I just realized I was not ready for that yet. I packed up my car. I didn't graduate — I had two weeks left — and I moved out to LA." 

    He decided not to finish the two weeks because "I just felt I was done; I was done with it. I knew where I wanted to go. I had a direction. I always liked those moments of epiphany when you have the next destination."

    2. Shaquille O’Neal has a BA in general studies from Louisiana University, an MBA from the University of Phoenix, and a doctorate in education from Barry University.

    Shaquille O'neal wearing a jersey at an event.
    Gerardo Mora / Getty Images

    Originally, Shaq left Louisiana University to play in the NBA but said he returned because, "One, I promised my parents I would [follow my passion for education]. Two, I wanted to continue my education, and three, I wanted to challenge myself."

    3. Mila Kunis attended UCLA shortly, transferred to Loyola Marymount University, and then dropped out.

    Mila Kunis walking down the street
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    Mila was already a series regular on both That '70s Show and Family Guy during her time in college. She said, "I went to college because I felt like I was supposed to. I graduated from public high school and I did all the things that I was supposed to do."

    She added, "I didn't fail out. I dropped out. I did not fail. I was actually a pretty good student. My problem was that I didn't know what I wanted to study. What was I going to go in? Undecided? I took a class on Zionist theory. I took classes that interested me, that weren't necessarily for a specific degree. Then I realized and spoke to my parents and I said, 'I do love what I do and I want to pursue it.' They were like, 'Oh, why don't you just drop out?'"

    4. Ken Jeong has a BS from Duke University and got his M.D. at the UNC School of Medicine.

    Ken Jeong smiling at an event
    Fox / FOX Image Collection via Getty Images

    Ken practiced medicine for multiple years while performing stand-up at comedy clubs when he wasn't working. After his role in Knocked Up, he was able to transition to being a full-time entertainer. 

    5. Kristen Bell attended NYU's Tisch School of the Arts to study musical theater but dropped out a few credits short of her degree to take a role in the Broadway musical version of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

    Kristen Bell on a red carpet
    Phillip Faraone / FilmMagic / Getty Images

    6. Sigourney Weaver has a BA in English from Stanford University and an MFA from Yale.

    Sigourney Weaver on a red carpet
    Sonia Recchia / Getty Images

    7. Jessica Biel was enrolled in Tufts University in Massachusetts for two years but dropped out to take a role in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003).

    Jessica Biel on a red carpet
    Rachel Luna / WireImage / Getty Images

    She stated she wishes she didn't leave school. "I wish I would have had that time that my girlfriends all had. I wish I would have lived in that crappy, nasty brownstone that they all lived in. If I had to do it again, I would have stuck around and finished it out."

    8. Spike Lee has a BA in mass communication from Morehouse and an MFA in film from NYU Tisch.

    Spike Lee on a red carpet
    Lionel Hahn / Getty Images

    He is currently the artistic director and a tenured professor at NYU.

    9. Tom Hanks studied theater at Chabot College and transferred to California State University, Sacramento after two years before dropping out to do an internship at Great Lakes Theater Festival.

    Tom Hanks on a red carpet
    Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

    10. Eva Longoria got a BS in kinesiology from Texas A&M University-Kingsville and a master's in Chicano Studies from California State University, Northridge.

    Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images

    11. Madonna received a scholarship to the University of Michigan and studied there for two years before dropping out and moving to New York City to pursue her music career.

    Madonna on a red carpet
    Jeff Kravitz / Getty Images for MTV/ViacomCBS

    12. Mayim Bialik has a BS in neuroscience and a PhD in neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles.

    Mayim Bialik
    Amanda Edwards / Getty Images

    Mayim got married and had her first son during grad school. She's said that her studies helped her play Amy, a neuroscientist, on The Big Bang Theory. 

    13. Jake Gyllenhaal went to Columbia for about two years to study Eastern religions and philosophy and then dropped out to concentrate on acting.

    Jake Gyllenhaal on a red carpet
    Taylor Hill / FilmMagic / Getty Imges

    His sister, Maggie, was a senior at Columbia when he started, and she finished her degree. Their mother also graduated from Columbia. Jake has said that he wants to eventually return to his studies and obtain his degree.

    14. Bridgit Mendler has a degree in anthropology from the University of Southern California and a graduate degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

    Bridgit Mendler on a red carpet
    Mindy Best / Getty Images

    She is currently working on her PhD at MIT's Center for Constructive Communications and Social Machines group.

    15. John Mayer was enrolled at the Berklee College of Music, left after two semesters, moved to Atlanta, and started a band called LoFi Masters with his friend, Clay Cook.

    John Mayer posing outside of a house
    Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for Rodemode Inc

    16. Rebel Wilson attended the University of New South Wales and graduated with a BA in theater and performance studies and also a Bachelor of Laws degree.

    Rebel Wilson on a red carpet
    Stefanie Keenan / Getty Images for Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

    Rebel said she decided not to become a politician or lawyer when she had malaria and hallucinated that she won an Oscar. 

    17. Lady Gaga got early admission to Collaborative Art Projects 21, a music school at NYU Tisch. She dropped out in the second semester of her second year to pursue her music career.

    Lady Gaga on a red carpet
    David Livingston / Getty Images for Fashion Media

    18. David Duchovny has a BA in English literature from Princeton University and an MA in English literature from Yale.

    David Duchovny on a red carpet
    Matthew Eisman / Getty Images

    David began working on his PhD but did not finish it. 

    19. Ashton Kutcher attended the University of Iowa and majored in biochemical engineering. During that time, he was approached by a model scout at a bar, won the "Fresh Faces of Iowa" modeling competition, and then eventually dropped out and moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting.

    Ashton Kutcher on a red carpet
    Allen Berezovsky / FilmMagic / Getty Images

    20. Lupita Nyong'o has a degree in film and theater studies from Hampshire College and a master's degree in acting from Yale School of Drama.

    Lupita Nyong'o at the Met Gala
    Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

    21. Alicia Keys had a scholarship to Columbia but dropped out after a month to focus on her music full-time.

    Alicia Keys on a red carpet
    Kevin Mazur / Getty Images For The Met Museum/Vogue

    22. And Angela Basset has a BA in African American studies from Yale and an MFA from Yale School of Drama.

    Angela Basset on a red carpet
    Phillip Faraone / Getty Images

    Who are other celebs who dropped out of college or have multiple degrees? Let us know in the comments!