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6 Celebs You Never Knew Have College Degrees

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From the red carpet to the big screen, in today’s world, a college degree isn’t necessary for a career in Hollywood. In a recent study, College Consensus dropped a ranking of the highest educated actors that might surprise you! Take a look at six of the biggest names in Hollywood who have pursued the path of higher education and earned a college degree.

1. Bradley Cooper
Cooper went to Georgetown University and received a degree in English before packing his bags and moving to the Big Apple to pursue his Master’s degree in acting from the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University. Before Cooper even received his diploma, he made his acting debut as a small, supporting character in HBO’s hit series, Sex and the City and continued to build his portfolio from there, until he eventually landed his breakthrough role in Wedding Crashers, which brought the actor to the next level. Now, Cooper has played the lead in some of the most notable movies of the century, landing roles in Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle and American Sniper.

2. Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep is considered to be one of the most iconic actors in American history, with three Oscars, three Academy Awards, nine Golden Globes and many more awards under her belt. She is also highly educated, collecting her undergraduate degree from Vassar College and a Master’s in acting from the prestigious Yale University. Soon after launching her career and landing the leading role in Deer Hunter, she was already slated for an Oscar nomination, the first of many to come.

3. James Franco
James Franco originally enrolled in UCLA to pursue his acting career, and later went back to pursue his degree in English, where he was able to balance his heavy course load, all the while flying out to San Francisco and working on the movie set of Milk. After completing his undergraduate thesis and writing a novel, the actor decided to take the leap to attend his Master’s degree in English from Columbia University. While pursuing his Master’s degree, he also enrolled in filmmaking classes at New York University, fiction writing courses at Brooklyn College, and poetry lectures at Warren Wilson College, all the while launching his acting career. Today, Franco has made his debut in hits, The Interview, 127 Hours, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and many more. Now, Franco is chasing his dream, all the while pursuing a Master’s degree in English at Yale University.

4. Mayim Bialik
Mayim is best known for her role as a neurobiologist in the hit sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, but little do fans know, the actress has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from UCLA. Mayim began her acting career as a child, making appearances in TV shows and commercials and later decided to take a break from show business and traded her starring roles for books, attending UCLA for both her undergraduate and Ph.D. programs, declining offers from Yale and Harvard. Now, the actress has won several awards for her role as a supporting actor in The Big Bang Theory and pushes herself to continue to perfect her craft.

5. Lupita Nyong’o
Lupita Nyong’o graduated from Hampshire College with a degree in Film and African Studies and continued her education at Yale University with a Master’s degree in Fine Arts and Drama. Since then, Lupita has acted in hit movies, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Black Panther, showcasing her perseverance and talent, it’s no surprise that Lupita landed success in Hollywood.

6. Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver studied Literature at Stanford University, where she realized her calling for acting. She later joined Meryl Streep in the Yale University Master’s program, with a degree in Acting. Shortly after graduation from Yale, Weaver landed Broadway leads and later found success in leading roles including the Alien series, Ghostbusters and Gorillas in the Mist.

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