Celebrities Who Graduated from Ivy League Schools

Smart celeb: Most Hollywood stars dedicate their time in order to achieve fame, fortune, and a successful career. Nonetheless, several well-known celebrities have also pursued their dreams of higher education. There are quite a few stars who went on to college. In fact, many icons have studied at the most prestigious schools in the country. Some even earned several degrees. Our list consists of 36 famous personalities who graduated from one of eight of the Ivy League universities. So, celebs who currently studying (like James Franco), or the stars that did not complete their degree (Matt Damon) are excluded from this list. The Ivy League schools include Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, or Yale.

1. Known for her roles in Friday Night Lights, American Horror Story and Nashville, Connie Britton did not initially pursue performing arts. Rather, she earned her degree in Asian studies from Dartmouth College in 1989.
2. International actress Lupita Nyong’o earned a master’s degree from the Yale School of Drama in 2012. Soon after graduation, she starred in 12 Years a Slave for which she won an Academy Award.
3. Emmy winner Julie Bowen is most famously known for her role as Claire Dunphy on the comedy Modern Family. She majored in Italian Renaissance studies and even spent her junior year in Florence, Italy. She graduated from Brown University in 1991.
4. Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Natalie Portman earned a degree in psychology from Harvard University in 2003. Her most famous works include the Star Wars prequels, Black Swan, and Jackie.
5. Girls star Allison Williams graduated from Yale University in 2010. During all four years, she was a member of an improvisation comedy troupe.
6. The funny and beautiful Elizabeth Banks graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996. She majored in Communications with a minor in Theater Arts. The actress is known for her roles in films and television including The Hunger Games, 30 Rock and Pitch Perfect.
7. Versatile filmmaker and actor Edward Norton earned his B.A in History from Yale University. His notable works include the films American History X, Fight Club and The Incredible Hulk.
8. Rashida Jones attend Harvard University where she studied religion and philosophy and graduated in 1997. The actress is known for her roles in TV series including Parks and Recreation and The Office.
9. Model and actress Brooke Shields is known for her early movie roles and TV series such as Suddenly Susan. She attended Princeton University where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Romance Languages in 1987.
10. Best known for playing the character of Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film franchise, Emma Watson took a break from her education to complete the filming of the final movie in the series. She finally graduated from Brown University in 2014 with an English degree.
11. Liev Schreiber is famous for his roles in Scream, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Ray Donovan. He graduated with a master’s degree from the Yale School of Drama in 1992.
12. Shonda Rhimes is an award-winning screenwriter and television producer. She created hit shows including Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder. Rhimes graduated from Dartmouth College in 1991 with a B.A in English Literature.
13. SNL cast member Vanessa Bayer graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2004 where she majored in Communications and French.
14. Actress, director and producer Jodie Foster earned Her degree from Yale University. She Majored in Literature and went on to graduate magna cum laude in 1985. Foster starred in blockbuster hits including The Silence of the Lambs and Taxi Driver. 
15. Tracee Elliss Ross is best known for her role as Dr. Rainbow Johnson in the hit series Black-ish. The Golden Globe recipient attended Brown University and graduated in 1994 with a theater degree.
16. Comedian Rachel Dratch is a graduate of Dartmouth College. Known for her works in SNL and 30 Rock to name a few, she majored in Drama and Psychology and graduated in 1988.
17. Known for her leading-lady role in The Dark Knight, award-winner Maggie Gyllenhaal graduated with an English Literature degree from Columbia University in 1999.
18. Widely known for his role as Jim Halpert on the sitcom The Office, John Krasinski graduated from Brown University in 2001 where he Majored in English while also studying theater arts.
19. The esteemed actress Meryl Streep is famous for her roles including those in The Devil Wears Prada, Mamma Mia! And Sophie’s Choice. The Oscar-winner earned her M.F.A from Yale School of Drama in 1975.
20. Comedian and talk show host Conan O’Brien attended Harvard University where he studied American History. During his time there he was president of the humor publication, ‘The Harvard Lampoon’. O’Brien graduated magna cum laude in 1985. Currently, he host Conan on the cable channel TBS.
21. After achieving fame with films like Save the Last Dance and 10 Things I Hate About You, Julia Stiles went to focus on her education. She graduated with a bachelor’s in English from Columbia University in 2005.
22. The 45th and current President of the United States, Donald Trump, graduated from the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania in 1968 with a degree in Economics.
23. Angela Bassett studied at Yale University earning her B.A in Afro-American Studies in 1980 and an M.F.A in Drama in 1983. She won a Golden Globe Award for her starring role in the Tina Turner biopic What’s Love Got to Do With It.
24. Comedic actress Ellie Kemper is most famous for her roles in the film Bridesmaids and the Netflix series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Kemper studied English at Princeton University and received her degree in 2002.
25. Comedian actress Jenny Slate graduated from Columbia University. The former SNL cast member studied Literature and graduated in 2004.
26. Best known for her role as Ashley Banks on the 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Tatyana Ali attended Harvard University. She received a bachelor’s degree in African-American studies and government in 2002.
27. Actress, singer, and comedian Jane Lynch received her master’s degree in Theater from Cornell University.  The Golden Globe and Emmy-Award winner is best known for her role as Coach Sue Sylvester on the musical TV series Glee.
28. Writer and access Amanda Peet graduated from Columbia University with a degree in American History. Peet has appeared in flicks including The Whole Nine Yards and Something’s Gotta Give. 
29. Award winning actress Laura Linney is also a Brown University alumna. She graduated in 1986 with a degree in theater, then completed a master’s from Julliard School in New York City. Among others, she is most recently known for her starring roles in the series The Big C and Ozark.
30. Paul Giamatti earned his B.A. in English from Yale University in 1989, and his M.F.A from Yale University School of Drama in 1994. The actor is most famously known for his roles in films such as Sideways, Cinderella Man, The Illusionist and Private Parts.
31. The apple must not fall far from the tree because Ivanka Trump, reality star and daughter of U.S. President Donald Trump, graduated from her father’s alma mater. She is also an alumna of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
32. Seasoned actor and filmmaker Tommy Lee Jones is also a Harvard University alumnus. Jones graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1969. Moreover, the actor is most famous for his works in Men in Black, The Fugitive and No Country for Old Men.
33. Making a name for herself in the 1980s with flicks including Alien and Ghostbusters, Sigourney Weaver graduated with her master’s degree from the Yale School of Drama in 1974.
34. David Duchovny received an bachelor’s in English literature from Princeton University in 1982. Aftter that, he got his master’s in English literature from Yale University.  He was working on his Ph.D. and was in the process of writing his Ph.D. dissertation when he decided to give acting a try. Duchovny is most famous for starring in television series including The X-Files and Californication, both of which have earned him Golden Globe awards.
35. Frances McDormand earned her M.F.A from Yale University. She is notably famous for achieving the Triple Crown of Acting – winning an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and an Emmy Award. 
36. Funny gal Mindy Kaling gained acclaim for her roles on the TV sitcoms The Office and The Mindy Project. The comedic actress graduated from Dartmouth College in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in play-writing. During her college years she was a member of an improvisational comedy troupe.

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