30+ Celebs Who Attended Ivy League Schools

1. John Legend - University of Pennsylvania

imagesource/billboardThe "All of Me" singer graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor's in English, majoring in African-American literature. So for everyone who was wondering is he studied music in college, you were wrong! He actually got his music fix as a member of a capella group.

2. Brooke Shields - Princeton University

imagesource/CTVnewsOne of Hollywood's most popular ladies throughout the 80s & even 90s, is also one of Hollywood's most famous college grads. The actress and model attended Princeton University, where she wanted to get that true college experience a lot of youngsters go for, however, she was followed around and hounded by the paparazzi most days which made her time there a little less fun!

3. John Krasinski - Brown University

imagesource/businessinsiderEveryone's favorite 'The Office' star took himself off on a gap year to Costa Rica teaching English as a second language. After his once in a lifetime experience, the Hollywood star enrolled at Brown and to study...you guessed it, theater studies - where he became a member of Out of Bounds, a comedy sketch group.

4. Emma Watson - Brown University

imagesource/peopleEmma Watson had to put her college experience on hold to star in the final Harry Potter movie. She started of doing a "study at home" year at Worcester College at Oxford University, before going on to attend Brown University to study English in 2014.

5. Natalie Portman - Harvard

imagesource/vanityfairNatalie Portman shot to fame as soon as Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was released. That same year, she enrolled to Harvard to study Psychology, despite critics telling her it would be a major career setback! "I'd rather be smart than a movie star," she said. And it turns out, ignoring the critics was the right thing to do.

6. Conan O'Brien - Harvard

imagesource/deciderYou know what they say, people with quick wit, tend to have high IQs and Conan O'Brien is the perfect example of that. The late night host studied History and Literature at Harvard - magna cum laude - in 1985. During his time at the Ivy League school, he wrote for comedic magazine, The Harvard Lampoon.

7. Jodie Foster - Yale University

imagesource/yalenewsDuring her time at Yale University, the actress wrote her thesis on Toni Morrison with the assistance of Henry Louis Gates Jr. Like Brooke Shields and Natalie Portman, she took a break from acting to study in 1985.

8. Tracee Ellis Ross - Brown University

imagesource/brownuniversityThe Black-ish star graduated from Brown University with a degree in Theatre in 1994. Not only did she go on to have an extremely successful career but she returned to Brown in 2015 to receive an honorary doctorate degree. Very clever lady!

9. Matt Damon - Harvard

imagesource/theharvardcrimsonHollywood actor, Matt Damon attended Harvard University, but didn't actually finish his time there. At just 12 credits short on getting his English major, Matt decided to take the leap to star in Geronimo: An American Legend.

10. Maggie Gyllenhaal - Columbia University

imagesource/wikipediaBrother and Sister duo, Maggie & Jake Gyllenhaal both attended Columbia University. The actress moved to New York in 1995 to attend college, where she studied Literature and Eastern religions, before graduating in 1999.

11. Jake Gyllenhaal - Columbia University

imagesource/thesunFollowing in his sisters footsteps, Jake began college as a Freshman, before eventually dropping out two years later to pursue acting full-time. Like his sister, Maggie, he went on to have a very successful acting career, so dropping out of Columbia ended up being the making of him.

12. Bill Nye - Cornell University

imagesource/cornelluniversityBill Nye, the Scientist, Engineer, Comedian and Inventor has a degree from Cornell University for Mechanical Engineering. He went on to work on the 747 as an engineer at Boeing before creating his PBS show 'The Science Guy'.

13. Shonda Rhimes - Dartmouth College

imagesource/okayplayerIt probably doesn't come as much of a surprise to know that the Queen of TV, left Dartmouth in 1991, with a degree in creative writing before returning in 2014 to give a commencement speech. Her speech was aimed at students who were struggling to achieve their dreams.

14. Julie Bowen - Brown University

imagesource/wikipediaJulie Bowen recently praised her professors at Brown University and joked that she "did everything all students have ever done". She graduated the Ivy League college after majoring in Italian Renaissance Studies, where she performed in different roles & starred in an indie film Five Spot Jewel.

15. James Franco - Columbia University

imagesource/themorningcallWhile receiving degrees simultaneously from NYU Tish and Brooklyn College, Hollywood actor and clever cookie, James Franco, graduated with a master's degrees from Columbia University.

16. Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Columbia University

imagesource/winteriscoming.netAfter deciding to take a break from Hollywood, actor and teen heart throb, Joseph Gordon-Levitt attended Columbia University in 2000 to study History, Literature and French Poetry, but during his forth year, he dropped out of school to go back to acting.

17. Edward Norton - Yale College

imagesource/nickiswiftBefore he got his big break in Fight Club, Norton graduated from Yale College with a degree in History. After briefly working as a consultant in Osaka, he moved to the Big Apple tp pursue a full-time acting career.

18. Lupita Nyong'o - Yale University

imagesource/thestandardBefore Lupita became one of Hollywood's biggest actresses, she attended college in the United States, starting out at Hampshire college before moving on to Yale University, where she earnt a bachelor's degree in film and theatre studies.

19. Mindy Kaling - Dartmouth College

imagesource/WBURBack in 2001, before Mindy became a household name as an actress and screenwriter, she studied at Dartmouth College and graduated with a degree in Playwriting. Like her 'The Office' co-star, Mindy was asked to return to her University to give a hilarious acceptance speech.

20. Julia Stiles - Columbia University

imagesource/alumnispotlightDuring the height of her career, Stiles decided to study English Literature at Columbia University. "College will help me as an actress, because it makes me more interesting," she told Rolling Stone at the time.

21. Elizabeth Banks - University of Pennsylvania

imagesource/celebritynetworthWe've all heard about the Delta Delta Delta sorority. Well, this Hollywood actress went to study at the University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in communications and theater & joined the world famous sorority back in 1996.

22. Meryl Streep - Yale University

imagesource/yalenewsBefore her time at Yale, Streep graduated from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York with a degree in drama and costume design. Streep then went on to study drama at Yale University, where she earned her masters in fine arts in 1975. And this was all before her successful acting career took off!

23. Frances McDormand - Yale University

imagesource/wikipediaBorn in Chicago, Illinois, Frances McDormand moved to a shared dorm room to study at Yale University, where she met friends Holly and Ethan. The three of them went on to win a lead in their first film, Blood Simple.

24. Claire Danes - Yale University

imagesource/wikipediaAfter gaining success in mainstream Hollywood, for her performance in "Romeo & Juliet", Clare Danes decided she wanted to go to Yale to get a sense of "self and development". However, things didn't go to plan and she dropped out after two years to return to acting.

25. Rashida Jones - Harvard

imagesource/harvardmagazineAnother actress who returned to college to give a speech to graduating classes, is Rashida Jones. In 1997, she graduated from Harvard University, where she belonged to a number of clubs on campus, including Hasty Pudding Theatricals.

26. Tommy Lee Jones - Harvard

imagesource/pintrest30 years before winning an Academy Award for his role in "The Fugitive", Tommy Lee Jones enrolled at Harvard as a Dunster House Resident, concentrating on English and American Literature, before performing on stage at the Loeb Drama Center and playing varsity football as an offensive guard.

27. Ashley Judd - Harvard

imagesource/aumnispotlightAnother ex-Harvard resident, is actress, Ashley Judd who decided to study at Harvard in 2010 before receiving a master's degree in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government.

28. B. J. Novak - Harvard

imagesource/newsweekHollywood actor, writer and producer, B. J. Novak is yet another star who attended elite Ivy League college, Harvard. He graduated in 2001, after majoring in English and Spanish literature. During his time at Harvard, Novak was a member of the Harvard Lampoon and wrote his thesis on the film of Shakespeare's Hamlet.

29. Sigourney Weaver - Yale University

imagesource/thecolumbianSome of her teachers actually told her she was "talentless" and advised her to stay away from acting. Sigourney actually graduated from Yale in 1974 with a Masters in Fine Arts and it was all thanks to her friends why she stuck it out at this prestigious University. They were the ones who kept on hiring her fro plays at the Yale Cabaret.

30. Connie Britton - Dartmouth University

imagesource/startTVDuring her time at Dartmouth College, actress Connie Britton studied Asian Studies with a concentration in Chinese before going on to study in Beijing, with now US senator Kirsten Gillibrand. The Dirty John actress actually shared a room with Kirsten during her time in China.

31. Colin Jost - Harvard

Image Source / Men's HealthColin Jost is a talented writer for SNL and anchor for the Weekend Update, who graduated form none other than Harvard University. He graduated back in 2004, and he was also the president of the Harvard Lampoon whilst there.

