When we hear “celebrities,” we think of red carpets, screaming fans, and leading roles in blockbusters—not study groups, all-night cramming, or chemistry lectures. But the surprise is: Hollywood’s A-list names did something very different in college, yielding evidence in the form of their degrees. From science laboratories to business school, these celebrities took some unexpected turns before the stage lights beckoned.
10. Cindy Crawford – Chemical Engineering
Before she dominated the fashion world, Cindy Crawford was balancing equations at Northwestern University. She had a scholarship in chemical engineering and was headed for a life in science. While she dropped out after one term to become a model, her intellectual cred reminds us she was no mere pretty face to begin with.
9. Rowan Atkinson – Electrical Engineering
It’s difficult to picture Mr. Bean buried in books, but Rowan Atkinson himself holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Oxford. Though he could have constructed circuits and planned systems, he instead opted for comedy—thank goodness for all of us.
8. Mayim Bialik – Neuroscience
Few actors can claim to portray a scientist on television and be one in real life. Mayim Bialik holds a PhD in neuroscience from UCLA, researching obsessive-compulsive disorder. She later returned to acting as Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory, which makes her one of the few stars whose TV smartness equates to real-life know-how.
7. Ken Jeong – Medicine
Famous for outrageous humor in The Hangover and Community, Ken Jeong also just so happens to be a licensed doctor. He earned his MD at UNC Chapel Hill and juggled practicing medicine with stand-up until Hollywood beckoned full-time.
6. Natalie Portman – Psychology
Harvard alum. Oscar winner. Published author. Natalie Portman has never been merely an actress. She studied psychology, even skipping a Star Wars opening to study for finals. Her combination of brains and talent makes her one of Hollywood’s true overachievers.
5. Arnold Schwarzenegger – International Business and Economics
Years before the Terminator, Schwarzenegger was taking business classes at the University of Wisconsin–Superior. An international business and economics degree provided him with the acumen to invest in real estate and amass a fortune before superstardom as an actor ever took hold.
4. Lisa Kudrow – Biology
Lisa Kudrow, before her role as Phoebe Buffay, graduated from Vassar College with a degree in biology. She was formerly set to pursue a career in medical research, just like her father, but destiny (and humor) had other ideas.
3. Brian May – Astrophysics
Brian May, rock star, did not just play with the stars, but also studied them. The Queen guitarist has a PhD in astrophysics, and his thesis was on interplanetary dust. He is perhaps the only artist to discuss guitar riffs and galaxies equally seriously.
2. Gerard Butler – Law
Gerard Butler was a law student with a Glasgow University degree before becoming a star in 300 as King Leonidas. While his legal career never started, the drive and the intensity that resulted from that career are what you observe on the screen today.
1. Mick Jagger – Finance and Accounting
The greatest rock roll lead singer once attended school to learn finance and accounting at the London School of Economics. The Rolling Stones, as legendary as they were, had their issues, but Jagger’s financial acumen was the actual motivation for the band being able to ride out difficult times and remain on top.
The next time your idol celebrity comes into view, bear in mind that before being famous, they were the same as any ordinary student. Some of them would be halfway through budgeting, while some would be studying brain chemistry—but the point is that none of them had a clear roadmap to fame.