32. Anderson Cooper - Yale

Image Source / Men's HealthCooper is a famous news anchor whose top-end university experience should come as no surprise. The anchor attended Yale University back in 1981, and he majored in Political Science to set way for his career in the newsroom.

33. David Duchovny - Princeton & Yale

Image Source / Men's HealthActing and X-Files legend David Duchovny earned his higher education (and with the highest distinction, at that) at Princeton University back in 1982. But he wasn't done yet - he then went on to study at Yale University for a master's degree.

34. Angela Bassett - Yale

Image Source / Men's HealthActress Angela Bassett, well-known for her role in How Stella Got Her Groove Back, apparently had a thirst for higher education, because she got both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from Yale University.

35. Mira Sorvino - Harvard

Image Source / Men's HealthAnother actress who wanted to attend an Ivy League school, Mira Sorvino went to Harvard University and graduated in 1989 with the highest honours in East Asian Studies. Her studies included a trip to Beijing in China.

36. Ed Harris - Columbia

Image Source / Men's HealthActing legend Ed Harris studied at Columbia University, but it wasn't actually a degree in acting he started out with. He was a talented athlete during his time at uni, and he played for the school's football team. He later enrolled at a different university to study drama.

37. Ellie Kemper - Princeton

Image Source / Men's HealthEllie Kemper, from The Office and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt fame, attended Princeton University and graduated back in 2002. During her time at university, she wrote her senior year thesis called 'Isn't It Ironic?' at 82 pages long.

38. Casey Affleck - Columbia University

Image Source / Men's HealthActor Casey Affleck had a stint at Columbia University - two years, in fact - but it wasn't for him long term. He ended up leaving university to chase after acting opportunities - and it was obviously the right decision because it worked out for him.

39. Liev Schreiber - Yale

Image Source / Men's HealthAmerican actor Liev Schrieber is known for a number of independent films as well as Sabretooth in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. He earned his master's degree at Yale University School of Drama, which he graduated from back in 1992.

40. David Alan Grier - Yale

Image Source / Men's HealthTV star David Alan Grier also attended (and graduated) Yale University's School of Drama, just like Schreiber. But this after he'd already graduated from the University of Michigan. He then earned his master's from Yale in 1981.

41. Wentworth Miller - Princeton

Image Source / Men's HealthWentworth Miller is most well known for his standout role in Prison Break, but before that, he was working hard at Princeton University, which he graduated from in 1995. He earned a degree in English, and was also a member of the Princeton Tigertones and Quadrangle Club!

42. Dean Cain - Princeton

Image Source / Men's HealthSuperman star Dean Cain attended Princeton University and graduated in 1988. During his time at university he was on the football team - no doubt buffing up for his Clark Kent silhouette - and he was also in a relationship with actress and fellow student Brooke Shields.Image Source / PeopleThe American actress, known for grown-ish and black-ish, takes her eduation and career balance very seriously. When she was asked to host an award at the Emmys in 2021, she asked if she could do it early on in the evening so that she had time to catch a plane to still make it in time for her uni classes! That's commitment.

47. Aoki Lee Simmons - Harvard

Image Source / PeopleDaughter of model Kimora Lee and record executive Russell Simmons, Aoki Lee was only 16 when she got accepted at Harvard. And despite studying hard for the university, she still finds time to pursue a modelling career in the middle of her studies.

48. Bridgit Mendler - Harvard

Image Source / PeopleActress Bridgit Mendler, star of The Wizards of Waverly Place, is multi-tasking like a pro: she's not only studying at Harvard, but she's studying for a joint JD/PhD program which splits her time between Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

49. Allison Williams - Yale

Image Source / PeopleActress Allison Williams has appeared in a host of TV shows, and most notably in the hit show Girls. She's also the daughter of MSNBC anchor Brian Williams. During her academic career, Williams attended Yale University, which she graduated from in 2010. During her time at uni, she was also part of the improv group Just Add Water.

50. Brian White - Dartmouth

Image Source / EssenceBrian White is a former stockbroker who turned to acting, appearing in films such as The Family Stone and The Cabin in the Woods. He also graduated from the prestigious Dartmouth College. During his time there, he was a member of the fraternity Beta Theta Pi.